(2/21) The sounds of summer will be a
bit different this year as WTHU comes under
new management.
According to Chuck Walmer, owner of WTHU
Radio in Thurmont, he has entered into a sales
agreement with the Christian Radio Coalition
to sell the station as of Feb. 15. Because the
Federal Communications Commission needs to
approve the sale, it is not expected to be
finalized until June.
“I have had other offers for the station,
but I liked the package they came in with,”
Walmer said. “They are going to continue with
a lot of the things we had and add some to
it.”
Michael Betteridge is the operations
manager with www.WJTM.org, the on-line radio
station the Christian Radio Coalition
operates. His plan is the blend WJTM’s
programming with a lot of the local
programming WTHU already runs.
For instance, they already have a good
program on Sundays from Pioneer Baptist,”
Betteridge said. “A lot of what is at the
station will stay. That is the purpose of
local programming.”
The reported purchase price for the
500-watt station is $150,000, which includes
the 5-acre property on Radio Lane in Thurmont.
The station’s broadcast area covers all of
Frederick County and even beyond. The
station’s call letters will remain WTHU and
while Walmer is selling the radio station, he
said he is retaining his newspaper, Thurmont
Times Monthly.
Walmer had been at WTHU since 1989 and
owned it since 1992. Of the things he was
proud about during his ownership was, “I liked
the local flavor of being in the community
with local programming.”
Betteridge agreed. He is distressed by the
growth of large radio networks that broadcast
“canned programming you neither want nor
need.”
Betteridge plans to have local news, local
weather and even local ski reports on the new
WTHU. Programming will be broadcast on the new
web site www.wthu.org and the community will
also be able to rate programming and access
other features from the web site.
“We really welcome the involvement of the
community in building this station,”
Betteridge said.
When the official changeover in ownership
happens, Betteridge plans on having a gala
celebration to announce it to the community.
