WPUC-FM
WPUC-FM (88.9 FM) is a noncommercial educational[3] radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, the station serves the entirety of the island with the aid of a booster at Caguas and a translator covering Mayagüez. The station is owned by Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Service Association, Incorporated.
_Emisora_Radio_Catolica%252C_en_Ponce_Bypass_(PR-2)%252C_Barrio_Canas_Urbano%252C_Ponce%252C_PR_(DSC05046X).jpg.webp) | |
| City | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Puerto Rico |
| Frequency | 88.9 MHz |
| Branding | Católica Radio |
| Slogan | Está Contigo |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Spanish |
| Format | Adult Contemporary, Religious |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Service Association, Inc.) |
| History | |
First air date | 1958 (as WEUC AM 1420) May 17, 1984 |
Former call signs | WEUC-FM (1982-2000)[1] |
Call sign meaning | Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 9351 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 12,000 watts[2] |
| HAAT | 827 meters[2] |
Transmitter coordinates | 18°10′27″N 66°35′32″W |
| Translator(s) | W206AF 89.1 (Mayaguez) |
| Links | |
| Website | catolicaradiopr |
History
The Catholic University of Puerto Rico entered into broadcasting when it built WEUC,[4] a 1,000-watt AM radio station operating at 1420 kHz, in 1958.[5] The station, which signed on in May, was the island's first Catholic radio station.[6] The station's call letters stood for Emisora Universidad Catolica (Catholic University Station).[7] Bishop James E. McManus, who founded the university, had invited Father Carl Hammond to assist in the design of the buildings on the campus; Hammond, an avid ham radio operator, was instrumental in launching the station.[8]
On May 17, 1979, the Catholic University of Puerto Rico applied to the Federal Communications Commission to build and launch a noncommercial FM station on 88.9 MHz. WEUC-FM was approved by the commission on January 11, 1982, but the station did not sign on the air until May 17, 1984.[9]
The university sold the AM station in 2000 to El Mundo Broadcasting Corporation, owners of WKAQ-AM-WKAQ-FM in San Juan and WUKQ-FM in Mayagüez, for $1.45 million; the sale resulted in the AM frequency becoming a simulcaster of WKAQ.[10] After selling the AM station, the university changed WEUC-FM's call sign to WPUC-FM, reflecting the papal designation of the pontifical title on the university, which had taken place in 1991.
The radio station serves dual purposes: as a communication media with the external community and as an internship for students studying communications.[11] In 2014, the station's main studio was named for Luis Varela (1938[12] - 23 June 2020[13]), whose sports program Trinchera Deportiva aired from WEUC/WPUC since 1961.[14][15]
After Hurricane Maria, WPUC-FM lost 80 percent of its coverage. The translator for Mayagüez, located inside the Maricao State Forest, was returned to service in January 2019.[16]
Translator stations
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) | City of license | ERP (W) | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPUC-FM1 | 88.9 FM | Caguas, Puerto Rico | .25 | FCC |
| W206AF | 89.1 FM | Mayaguez, Puerto Rico | .25 | FCC |
References
- Call Sign History: WPUC-FM, PR PONCE. FCC Audio Division. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- FM Query Results: WPUC-FM, PR PONCE. FCC Audio Division. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- Before the Federal Communications Commission, IMO Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Service Association, Inc. File Nos. EB-07-IH-5331. FCC. File: EB-08-IH-1547. Facility ID No. 9351. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Breviario sobre la Historia de Ponce. 2nd ed. 2002. Page 209. Bayamon, PR: Impress Quality Printing. ISBN 0-615-12181-0.
- FCC History Cards for WEUC (now WUKQ)
- "Station Goes on Air". The Catholic Advance. 16 May 1958. p. 10. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 97.
- "Priests Of Notre Dame". Rochester Courier-Journal. 7 July 1967. p. 12A. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- "WEUC-FM" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1987. p. B-326. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- "Transaction Digest" (PDF). RBR. 31 January 2000. p. 14. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- Self-Study for the Middle States Association’s Commission of Higher Education (MSACHE) Re-accreditation, 2003. Introduction - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico. Page 89. 17 April 2000. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- Adiós al veterano periodista Luis R. Varela Solar: El respetado comunicador, de larga trayectoria en varios campos incluyendo la radio, falleció el martes a los 82 años. 23 June 2020. Accessed 25 June 2020.
- Fallece el veterano periodista Luis Varela: El cronista, nacido en Cuba y radicado en Ponce, tuvo una destacada carrera de casi seis décadas en el periodismo deportivo y sobresalió por sus escritos sobre los asesinatos del Cerro Maravilla.
- Rodríguez Rivera, Jalibeth (19 February 2014). ""Te cuento… tú me cuentas", rinden honor a Luis Varela". Huellas. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- Muere periodista Luis R. Valera. EsNoticia. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 26 June to 9 July 2020. Year 5. Issue 121. page 15. Accessed 26 June 2020.
- Torres, Celimer (18 January 2019). "En el aire 89.1 FM". Huellas. Retrieved 11 February 2020.