WCPE
WCPE Raleigh, NC, is a listener supported non-commercial, non-profit radio station, and the program contributor for The Classical Station, a classical music network. The Classical Station website provides a list of prior, current, and upcoming works for months in advance. The network allows blanket simulcast retransmission of their signal to any legal entity free, without charge or obligation. The station went on the air July 17, 1978 and switched to a 24-hour classical music format in 1984. Both are owned by the Educational Information Corporation, a nonprofit community organization.
City | Raleigh, North Carolina |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina |
Frequency | 89.7 MHz |
Branding | The Classical Station |
Slogan | Home of Great Classical Music |
Programming | |
Format | Classical |
Ownership | |
Owner | Educational Information Corp. |
History | |
First air date | 1978 |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 18831 |
Class | C |
ERP | 100,000 watts |
HAAT | 359 meters (1,178 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°56′25″N 78°28′45″W |
Translator(s) | See § Simulcasts and translators |
Repeater(s) | See § Simulcasts and translators |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | theclassicalstation.org |
WCPE's studios are located just outside Wake Forest, North Carolina. Its main signal extends from the South Carolina state line to the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, and some parts of Charlotte, North Carolina as well.
Overview
Despite its seeming connection to composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, WCPE's call letters don't stand for anything in particular; the station simply did not have the money to petition the FCC for a specific set of call letters, but was happy with the result.
WCPE operates three full-power satellite stations in the Outer Banks of eastern North Carolina, as well as a network of low-powered translators across the state. It can also be heard on cable television systems, on free-to-air (open format) "small dish" home satellite systems via the AMC-1 satellites, and around the world via six streaming audio formats on the Internet, including mp3, Ogg Vorbis, QuickTime, RealAudio, iTunes, and WMA. The station also streams via IPv6. Listening options and instructions are at http://theclassicalstation.org/listen.shtml.
It also distributes its classical music format to affiliate stations in ten states as a service entitled Great Classical Music. It is made available to these stations via the communications methods listed above. Distribution rights and rebroadcast consent to cable systems, broadcast stations, private systems - any legal communications entity (even cruise ships at sea) - is free without cost or obligation. The consent letter is available on the WCPE website.
As of December, 2007 WCPE has lost access to its C-Band (Big dish) transponder.
WCPE was one of the first public radio station in the nation to broadcast its programming on the Internet and one of the few radio stations in the United States to broadcast a dedicated, non-commercial classical music format. WCPE is 100% run by voluntary donations; the greatest amount by far is from individuals making personal gifts, and in recent years an increasing number of small business owners are helping through their companies. The station does not receive any government financial subsidies and/or entitlements at all (donor preference overwhelmingly prefers this independence). Several government-owned groups do help the station when it benefits both. For instance, WCPE gives details of a city-owned orchestra's upcoming concert; the orchestra can then help WCPE with funds from increased ticket sales.
At first WCPE chose a sparsely populated, heavily wooded area in the Northeast part of Wake County, North Carolina. During the intervening years, the town of Wake Forest has grown around their studio and transmitter site. The 85-acre (340,000 m2) grounds once housed a dilapidated farmhouse. WCPE cleared pine trees on the property for the building of the station's facilities and tower. The full amount of land is needed to accommodate the guy wires for the 1,200-foot (370 m) transmitting tower.
Helms-Leahy Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002
In November, 2002 WCPE and its founder and General Manager, Deborah Proctor was recognized by Senator Jesse Helms for her contribution in the Helms-Leahy Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002.[1] This act helped settle a dispute regarding the amount of royalties webcasters must pay in order to perform sound recordings over the Internet bringing stability to the then emerging webcasting industry.
The North Carolina Award
On Saturday, November 6, 2019 founder and General Manager, Deborah Proctor was recognized by Governor Roy Cooper with North Carolina's highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award.[2][3] Proctor was recognized for her efforts to promote and help small, independent and public broadcasters remain viable in the era of online broadcasting.
Simulcasts and translators
Call sign | Frequency | City of license | State | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
Height (m (ft)) |
Transmitter coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WZPE | 90.1 FM | Bath | North Carolina | 93744 | A | 4,500 | 39 m (128 ft) | 35°28′32.0″N 76°48′44.0″W |
WURI | 90.9 FM | Manteo | North Carolina | 91803 | A | 5,200 | 57 m (187 ft) | 35°54′28.0″N 75°40′26.0″W |
WZPE is owned by the Educational Information Corporation, while WURI is owned by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and leased to WCPE.
Call sign | Frequency (MHz) |
City of license | State | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
Height (m (ft)) |
FCC info |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W202BQ | 88.3 | Aberdeen | North Carolina | 93560 | D | 10 | 157 m (515 ft) | FCC |
W216BE | 91.1 | Buxton | North Carolina | 89947 | D | 50 | 9.8 m (32 ft) | FCC |
W237CM | 95.3 | Fayetteville | North Carolina | 145202 | D | 10 | 190 m (620 ft) | FCC |
W205CA | 88.9 | Foxfire | North Carolina | 93559 | D | 27 | 44 m (144 ft) | FCC |
W247BG | 97.3 | Frog Level | North Carolina | 145839 | D | 10 | 146 m (479 ft) | FCC |
W210BS | 89.9 | New Bern | North Carolina | 106585 | D | 120 | 37 m (121 ft) | FCC |
W292DF | 106.3 | Bassett Forks | Virginia | 145951 | D | 10 | 221 m (725 ft) | FCC |
W275AW | 102.9 | Danville | Virginia | 145882 | D | 38 | 52 m (171 ft) | FCC |
In 2016, WCPE's programming in Buxton moved from high-power WBUX (90.5 FM) to W216BE. Both facilities are owned by WUNC, which WBUX now retransmits.
Affiliates
Portions of WCPE's programming can also be heard on these stations:
Kansas
Michigan
M-F, 2:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m, (only when school is in session, and when teacher lets students broadcast) all day Saturday and Sunday
M-F - 9 p.m.-6:30 a.m, all day Saturday and Sunday, and during student vacations
- Holy Name of Jesus Radio, Wyoming (suburb of Grand Rapids) - various
Nevada
- KQMC 90.1 FM Hawthorne, Nevada 24 hours
Ohio
- WMCO 90.7 FM, New Concord
M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m, and midnight - 3 a.m.
Oklahoma
- KUCO 90.1 FM, Oklahoma City
11 p.m. - 6 a.m, daily.
- KBCW-FM, McAlester
11 p.m. - 6 a.m. daily
Texas
- KJJF 88.9 FM, Harlingen, Texas
Mon-Sat, 11 p.m. - 6 a.m.
- KHID 88.1 FM, McAllen
Mon-Sat, 11 p.m. - 6 a.m.
West Virginia
10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tue-Sat, 10 p.m. -6 a.m.
Virginia
- WCHG 107.1 FM, Hot Springs
Tue-Sat 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.
- WVLS 89.7 FM, Monterey, Virginia
Tue-Sat 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.
References
External links
- WCPE in the FCC's FM station database
- WCPE on Radio-Locator
- WCPE in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
———
- WURI in the FCC's FM station database
- WURI on Radio-Locator
- WURI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- WZPE in the FCC's FM station database
- WZPE on Radio-Locator
- WZPE in Nielsen Audio's FM station database