WUPE (1110 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It is owned by Townsquare Media and it simulcasts the classic hits format of 100.1 WUPE-FM. WUPE serves the Berkshire Mountains area. The station is a daytimer and must sign off the air at sunset, according to Federal Communications Commission rules.
| Simulcast of WUPE-FM, North Adams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| |
| Broadcast area | Berkshire Mountains |
| Frequency | 1110 kHz |
| Branding | Whoopee |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBEC, WBEC-FM, WNAW, WSBS, WUPE-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | September 9, 1971 (as WGRG) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Whoopie"[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 71436 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 5,000 watts day |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°26′22.3″N 73°17′28.38″W / 42.439528°N 73.2912167°W |
| Translator(s) | 103.3 W277CJ (Pittsfield) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | wupe |
By day, WUPE transmits with 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna,[3] but because 1110 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for KFAB in Omaha and WBT in Charlotte, WUPE must be off the air at night, when radio waves travel further. Programming is also heard in Pittsfield on FM translator W277CJ at 103.3 MHz. That gives listeners three spots on the dial to hear WUPE: AM 1110, FM 100.1 and FM 103.3.
History
editThe station first signed on the air on September 9, 1971,[4] as progressive rock WGRG. WGRG became Top 40 WUPE in 1977. WUPE became WUHN, playing adult standards in the early 1980s. The format was flipped to oldies in 1990, and then to country music in 1996. The WUPE call letters were restored along with the oldies format in 2006.[5]
In August 2013, Gamma Broadcasting reached a deal to sell its Berkshire County radio stations, including WUPE, to Reed Miami Holdings;[6] the sale was canceled on December 30, 2013.[7] In August 2015, WUPE added an FM translator in the Pittsfield area. In October 2016, Gamma agreed to sell its stations to Galaxy Communications;[8] that sale also fell through, and in 2017 the stations were acquired by Townsquare Media.[9]
Translators
edit| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W277CJ | 103.3 FM | Pittsfield, Massachusetts | 145171 | 100 | D | 42°26′52.2″N 73°15′17.7″W / 42.447833°N 73.254917°W | LMS |
References
edit- ^ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WUPE". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WUPE-AM
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-212. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "WUPE Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "Western Massachusetts Cluster Sold". All Access. August 23, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ Venta, Lance (January 14, 2014). "Pittsfield Cluster Sale Withdrawn". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ Venta, Lance (October 17, 2016). "Galaxy Communications Acquires Pittsfield Cluster". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ Venta, Lance (July 18, 2017). "Townsquare Media Acquires Six In Massachusetts". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 71436 (WUPE) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WUPE in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 145171 (W277CJ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W277CJ at FCCdata.org
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