WMSS
Encyclopedia
WMSS is a high school operated high school radio
station broadcasting
several different radio format
s depending on the time of day. The station's apparent mission is to play genres of music that have been abandoned or not represented at all by local commercial stations. Although the station currently suffers from a lack of publicity and a relatively small coverage area, the station has received tremendous praise from all types of listeners for its eclectic programming.
On weekday mornings (from 6 AM to 3 PM), the station airs a hybrid of Soft Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening
and Adult Contemporary formats, generally focusing on material from the 1960s to the 1990s, including very little post-2000 music. This programming segment features a high percentage of songs that were major or moderate hits from the 1970s through 1990s but are essentially "forgotten" today. During this time period, the station's variety of music can range from The Beatles
to Neil Diamond
to Phil Collins
to Bon Jovi
to Vanessa Williams
. After 3 PM on weekdays, the station broadcasts an alternative
music format.
On Saturday mornings, the station broadcasts a True Oldies
format, featuring material from the late 1950s and 1960s (particularly the early 1960s, since this era has been abandoned by all local commercial oldies
/classic hits
stations). The station features the slogan "We don't just play the greatest oldies; we play the B-sides too"; which means that they feature many obscure songs and moderate hits from the Oldies era, rather than focusing on only top 10 hits. On most Sundays from 12-2 PM, Oldies material that was aired on previous weekends is often rebroadcast by the station.
Licensed to Middletown, Pennsylvania
, USA, the station is currently owned by Middletown Area School District
.
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
several different radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
s depending on the time of day. The station's apparent mission is to play genres of music that have been abandoned or not represented at all by local commercial stations. Although the station currently suffers from a lack of publicity and a relatively small coverage area, the station has received tremendous praise from all types of listeners for its eclectic programming.
On weekday mornings (from 6 AM to 3 PM), the station airs a hybrid of Soft Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
and Adult Contemporary formats, generally focusing on material from the 1960s to the 1990s, including very little post-2000 music. This programming segment features a high percentage of songs that were major or moderate hits from the 1970s through 1990s but are essentially "forgotten" today. During this time period, the station's variety of music can range from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
to Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
to Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
to Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
to Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams is the name of:* Vanessa L. Williams , American R&B/pop singer and actress, Miss America, actress on Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives...
. After 3 PM on weekdays, the station broadcasts an alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music format.
On Saturday mornings, the station broadcasts a True Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format, featuring material from the late 1950s and 1960s (particularly the early 1960s, since this era has been abandoned by all local commercial oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
/classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
stations). The station features the slogan "We don't just play the greatest oldies; we play the B-sides too"; which means that they feature many obscure songs and moderate hits from the Oldies era, rather than focusing on only top 10 hits. On most Sundays from 12-2 PM, Oldies material that was aired on previous weekends is often rebroadcast by the station.
Licensed to Middletown, Pennsylvania
Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, USA, the station is currently owned by Middletown Area School District
Middletown Area School District
Middletown Area School District, is a public school district located in Middletown, Pennsylvania serving students in southern Dauphin County. The district includes the boroughs of Middletown and Royalton and Lower Swatara Township in Dauphin County. Middletown Area School District encompasses...
.