From The Manistee News Advocate, June 7, 1951
After almost 5 years of preliminary and actual work on obtaining a radio station for Manistee, the effort is now completed and station WMTE will officially take the air tonight at 7 o'clock. Final Federal Communication Commission approval of the station was received last night by local Officials, with the opening scheduled for tonight. WMTE is at 1340 on the dial. The program tonight will include short talks by local officials, including Mayor Arne Hansen, Jack Barstow, President of the Board of Commerce, and others. Several congratulatory telegrams will be read from the governor and other state officers. There will also be music by the University of Michigan State college musical organizations, as well as other music, spot announcements and news.
Beginning tomorrow, the station will be on the air daily from 6:45 a.m. until 11p.m, with the programs to be announced, it was stated. At the present time the Manistee Radio Corporation officials are not contemplating any hook-up with a national or state network. The station will remain independent for a period of time. However, as quickly as it can be accomplished arrangements will be made to carry the Detroit Tiger baseball games.
Plans for organizing a Manistee radio station were started in October 1946, after four years of hearings, court proceedings and Federal procedures a license was granted in December of 1950.
The land for the WMTE site was purchased early this year, and work began in late January. The station proper was completed three weeks ago, at which time testing was started.