WKPE-FM
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| WKPE-FM | |
| City of license | South Yarmouth |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Cape Cod |
| Branding | "Cape 104" |
| Slogan | "The Cape's Hit Music Station" |
| Frequency | 103.9 (MHz) |
| First air date | May 23, 1980 (as WKZE 104.7) |
| Format | Hot Adult Contemporary |
| ERP | 5,500 Watts |
| HAAT | 104 meters |
| Class | A |
| Callsign meaning | W KaPE (intentional mis-spelling, based off old calls WKZE) |
| Owner | Sandab Communications |
| Website | http://www.cape104fm.com |
WKPE-FM (103.9 FM), known as "Cape 104)", is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, with its main studio in Hyannis, Massachusetts, shared with WFCC-FM, WQRC, and WOCN-FM. WKPE-FM is currently owned by Sandab Communications.
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In 1980, the FM band was still new territory for Top-40 radio. Boston's Kiss 108 had only started one year prior and was very popular, routinely beating Top-40 AM station WRKO in the ratings. Cape Cod needed its own similar station to compete in its own market, and in May 1980, WKZE-FM hit the airwaves for the first time on 104.7 FM, branding itself "KZ 104"
After just over 3 successful years in the Top-40 format, the station gained its current call letters on August 1, 1983, re-branding itself WKPE "Cape 104", while retaining the same Top-40 music format. As "Cape 104", the station became one of the Cape's most iconic stations of the 1980s, and was popular among a wide variety of demographics. Its "Ryder in the Morning" drive-time show with DJs Rick Ryder and R.J. McKay became the Cape's most listened-to morning team (until Ryder was involved in a company scandal in 1989). Other legendary voices on the station included - Clarence Barnes, Steve Binder, "Jammin" Jamie West, Christine Fox, Paul Attea, Don Gaston, Keith Lemire, J.R. Randall, Carolyn Johnson, Danny Walsh, Tony Vincent,Lisa Z., Joe Rossetti, and Brett Richards to name a few
However, in 1992, citing low ratings due to the split of the Top-40 format, WKPE changed its format to Oldies and became "Oldies 104" to compete with the popular WNTX "Oldies 96" in Nantucket and WODS "Oldies 103" in Boston. This left Cape Cod without a Top-40 formatted station until WNTX became WRZE "The Rose" in January 1993. As "Oldies 104", WKPE only saw mild ratings.
During the spring of 1995 WKPE switched formats to a modern rock format and became "Rock 104.7, The Cape." It was in direct competition with the other local area rock station WPXC, Pixy 103, which has the same format. WKPE featured a morning show called "The Naked Radio Morning Show", which was a mix of talk, contests, and music. Notable segments were "the morning mind twister" (a trivia call-in) and "Cop or No Cop" (in which various Dunkin' Donuts stores were called to answer that question). During President Clinton's summer trips to Martha's Vineyard listeners were invited to call in with sittings of a presidential nature. Originally hosted by Dean Peachy and Jason Rhodes the program changed slightly when Peachy left the station only to return in 1998 to host the show with another DJ, Jeff. WKPE also hosted a Sunday night local music program called "The Cheap Seats", hosted by DJ Catherine "Cat" Wilson, which was "designed to let bands show off their stuff, learn about other bands and get the latest on industry showcases and information." The program gained much acclaim and was such a success that it remained for a time after the station changed to a classic rock format. At 11PM on Sunday nights The Doctor Demento show aired.
It was the highest rated rock station on the Cape aside from Pixy 103 mornings featuring Howard Stern. In 1999, the station was sold by Grancam Communications to Charles River Broadcasting, a year after WKPE's AM sister station was donated to the University of Massachusetts to become part of the WUMB folk music network as WFPB. In September 1999 the channel switched formats to classic rock. Bill Campbell, CEO of Charles River Broadcasting, was quoted as saying, "There were a couple of holes [in local radio formats]. It was either this or Hawaiian music." Only DJs Dan Towers, Cat, and Nick Strassel stayed on when the channel changed to 'The Rocket' (Towers having been at Rock 104.7 from the beginning). Rock 104.7 DJ Peter Maxx returned to the channel sometime later. Dan Towers left the station and the Cape in 2002 for WAQY-FM in Springfield, MA. Cat also left and moved to another Cape Cod radio station WCOD.
With the 2006-07 dismantling of Charles River Broadcasting, Sandab Communications, owner of WQRC and WOCN-FM, signed a contract to operate WFCC and WKPE under a local marketing agreement, with the two stations still licensed to Charles River. In April 2007, WKPE and WOCN-FM swapped frequencies and transmitters, giving the popular WOCN the superior 50,000 watt signal of 104.7 FM, while WKPE dropped the "Rocket" moniker and moved to WOCN's previous 5,500 watt signal at 103.9 MHz.
Beginning on September 25, 2007, the radio station began stunting. Initially, the stunt involved playing the same two or three songs in a loop. As the days went by, the station slowly added more songs to the stunt. On the tenth day of the stunt program (October 4, 2007), it was reported that songs began disappearing from the rotation. An announcement between songs also began to play, noting how many more days were left (counting down from 8 days) before the new format would be announced on October 12, 2007.
The list of songs played during the stunt were:
"American Pie" by Don McLean, "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger), "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, "Wide Open Spaces" by The Dixie Chicks, "Dirty Water" by The Standells, "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson, and "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake.
On October 12, 2007, the stunting on WKPE ended, and after more than 15 years away from the format, it became known once again as "Cape 104, The Cape's Hit Music Station". The format has changed from Classic Rock to Hot AC. This also marked a return to the call letters of familiar jock from the iconic 80's - Steve Binder (mornings 6 am to 12 noon) and a new voice to Cape Radio - Shai Jackson (12 noon to 6 pm)
WKPE 103.9 Sept 25 2007 Image:WKPE Rocket Sept 25 2007 5pm.ogg
Problems listening to the file? See media help.
- "Cape 104" WKPE-FM official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WKPE
- Radio Locator information on WKPE
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| By AM frequency | 1170 · 1240 |
| By FM frequency | 89.5 · 90.1 · 90.3 · 90.7 · 91.1 · 91.5 · 91.9 · 92.1 · 92.7 · 93.5 · 94.3 · 95.1 · 96.3 · 99.9 · 101.1 · 101.9 · 102.3 · 102.9 · 103.9 · 104.7 · 106.1 · 107.5 |
| By callsign | WCAI/WNAN/WZAI · WCCT · WCIB · WCOD-FM · WFCC-FM · WFPB · WFQR/WFRQ · WGTX · WKKL · WKPE-FM · WMVY · WNCK · WOCN-FM · WOMR · WPXC · WQRC · WRZE · WSDH · WXTK |
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Massachusetts Radio Markets: Boston • Cape Cod • New Bedford-Fall River • Springfield • Worcester Other Massachusetts Radio Regions: Pittsfield
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| By Frequency: | 100.7 · 102.1 · 103.9 |
| By Callsign: | WAQY · WKPE · WZLX |
| By City: | Boston · South Yarmouth · Springfield |