WCPE

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WCPE
WCPE 89 FM.png
CityRaleigh, North Carolina
Broadcast areaRaleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Frequency89.7 MHz
BrandingThe Classical Station
SloganHome of Great Classical Music
Programming
FormatClassical
Ownership
OwnerEducational Information Corp.
History
First air date
1978
Technical information
Facility ID18831
ClassC
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT359 meters (1,178 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°56′25″N 78°28′45″W / 35.94028°N 78.47917°W / 35.94028; -78.47917 (WCPE)
Translator(s)See § Simulcasts and translators
Repeater(s)See § Simulcasts and translators
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitetheclassicalstation.org

WCPE (89.7 FM) Raleigh, North Carolina, 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 [1] 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.

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 broadcast consent letter is available on the WCPE website.

As of December 2007, WCPE has lost access to its C-Band (Big dish) transponder. [2]

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 / 35.475556°N 76.812222°W / 35.475556; -76.812222 (WZPE)
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 / 35.907778°N 75.673889°W / 35.907778; -75.673889 (WURI)

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.

Broadcast translators of WCPE
Call sign Frequency
(MHz) 		City of license State Facility ID Class ERP
(W) 		Height
(m (ft))
W202BQ 88.3 Aberdeen North Carolina 93560 D 10 157 m (515 ft)
W216BE 91.1 Buxton North Carolina 89947 D 50 9.8 m (32 ft)
W237CM 95.3 Fayetteville North Carolina 145202 D 10 190 m (620 ft)
W205CA 88.9 Foxfire North Carolina 93559 D 27 44 m (144 ft)
W247BG 97.3 Frog Level North Carolina 145839 D 10 146 m (479 ft)
W210BS 89.9 New Bern North Carolina 106585 D 120 37 m (121 ft)
W292DF 106.3 Virginia 145951 D 10 221 m (725 ft)
W275AW 102.9 Danville Virginia 145882 D 38 52 m (171 ft)

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

Nevada

Ohio

M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m, and midnight - 3 a.m.

Oklahoma

11 p.m. - 6 a.m, daily.

11 p.m. - 6 a.m. daily

Texas

Mon-Sat, 11 p.m. - 6 a.m.

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

Tue-Sat 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

Tue-Sat 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2002/11/19/senate-section/article/S11548-1
  2. ^ https://www.ncdcr.gov/news/press-releases/2019/10/07/six-receive-2019-north-carolina-award-state%E2%80%99s-highest-honor
  3. ^ https://wakeweekly.com/stories/six-including-wf-woman-receive-states-highest-honor,195453

External links[]

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