WCPE Turns 25

Classical music may be gone from some radio markets, but not Wake Forest, N.C. That’s where WCPE(FM) will celebrate 25 years on the air in July.
The station went on the air in 1978 with a hand-made transmitter broadcasting from the bedroom of an old house in Raleigh. Among other accomplishments, it says it was the first U.S. radio station to air BBC news updates. (The station Web site also recalls that after the first 30 minutes on the air back then, its transmitter overheated and shut down.)
The station – which is entirely listener-supported – is now broadcasting at 100,000 watts and serves central North Carolina and southern Virginia. Its programming also is heard on C-band satellite, affiliated cable TV systems, other radio stations and the Internet. The station has information about its history including photos online at www.wcpe.org.
The station celebrates its anniversary on July 18.