WMTC (Winning Men to Christ) Radio (730 am) started out on June 30, 1948, as a 1,000 watt station in an old log cabin. The radio voice of Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association, WMTC, located in the town of Vancleve, KY was on the air approximately 50 hours per week. In 1981, we upgraded to 5,000 watts and broadcast 65-70 hours per week. Surveys were done over rugged mountains trails, many times on foot, to make this change in power. The tower had to be dismantled and moved from the campus of the Kentucky Mountain Bible College to a hill near the studio. A second tower was donated to the radio; that tower was dismantled and moved from Chattanooga, TN. What a joy to be able to have more power and bring the gospel to more people!
In
November of 1991 WMTC-FM began. The call letters remained the same, but
the meaning changed to Winning Many to Christ. This would greatly
expand the listening audience and the number of gospel programs to the
mountains. All programming was simulcast, with the FM running 24 hours
a day, and the AM from sun-up to sun-down. In 2006 our format was
switched full-time to southern gospel, and our label became Mountain
Gospel as a better reflection of our mission.
The first General Manager was Wilfred Fisher, who held that job from 1948 to 1978. Sheldon Short became General Manager in 1978. Seldon started working at WMTC as a student in November of 1951. He and his wife, Janet, came on as full-time staff in 1958. Janet retired in 1998, and Sheldon was involved in a near-fatal auto accident on December 8, 2003. He has endured many nights in the hospital, several surgeries, and rehab as a result of this accident. Because of complications from this accident he retired in July 2006.
Kenneth Amspaugh worked at the station almost since its beginning as engineer. He had taken some time off to serve in the military, and to serve on the mission field, but has been part of WMTC since 1948. He retired from his job as Chief Engineer due to his ongoing battle with cancer. In August 2009, Kenneth went Home to receive his reward. He is greatly missed at the station. His wife, Faith, is also a former member of the WMTC staff.
WMTC staff live by faith. There is no salary attached to working at WMTC. Housing, utilities, and food items are furnished.
We have gone from playing programs and music live on the air from reel-to-reel, records, and cassette tapes, to putting CD’s and cassettes into the computer and letting the automation system play them. This has increased our production time and cut down on the amount of time that the staff actually spends on the air. Since we don’t have many staff members this has been a big help. We receive student help from Kentucky Mountain Bible College, which helps make it possible for us to function. WMTC plays a Southern Gospel and Gospel Bluegrass music format interspersed with a wide variety of teaching programs for all ages and people groups. We feature programs for women, children, the unsaved, and the beliver Because we desire to have a personal relationship with our listeners, on weekdays six hours a day are dedicated to live dj music. Our djs take music request as well as provide interesting information and spiritual nourishment.
The mission statement of WMTC Mountain Gospel is to present the message of holiness to Eastern Kentucky, to keep listeners informed on current issues from a Chrisian perspective, and to encourage and uplift the listener through music and programs that will bring glory and honor to God.
Through the music and programs have changed down through the years, the message has remained the same. The goal is to bring quality Christian programming to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. If you have not yet listened to us, turn your AM dial to 730, and FM dial to 99.9 for all your favorite Southern Gospel music and Christian teaching. Mountain Gospel operates under a board of directors that oversees the format.