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Volunteers
Staff
Board
Station Affiliations
WTIP is affiliated with
IPR is the second largest public radio network in the state of Minnesota and one of the largest public radio networks of its kind in the United States. It consists of 12 independently licensed and managed, locally responsive, community-based public radio stations in Minnesota.
The IPR Office: 525 Park Street, Suite 310
St. Paul, MN 55103
Other community stations affiliated with IPR include:
KAXE
~ Grand Rapids, MN
KBEM ~ Minneapolis, MN
KFAI ~ Minneapolis, MN
KMOJ ~ Minneapolis, MN
KMSU ~ Mankato, MN
KQAL ~ Winona, MN
KSRQ ~ Thief River Falls
KUMD ~ Duluth, MN
KUMM ~ Morris, MN
KUOM ~ Minneapolis, MN
KVSC ~ St. Cloud, MN
These stations represent a diversity in community radio programming (particularly music and cultural programming) unheard of in most states. These stations reach a very diverse audience of all ages. KFAI alone has programming in 13 different languages!
WTIP continues to make history! Join us ~ become part of this amazing story: The Little Radio Station That Could!
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WTIP Mission
WTIP exists
- To provide timely and accurate reports of local and state events, including weather, news and community happenings;
- To provide a forum open to all residents of the area for the discussion of public issues;
- To provide music and entertainment for our audience;
- To provide a diversity of programs designed to educate and inform;
- To promote the general well-being of the area;
- To train local residents to use the medium of radio to express their thoughts, feelings and talents.
WTIP History
WTIP’s beginning is humble; A small number of community folks gathered around a kitchen table to talk about the important role a radio station can play in building a sense of shared community. What started as a small crumb of an idea at a table in January of 1992, grew into a reality - six years later.
Over six years of persistent work the volunteers established a firm foundation for WTIP. The top priorities included: 1) pursue funding, 2) purchase equipment, 3) do some creative engineering, 4) obtain a FCC license,…As a result on April 29th, 1998 WTIP went on the air with its inaugural transmission. From this very first broadcast, the voice that was heard on the radio was that of a volunteer, a neighbor, a community member.
1st voices on the air
Jeff Nemitz & Mike Swindlehurst
WTIP first went “on-the-air” with only an exciter (a device that combines the audio with the FM carrier and has a small RF Amplifier) at 200 watts. At this time WTIP was only re-broadcasting KUMD (Duluth) programming, but we had the ability to go “live” via telephone. So the morning after the exciter was put on the air, Jeff Nemitz (engineer), dialed in from his work at LTV Steel Mining with Mike Swindlehurst.
This is what was first said on air:
Jeff: “Hey man, what’s that radio station you’re listening to?”
Mike: “It’s WTIP 90.7 FM man. It’s a new station on the North Shore, man.”
Jeff: “Wow! Well turn it up, man!”
Jeff recalls this first memorable local broadcast: “Most likely, nobody heard it – except for some poor soul that was driving in the area and was scanning for a station, and happened to be listening at that unfortunate moment.”
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WTIP Tower and Engineering
WTIP broadcasts at:
- 25,000 watts at 90.7
- 140 watts at 91.7 translator on the Gunflint Trail
Coverage Area
WTIP Studios are located in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Although Cook County is our home-base, geographically WTIP serves Lake Superior’s north shore from Two Harbors, MN to the Thunder Bay area. With the addition of our translator, located above the Gunflint Lake, we also reach listeners along the entire length of the Gunflint Trail. And because Lake Superior poses no obstruction to our radio signal, communities along the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula receive our signal, too. Welcome Yoopers!
Founding Board Members
Peter Igoe, Mary Igoe (Secretary), Todd Nelson, Cheryl Champion, Vicki Biggs, Leslie Pederson, Ann Cervenka, Elmer Harvey, Nathan Kristenson, Fritz Sobanja – later Jeff Nemitz, Karla Johnson, Gina Todd, Rady Eastlund, Mike Schelmeske and Mike Raymond joined the crew.
First Broadcast
WTIP's first broadcast was the AM Calendar Show, hosted by Bill Burkhardt & Scott Sales
From the beginning the AM Calendar Show aired every weekday. Bill Burkhardt and Scott Sales alternated days as Calendar host. The first regular feature on the Calendar show was “School News” with Mark Sandbo (principal at the time) as the first guest.
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