WKPE-FM

Infobox Radio Station
name = WKPE-FM


city = South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
area = Cape Cod
branding = "Cape 104"
slogan = "The Cape's Hit Music Station"
airdate = May 23, 1980 (as WKZE 104.7)
frequency = 103.9 (MHz)
format = Top 40 (CHR)
erp = 5,500 watts
haat = 104 meters
class = A
facility_id = 8586
owner = Sandab Communications
webcast = [http://bdcast-sandabcommunications-wkpe-fm.wm.llnwd.net/bdcast_sandabcommunications_WKPE-FM Listen Live]
website = [http://www.cape104fm.com www.cape104fm.com]
callsign_meaning = W KaPE (intentional mis-spelling, based on old calls WKZE)

WKPE-FM (103.9 FM), known as "Cape 104", is a Top 40 (CHR) 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 owned by local Cape Cod Business "Cape Cod Broadcasting" (aka Sandab Communications).

History

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. Legendary voices on the station included - Steve Binder, Clarence Barnes, Pilot Gene, "Jammin" Jamie West, Christine Fox, Paul Attea, Don Gaston, Keith Lemire, Pat Watson, Jenn Hoag, J.R. Randall, Carolyn Johnson, Danny Walsh, Rick Ryder, Tony Vincent, Rick Pendelton, Bill Maxwell, Kristie Weimar, R.J. McKay, The legendary JD, Krissy K, and John Stevens to name a few. After the Top-40 format fragmented, "Cape 104" switched formats in the fall of 1992, rebranding itself "Oldies 104" to compete with Boston's "Oldies 103" and Nantucket's "Oldies 96" (which went Top-40 in January 1993).

After a 2.5-year experiment in the Oldies format, 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.In 1999, the station was sold by Grancam Communications to Charles River Broadcasting. In September 1999 the channel switched formats to classic rock. With the 2006-07 dismantling of Charles River Broadcasting, Cape Cod Broadcasting, owner of WQRC and WOCN-FM, signed a contract to operate WFCC-FM and WKPE under a local marketing agreement, with the two stations still licensed to Charles River.

2007 format change

Beginning on September 25, 2007, the radio station began to buzz. Initially, the stunting involved playing one song in a loop. Each day the station added another song to the line up. On the tenth day of the stunt program (October 4, 2007), the 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 ended. After being absent from Cape Cod radio for more than 15 years, "Cape 104, The Cape's Hit Music Station" was relaunced. This marked the return of Steve Binder (mornings 6 am to 12 noon) from the original Cape 104 along with Shai Jackson (12 noon to 6 pm), another Cape Cod radio local. The format initially changed from Classic Rock to Hot AC, however by the end of 2007 it had evolved into CHR as more mainstream tracks were added.

External links

* [http://www.cape104fm.com/ "Cape 104" Official website]
*FMQ|WKPE
*FML|WKPE
*FMARB|WKPE