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In the fall of 1968, a few high school students, George McFee (art teacher at MCAHS) and workers from the Jepko Community Cable Co. headed to a small cement structure at the cable company's head-end to attempt their first local cablecast. The content was a high school football game featuring Tamaqua vs. the Red Tornadoes of Mount Carmel Area High School. MCA coach Jazz Diminick would provide narration for the 20 minute-plus video shot on 16mm film. The event would mark the beginning of the WJPM Cable Televison station.
In 1974, the Jepko Community Cable System was purchased by the Service Electric Cable Company. In 1977, the high school television studio would relocate to the new Mount Carmel Area High School to become WMCA and then WKMC-TV. You can see pictures and read more about our early years at The History of WJPM/WKMC , a website published by Joe Bass.
Today, WKMC operates from The George McFee Studio, which was rededicated to Mr. McFee during the 1999 Mount Carmel Area High School Commencement. The studio cablecasts to the community every Wednesday night from 8:00 to 11:00 P. M. and each school day from 7:30 to 8:00 A. M.. The studio and control room are operated by a group of approximately thirty students. Program content has followed many of the traditions of WJPM, along with additional programming and clips that serve to enhance educational content within the classrooms of MCAHS. Since 2003, students of WKMC have had the unique opportunity of broadcasting sports statewide in Pennsylvania via PCN (Pennslyvania Cable Network). The studio is in the process of upgrading its hardware to become a digital facility. The task has been sometimes difficult because of lack of funds. If you are a former student or philanthropist who would like to help us maintain this worthy program, you can email the current coordinator Mr. David McFee.