WFMT made its debut on Chicago's airwaves in December of 1951, and has since remained dedicated to presenting the best classical music and fine arts programming to the widest possible audience, devoting enormous resources to live and taped presentations by performing artists. The station’s reach extends well beyond Chicago's borders via the WFMT Radio Network and its Beethoven and Jazz Satellite Networks, over which the station broadcasts major symphony concerts, grand opera, drama, mainstream jazz, and folk music to over 650 outlets in the U.S. and around the world. Whether heard locally, nationally, or internationally though cable and syndicated programming, WFMT is a cultural resource that continues to become more vibrant every day.