WMIT

Infobox Radio station
name = WMIT


city = Black Mountain, North Carolina
area = Asheville, North Carolina
Tri-Cities, Tennessee-Virginia
Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina (The Upstate)
Charlotte, North Carolina
branding = "106.9 The Light"
slogan = "Radio You Can Believe In"
frequency = 106.9 MHzHD Radio
airdate = 1941
share =
share as of =
share source =
format = Contemporary Inspirational
power =
erp = 36,000 watts
haat = 942 meters
class = C
facility_id = 5970
coordinates = coord|35|44|6.00|N| 82|17|10.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = Mount MITchell
Near the station's transmitter location
former_callsigns =
owner = Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
licensee = Blue Ridge Broadcasting Corporation
sister_stations = 1010 AM WFGW
webcast = [http://www.wmit.org/ListenLive/live2.html "The Light"] , [http://www.wmit.org/theedge/player.html "The Edge"]
website = [http://www.1069thelight.org 1069thelight.org]
affiliations = Fox News Radio

WMIT-FM (106.9 FM, "106.9 The Light") is a contemporary Christian radio station in Asheville, North Carolina. The station is licensed to the town of Black Mountain. WMIT is a noncommercial, listener supported ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Despite its 36,000-watt effective radiated power, its signal can be heard in the Tri-Cities, Greenville/Spartanburg, and Charlotte as well as its home market of Asheville—a potential audience of 5.2 million people in five states (though WMIT claims listenership in two additional states as well). This is because its transmitter is located over 6,700 feet above sea level—one of the highest transmitter sites east of the Mississippi River.

The station's call letters stand for Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi River, which is located about 2½ miles NE of the station's transmitter.

In 2007, WMIT commenced HD Radio service with "theEdge 106.9" on the HD2 channel, featuring Christian music for teenagers and young adults. They now broadcast their sister-station, 1010 AM WFGW Talk on the HD3 channel.

History

In the summer of 1941, Mount Mitchell Broadcasters signed on W41MM, with 50,000 watts on 44.1 megacycles from 6,885 feet above sea level. Though licensed to Winston-Salem, 105 miles away, the station operated by remote telephone line.

W41MM became WMIT, and moved to 97.3, then to 106.9. At one time the station operated at 325 kilowatts [http://www.fybush.com/site-030612.html, Retrieved on 2008/08/21.] .

Rising 180 feet above 6557-foot Clingman's Peak, the WMIT tower's light was higher than anything else east of the Mississippi.

The two-story building housing the station included living space. The road to the top was usually passable. Diesel engines powered the station at first, but eventually power lines had to be installed. Gordon Gray had to close the station in Spring 1950 because he did not have the time to run it. When the station returned to the air in 1951, its power was the equivalent of 325,000 watts, and it could be picked up in Atlanta, Georgia, 190 miles away. Six and a half million potential listeners could pick up the signal. Studios were in Charlotte, North Carolina, 90 miles away, and programming was delivered by means of a station-to-transmitter link. Much of the music was classical or semi-classical, though three hours a day of local, regional music was played due to listener interest [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ggninfo/15.htm, Retrieved on 2008/08/14.] .

References

External links

* [http://www.1069thelight.org/ 106.9 The Light website]
* [http://www.edge1069.com/ Edge 106.9 website]
*FMQ|WMIT
*FML|WMIT
*FMARB|WMIT