About WRTI

WRTI is a public radio, non-profit, community-supported institution serving as the cornerstone of the Greater Philadelphia region’s classical music and jazz ecosystem.

Over 300,000 listeners rely on WRTI each week for access to expertly curated classical music and jazz that is timeless and transformative, and connection with the Delaware Valley’s exciting music, arts, and cultural scene.

WRTI is driven by core values of discovery, curation, performance, community, preservation, and education, and not what is most financially expedient or profitable.

This is particularly important for jazz and classical music, two genres that have limited economic footprints, but tremendous cultural impact. Musicians, composers, presenters, educators, and audiences of all ages and backgrounds rely upon WRTI to lead in increasing the impact of music in our daily lives.

Our mission is to champion music as a vital cultural resource. We believe that classical music and jazz have the power to bring our community together, and we can lead the way through our core values, which include:

Discovery: We believe imagination is sparked and passion ignited when new music or performances are discovered. We believe nothing is more powerful to furthering the cause and reach of music than this moment of discovery. Therefore, WRTI will be a source for the discovery of music that has stood the test of time as well as new works and performances that connect us to the world of living and relevant music.

Curation: We believe we play a unique role by choosing and presenting music that tells a story on a scale larger than anyone else in our community. Therefore, WRTI will maintain a constant commitment to listening, selecting, and presenting music that engages the public and deepens an appreciation for its impact and relevance in our daily lives.

Performance: We believe performance is the gateway through which artists connect most powerfully with audiences. Therefore WRTI will encourage and support a thriving live and local music community at all levels.

Community: We believe our community is everyone touched by music in some way, shape, or form. Therefore, WRTI will cultivate and serve the community of casual, enthusiastic, and serious music listeners alike.

Preservation: We believe we are keepers of a rich music legacy and have a responsibility to champion the greatest composers, conductors, and performers of all time. Therefore, WRTI will maintain and share a rich library and archive of content that supports the presentation of extraordinary performances and compelling storytelling.

Education: We believe that no matter the age or circumstance, we are all learners and teachers throughout our entire lives. Therefore WRTI will nurture a culture and community built on respect and value for knowledge, sharing, and experience as a path to an enlightened and better world.

Overview

• Over 300,000 listeners tune in to WRTI each week on the radio, on our classical and jazz listening streams, on the WRTI Mobile App, and on smart speakers. Our broadcast signal in Pennsylvania extends west to Harrisburg and north to Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. We reach listeners as far south as Dover, DE, and east in Atlantic City, NJ. View our coverage map here.

• WRTI is a member-supported, public radio station with over 18,000 active members. Active members of WRTI have made financial contributions to the station in the last 12 months. Our annual operating budget is $4.7 million.

• Over 80% of our operating budget comes from community support, including members and sponsors. The remaining 20% is received through grants from additional sources, including Temple University.

• WRTI provides over $300,000 of free on-air promotion to the region's arts and culture community. The cost per day to operate WRTI is $12,834.
  

Brief History

• WRTI was founded in 1948 as a campus-limited AM radio station at Temple University. The station was originally intended to be a student laboratory, and its call letters - RTI - stand for "Radio Technical Institute."

• In 1953, WRTI became a licensed FM radio station operating at 10 watts from Temple University's main campus in Philadelphia.

• WRTI adopted an all-jazz format in 1969.

• In 1989, WRTI's antenna was relocated to a higher tower in Roxborough at increased power which resulted in WRTI operating as a 50 kW class B facility.

• Starting in the late '80s, WRTI began an expansion program that is still in progress. Since then, repeater stations WJAZ, WRTQ, WRTX, WRTL, WRTJ, and WRTY, along with six translators, have been constructed, all of which extend coverage of the network into central and northeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Although the network includes multiple stations and translators, it is often referred to colloquially as WRTI, the network's flagship station.

• In 1997, WRTI split its programming format to include classical music during the day and jazz at night after Philadelphia's classical music radio station, WFLN, was sold. Since these two musical art forms joined forces, WRTI has seen its ratings and audience share rise dramatically. The station has become one of the top-rated public radio stations devoted to music in the area and in the nation.