Trinity’s Radio Station, WRTC, is an On-Campus Treasure

Maura Keary ’22

Staff Writer

The area that sits in the left, first floor corner of the High Rise Dormitory on Trinity College’s campus, lies a studio that not quite everyone knows about. It is home to the WRTC (Radio Trinity College) station, Trinity’s non-commercial FM radio. The federal license of WRTC is held by Trinity College. A budget is provided but the majority of the funding comes from loyal listener donations.

WRTC broadcasts a wide range of music shows, varying from rock, jazz, and country to classical and more on 89.3 FM. Along with music, radio hosts also broadcast the community calendar and at times even interviews with well-known artists from around the globe. The hosts of these shows are all volunteers, either members of the surrounding Hartford community or students here at Trinity.

WRTC runs 24-hours a day, 365 days a year with new shows constantly join- ing into the mix. No matter the time of day, if you tune into WRTC FM, you’re bound to hear something new and entertaining.

Although 89.3 FM does not reach farther than parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, you can stream live shows at your convenience at wrtcfm. com. In addition to this, you can also listen to the web archives on WRTC’s website, which offers the last two weeks of radio shows to listeners. This is a benefit that some other radio stations do not offer, as live streaming would be the only option. However, WRTC gives the listeners the opportunity to tune into live and past shows of their choice.

As previously mentioned, there are so many shows that make up what WRTC is today, some old and some very new. Here are some of the genres that are broadcasted on a weekly rotation: Caribbean, rock, Latin, country, African, jazz, gospel, Portuguese, blues, funk and classical. Operating for a little over 70 years now, WRTC has expanded its range of music and audiences as seen through donations and community volunteers.

For those of you out there wondering what it is you need to do to host your own show on WRTC—you can reach out to staff or coordinators at the station to share your ideas and complete a training course needed to become a radio operator. WRTC is a musical, educational, and community program that encourages members of Trinity and beyond to participate and listen. WRTC is just one of Trinity’s hidden gems that continues to produce content throughout the decades, playing a variety a music to fit an array of tastes, while reaching so many different walks of life.