WQCP (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial FM radio station that formerly broadcast a classical music radio format. It is licensed to Fort Pierce, Florida, and serves the Treasure Coast. On December 4, 2023, the station dropped its classical format for R&B Christmas music, later flipping to an Urban Adult Contemporary format. It is part of IRSC Public Media, a division of Indian River State College, alongside two other stations: WQCS 88.9 FM in Fort Pierce and WQJS 88.5 FM in Clewiston.

WQCP
Broadcast areaTreasure Coast
Frequency91.1 MHz
BrandingQ-91.1
Programming
FormatUrban adult contemporary
Ownership
OwnerIndian River State College
History
First air date
January 15, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-01-15) (as WJFP)
Former call signs
WJFP (1995–2021)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID5488
ClassC1
ERP85,000 watts (horizontal polarization)
82,000 watts (vertical polarization)
HAAT140 meters (460 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
27°26′8.1″N 80°21′40.2″W / 27.435583°N 80.361167°W / 27.435583; -80.361167
Translator(s)See § translators
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewww.wqcs.org/wqcp

History

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Black Media Works, Inc., launched this station as WJFP on January 15, 1995.[2] Under Black Media Works, the station broadcast urban gospel music in the mornings and midday, with hip hop, R&B and urban contemporary music in the afternoons through late night. There was also a Sunday night block of specialty programs for the region's Haitian community.[3] The original studios, a former bail bondsman's office in a converted house on Orange Avenue,[2] until the owners wished to use it for their business again, at which time WJFP relocated across Fort Pierce to a site on US 1.[4] Translators were also built to expand the station's signal to key areas with large Black and Haitian populations.

In August 2021, Indian River State College announced it had reached a deal to purchase WJFP and its Clewiston satellite WJCB to provide a second frequency and split NPR news/talk and classical music programming in the Fort Pierce area. On September 14, 2021, the final live show aired, the Drive Time Show with Jumpin' Joe, with guests on air and by phone including now-former station owner and president of Black Media Works Kim Kassis (Special K), DJ One Shot, Shaneiac, Melan from the T-Babby Radio Show, DJ T-Black, a few of the pastors from WJFP, and others. The final song on the show was "We Are The World," by USA For Africa.

On September 14, 2021, by 6:00 p.m., the live online stream was taken down and the translators in Brevard County on 94.3 FM and 93.9 FM had gone silent. The next day, music continued to play through the night with R&B, hip hop, pop, disco, oldies, jazz, and some Christian music, switching to gospel music from 5:00 a.m. until the final song aired just before 8:00 a.m.

On September 15 at 8:00 a.m., classic hits 88.9 HD3 "The River" began simulcasting on 91.1 and 88.5 temporarily until the new services launched with a new call sign on September 28. The programming on WQJS is heard in Fort Pierce on the HD2 subchannel of WQCS.[5]

The purchase of the two stations by Indian River State College was consummated on September 27, 2021, at a price of $950,000.

On December 4, 2023, the station dropped its classical format for R&B-leaning Christmas music. The change appeared to be a stunt as the station was advertising that "The New 91.1 is coming soon."[6]

After stunting with an R&B leaning Christmas music format, WQCP flipped to Urban AC as "Q-91.1" on December 28, 2023.

Translators

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Black Media Works owned two translators in Brevard County that previously rebroadcast this station. The Mangonia Park translator, covering West Palm Beach, switched program sources to a subchannel of WLLY-FM in 2018 and became its own station, "Yo 107.1".[7]

Broadcast translator for WQCP
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class FCC info
W232AZ 94.3 FM Melbourne, Florida 85913 120 43 m (141 ft) D LMS
W296AW 107.1 FM Mangonia Park, Florida 82621 250 156 m (512 ft) D LMS
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References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WQCP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b Trapp, Doug (May 18, 1998). "'Captain' of the air: WJFP DJ takes listeners home at drive time". St. Lucie News Tribune. Fort Pierce, Florida. p. A1, A5. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Tulloss, Tonya (February 13, 1995). "New dance-oriented station takes to airwaves with fresh brand of hip-hop". St. Lucie News Tribune. Fort Pierce, Florida. p. B1, B3. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Trapp, Doug (December 31, 1998). "WJFP-FM moving studio across town". St. Lucie News Tribune. Fort Pierce, Florida. p. B6. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Venta, Lance (September 29, 2021). "Indian River State College Launches WQCP and WQJS". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  6. ^ "WQCP Moves From Classical To R&B Christmas - RadioInsight". 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (September 6, 2018). "Yo! Classic Hip Hop Comes to West Palm Beach". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
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