WUPE-FM
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{short description|Classic hits radio station in North Adams–Pittsfield, Massachusetts}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WUPE-FM
| logo =
| logo_size =
| city = North Adams, Massachusetts
| country = US
| area = Berkshire County, Massachusetts; Bennington County, Vermont
| branding = Whoopee
| frequency = {{Frequency|100.1|MHz}}
| repeaters = {{Radio Relay|95.9|WBEC-FM HD2|Pittsfield}}
| airdate = July 12, 1964 (as WMNB-FM)
| format = Classic hits
| erp = 1,150 watts
| haat = {{convert|158.8|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = A
| facility_id = 4821
| licensing_authority = FCC
| coordinates = {{coord|42|41|54.2|N|73|3|52.3|W|type:landmark_region:US-MA|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning = Whoopie{{cite web|url=http://nelson.oldradio.com/origins.call-list.html |title=Call Letter Origins |work=Radio History on the Web }}
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WMNB-FM (1964–1988)|WMNB (1988–2006)}}
| affiliations =
| owner = Townsquare Media
| licensee = Townsquare License, LLC
| sister_stations = {{hlist|WBEC|WBEC-FM|WNAW|WSBS}}
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://wupe.com/listen-live/}}
| website = {{URL|https://wupe.com/}}
}}
WUPE-FM (100.1 MHz) is a classic hits radio station owned by Townsquare Media. Licensed to North Adams, Massachusetts, United States, WUPE-FM serves Pittsfield.{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WUPE-FM |title=WUPE-FM Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division }}
History
The station went on the air July 12, 1964,{{cite book|title=Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook 1989|year=1989|page=B-142|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1989/B-1%20Radio%20Ala%20to%20Mont%201989-5.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410012914/http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1989/B-1%20Radio%20Ala%20to%20Mont%201989-5.pdf|archive-date=April 10, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} as WMNB-FM, owned by the Hardman family along with WMNB (1230 AM) and the North Adams Transcript.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1965|year=1965|page=B-74|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1965/B1%201965%20YB%20All-11.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313195147/http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1965/B1%201965%20YB%20All-11.pdf|archive-date=March 13, 2011|url-status=dead}} The Hardmans sold Northern Berkshire Broadcasting to Donald A. Thurston in 1966;{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1967|year=1967|page=B-111|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1967/B%201%20Radio%201967%20YB.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2010}} the company became Berkshire Broadcasting after the purchase of WSBS in Great Barrington in 1968.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1971|year=1971|pages=B-99–100|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1971/B%201%20Radio%20YB%201971.pdf|access-date=January 11, 2010}} By 1973, WMNB-FM had a beautiful music format, separately-programmed from the AM station{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1974|year=1974|page=B-100|url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1974/B%201%201974%20YB.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008152748/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1974/B%201%201974%20YB.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} (though even at WMNB-FM's inception the two stations did not duplicate more than thirty percent of their programming). The callsign was modified to simply WMNB on January 30, 1988,{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=4821&Callsign=WUPE-FM |title=WUPE-FM Call Sign History |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division }} after the AM station was renamed WNAW. During the mid-1990s, WMNB's format incorporated smooth jazz and soft adult contemporary programming;{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-961119.html|title=MusicAmerica Returns|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=November 19, 1996|work=New England RadioWatch|access-date=May 9, 2010}} as a whole, however, it remained one of the few remaining beautiful music stations.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990219.html|title=Chaos at 'CVB...and CBC|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=February 19, 1999|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=May 9, 2010}}
Vox Communications purchased Berkshire Broadcasting in November 2003,{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/nerw-031110.html|title=Christmas Keeps Getting Earlier...|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=November 10, 2003|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=May 9, 2010}} with the sale closing in May 2004.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2004/040517/nerw.html|title=Remembering Nick Berg|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=May 17, 2004|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=May 11, 2010}} The next month, WMNB began simulcasting an oldies genre with another Vox station, WUPE (95.9).{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2004/040628/nerw.htm|title=Millennium Adds Two in NJ|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=June 28, 2004|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=May 11, 2010}} The station took the WUPE-FM callsign two years later, as part of a larger shuffle resulting in WBEC-FM moving from 105.5 (now WWEI) to 95.9.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2006/060424/nerw.html|title=The Bell Tolls for Diamond Dave|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=April 24, 2006|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=May 11, 2010}} WUPE-FM's programming also began to be heard on an AM station in Pittsfield on 1110 AM.{{cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2006/060417/nerw.html|title=WAVM, Living Proof Settle Dispute|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=April 17, 2006|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|access-date=May 11, 2010}} Vox transferred most of its stations to Gamma Broadcasting in late 2012.{{cite news|title=Same Principal, New Company For Vox Stations|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/111714/same-principal-new-company-for-vox-stations|access-date=August 29, 2013|newspaper=All Access|date=October 23, 2012}} In August 2013, Gamma reached a deal to sell its Berkshire County radio stations, including WUPE-FM, to Reed Miami Holdings;{{cite news|title=Western Massachusetts Cluster Sold|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/121608/western-massachusetts-cluster-sold|access-date=August 29, 2013|newspaper=All Access|date=August 23, 2013}} the sale was canceled on December 30, 2013.{{cite news|last=Venta|first=Lance|title=Pittsfield Cluster Sale Withdrawn|url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/87396/pittsfield-cluster-sale-dismissed/|access-date=March 30, 2014|newspaper=RadioInsight|date=January 14, 2014}}
WUPE-FM's tower, along with an adjacent cell tower, collapsed on March 29, 2014, as a result of high winds, forcing the station off the air. The station stated that it would resume broadcasting with a temporary antenna by April 1. WUPE's simulcast on 1110 AM in Pittsfield and its web stream were not affected by the tower collapse.{{cite news|last=Lindsay|first=Dick|title=Providers, broadcasters working to restore service after high winds down towers|url=http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_25453585/providers-broadcasters-working-restore-service-after-high-winds|access-date=March 31, 2014|newspaper=The Berkshire Eagle|date=March 30, 2014}}
In October 2016, Gamma Broadcasting agreed to sell its stations to Galaxy Communications;{{cite news|last1=Venta|first1=Lance|title=Galaxy Communications Acquires Pittsfield Cluster|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/108748/galaxy-communications-acquires-pittsfield-cluster/|access-date=April 19, 2017|work=RadioInsight|date=October 17, 2016}} the sale fell through, and in 2017 the stations were acquired by Townsquare Media.{{cite news|last1=Venta|first1=Lance|title=Townsquare Media Acquires Six In Massachusetts|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/118736/townsquare-media-acquires-six-massachusetts/|access-date=November 14, 2017|work=RadioInsight|date=July 18, 2017}}
In March 2025, Townsquare moved WUPE-FM's Pittsfield simulcast from 1110 AM, which went off the air and surrendered its license, to the second HD Radio channel of WBEC-FM. WBEC-FM HD2, as had WUPE AM in its final years, serves as the primary station for translator station W277CJ (103.3 FM) in Pittsfield.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Townsquare Media Surrenders Texas FM & Massachusetts AM |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/297349/townsquare-media-surrenders-texas-fm-massachusetts-am/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |work=RadioInsight |date=March 25, 2025}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://wupe.com/}}
{{FM station data|4821|WUPE}}
{{Pittsfield Radio}}
{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Massachusetts}}
{{Townsquare Media}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1964
Category:1964 establishments in Massachusetts
Category:Classic hits radio stations in the United States
Category:North Adams, Massachusetts