WHSS

Infobox_Radio_station
name = WHSS


area = Hamilton, Ohio / Cincinnati, Ohio
branding = 89.5 WHSS
slogan = New Rock Alternative
airdate = May 1975
frequency = 89.5 (MHz)
format = Alternative
erp = 190 watts
class = B
callsign_meaning =
owner = Hamilton City Schools
website = [http://www.895whss.com/ www.895whss.com]

WHSS (89.5 FM) is an American radio station in Hamilton, Ohio. The station plays an Alternative format. The station is owned and operated by the Hamilton City School District. It broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 190 watts.

History

The vocational electronics class at Taft High School in Hamilton, Ohio initiated the concept of starting a student operated radio station. Under the direction of the electronics instructor, Mr. Todd Matthews, and with a ten thousand dollar grant for equipment from the Hamilton Community Foundation an application was filled with the Federal Communications Commission. WHSS began broadcasting in May,1975 when the FCC granted an educational license to the Hamilton City School District. The station operated at a frequency of 89.5 MHz from an antenna height above average terrain of almost 300 feet at an effective radiated power of 10 watts. The station operated with studios located at Taft High School and a remote transmitter and attenna located about 5 miles away on Boyle Road in St. Clair Township northwest of Hamilton. Todd Matthews acted as the station manager in its first couple of years and along with Robert Wilson its chief engineer until his retirement in the early 1990s.

It was decided that a radio class should offered as an English elective. However, in 1976 the district combined the radio curriculum with television curriculum and create a vocational program called Broadcasting Arts. Walter Maude became the teacher of the junior Broadcasting Arts class and station manager of WHSS. Originally, the station, located at Taft High School but was staffed by students from Garfield, Badin as well as Taft High Schools. In 1978, the station upgraded its power to 190 watts. In February, 1979, Walter Maude took over the senior television class and David Spurrier became the junior instructor and station manager of WHSS radio. He is currently still instructing all the Broadcasting Arts classes and station managing WHSS radio and Big Blue TV. In the fall of 1980, Taft and Garfield High Schools were consolidated into a single high school called Hamilton High School located in the former Taft building. Using its original facility, the station was also located at Hamilton High School.

Station operating hours have varied throughout the years but revolved around the school calendar. The station would sign on at the beginning of the school day around 7:30 a.m. ET and signed off at a variety of times from the end of the school day at 2:30 p.m. ET to 10:00 p.m. ET. The station only broadcast during the school year and was off air nights, weekends and holidays.

In 1997, the station was approached to timeshare its frequency during those hours WHSS wasn't on the air. If it kept the same hours WHSS would only broadcast 20% of the year and the timeshare partner would be on the air 80% of the year. Under those conditions WHSS would effectively be guest on its own frequency so the Hamilton City School Board of Education chose not to enter into the agreement. Since station management knew when license renewal came around WHSS might be forced by the FCC to timeshare the frequency, the decision was made to invest in an automation system and appropriate transmitter controls so the station could broadcast full time. With the advice and engineering support of Broadcasting Arts alum and WLW-T Channel 5 engineer John Sandor,in August 1998, WHSS began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In the fall of 2003, the Broadcasting Arts program along with WHSS and Big Blue TV moved to new facilities in the Job Development Center next to Hamilton High School. The move allowed the stations to purchase entirely new equipment from the control rooms to the transmitter. The current WHSS studios were designed and installed by Chuck McConnell of CME Technologies in Cincinnati.

Programming on WHSS originally was a mixture of classical and jazz music along with news and public affairs programs and play-by-play broadcasts of high school sports. In 1980 the music format was changed to an album-oriented rock format. It remained a mixture of pop and rock through the '80s and '90s. When the station debutted its 24 hour fulltime broadcast it also introduced a rock/alternative music format. The station became known as 89.5 WHSS, The New Rock Alternative for southwestern Ohio. With the change in format and fulltime broadcasts WHSS saw its listenership grow tremendously. The station was contacted by several nationally known periodicals to report its playlist on a weekly basis. Without the advice and assistance of alumni like John Sandor, Mark Ott and Joshua Sweet, the station would not be able to be able to serve as a proving ground for the future broadcasters of our nation.

External links

* [http://www.895whss.com Station website]
*FMQ|WHSS