WTMD opened its new studios in 2013 in the Towson City Center.
A major regional publication has named WTMD 89.7 FM, Towson University’s public radio station, as one of the best things about Baltimore.
Baltimore Magazine released its “101 Reasons to LOVE Baltimore Right Now” feature in its January issue. WTMD ranks 40th on the list—a spot earned because of the station’s support of Baltimore artists with shows like Baltimore Hit Parade and its annual First Thursdays Concerts in the Park.
“The Internet may have changed this for some, but we still believe every city needs a cool local radio station,” reads the piece.
Most Fridays, the station hosts a local or regional touring band for the daily Live Lunch feature. Concerts are open to the public at the station’s new facility, which opened last year. Artists have included J. Roddy Walston and the Business, The Bridge, and the Tom Principato Band. The station hosts The Herd of Main Street at noon this Friday in its studios at 1 Olympic Place in Towson. Admission is free and guests are welcome to bring lunch.
Steve Yasko, WTMD’s general manager, said the new location has been a springboard to enhance the station’s popularity. The 8,000-square-foot facility includes a stage, a community meeting room, a classroom and two production studios. It also included a new antenna for the station atop the Towson City Center, extending its reach into Washington, DC.
“We can just bring Baltimore bands to the air in an inclusive and very significant way,” Yasko said. “[The facility] allows us to transform our dreams into realities.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the station will host a live recording of Baltimore Hit Parade, featuring the Baltimore radio debut of Eastern Shore soul singer-songwriter Kentavius Jones, a song from the Baltimore Rock Opera Society touring production of “Murdercastle,” and guests including Ottobar owner Michael Bowen and Elena Fox of Charm City Cakes. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and admission is free.
