WCPE

WCPE

Raleigh, North Carolina
Broadcast area	Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Frequency	89.7 MHz
Branding	The Classical Station
Programming
Format	Classical
Ownership
Owner	Educational Information Corp.
History
First air date	1978
Call sign meaning	Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (unofficial); call letters assigned by FCC
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 is a private classical music radio station that serves the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, United States. Licensed to Raleigh on 89.7 FM at 100,000 watts, the station went on the air July 17, 1978 and switched to a 24-hour classical music format in 1984. The "sister station", WZPE in Bath, NC, had obtained a construction permit from the FCC for a power increase to 4,500 watts. It is owned by the Educational Information Corporation, a nonprofit community organization.

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 be 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. [1]

WCPE was 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.

The WCPE studios are located in a heavily wooded rural area between Wake Forest and Rolesville. The 80-acre (320,000 m²) grounds once housed a dilapidated farmhouse. WCPE gave orders to clear 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.

Simulcasts and translators

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	Facility ID	ERP W	Height m (ft)	Class	Transmitter coordinates
WBUX	90.5 FM	Buxton, North Carolina	91800	5,900	47 m (154 ft)	A	35°16′1.0″N 75°32′38.0″W
WURI	90.9 FM	Manteo, North Carolina	91803	5,200	57 m (187 ft)	A	35°54′28.0″N 75°40′26.0″W
WZPE	90.1 FM	Bath, North Carolina	93744	4,500	39 m (128 ft)	A	35°28′32.0″N 76°48′44.0″W

WZPE is owned by the Educational Information Corporation, while WBUX and WURI are owed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and leased to WCPE.

Broadcast translators for WCPE

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	FID	ERP (W)	HAAT	Class	FCC info
W202BQ	88.3 FM	Aberdeen, North Carolina	93560	10	157 m (515 ft)	D	LMS
W205CA	88.9 FM	Foxfire, North Carolina	93559	27	44 m (144 ft)	D	LMS
W210BS	89.9 FM	New Bern, North Carolina	106585	120	37 m (121 ft)	D	LMS
W237CM	95.3 FM	Fayetteville, North Carolina	145202	10	190 m (623 ft)	D	LMS
W247BG	97.3 FM	Frog Level (Pitt County), North Carolina	145839	10	146 m (479 ft)	D	LMS
W250AZ	97.9 FM	Raleigh, North Carolina	146926	84	90 m (295 ft)	D	LMS
W275AW	102.9 FM	Danville, Virginia	145882	38	52 m (171 ft)	D	LMS
W292DF	106.3 FM	Bassett Forks, Virginia	145951	10	221 m (725 ft)	D	LMS

Affiliates

Portions of WCPE's programming can also be heard on these stations:

Kansas

• KBTL 88.1 El Dorado - various

Illinois

• WLNX 88.9 FM Lincoln - 24 hours

Michigan

• WCHW-FM 91.3 FM Bay City

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

• WPHS 89.1 FM Warren

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

• WZUM-FM 88.1 FM, Bethany

10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• W278AL 103.5 FM, Durbin

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.

External links

• WCPE website
• Facility details for Facility ID WCPE ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

Other station data

• Facility details for Facility ID WBUX ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID WURI ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID WZPE ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database