WCPC 940

[DonReelSteal]

What does this station program? Who owns them? Where's their studio and tower site located?

Just curious, I never hear a peep about em on here...

I don't know much about 850 WLRC either...

 

[Braswell]

> What does this station program? Who owns them? Where's their
> studio and tower site located?

WCPC was built by Robin and Ralph Mathis, and engineer J.B. Skelton. The station went on the air in 1955, and was originally a 1kw daytimer on 1320. They also built and owned WSJC/Magee, which began as a 5kw daytimer on 790.

In the very early 60's, WCPC moved to 940 and 50kw daytime, with a 3 tower array. Sometime in the same time period, WSJC got 50kw daytime on 810, with a single tower.

Not long after, both stations filed for, and received, grants for Class C FM's. In the 80's, both AM's added a tower, and got 250 watts nighttime. Sometime in this time period, they built WJXL/Jacksonville, Alabama...with 50kw-D/250w-N/DA2.

Ralph Mathis and J.B. Skelton are dead, but their estates still hold the stock in WCPC (45% for Mathis, 10% for Skelton), along with Robin Mathis, who still holds the other 45%. The former WCPC-FM (now WSYE) was sold, as was WSJC-AM/FM and WJXL, along with WXTN, Lexington, Ms.

WCPC's transmitter and studio is located north of Houston, on Highway 15


> I don't know much about 850 WLRC either...

WLRC/Walnut, went on the air in 1982. The station was built by Larry Dunlap and Ron Mitchell, who were both preachers. They went on with 250 watts, then got an increase to 500 watts, and finally made the jump to a kilowatt. About a year after the station went on the air, Dunlap and Mitchell sold to B.R. (Robin) and Martha S. (Scottie) Clayton, who still operate the station. Christian formatted from the beginning, the call letters stand for "serving a L)iving, R)isen C)hrist." Their transmitter is located east of Walnut, off to the south of U.S. 72.
<P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>

 

[rwells2265]

> WCPC was built by Robin and Ralph Mathis, and engineer J.B.
> Skelton. The station went on the air in 1955, and was
> originally a 1kw daytimer on 1320.
>
> In the very early 60's, WCPC moved to 940 and 50kw daytime,
> with a 3 tower array.

WCPC today is a Southern Gospel blowtorch, and still going strong. Last time I was over there (fall '04), I caught the end of an Ole Miss game (playing my alma mater Ark. State), and after the game was a sports scoreboard show, hosted by WCPC's Elder Statesman himself, Robin Mathis. Talk about a blast from the past; I couldn't imagine 940 on the dial in N.E. Miss. without hearing that voice - it resembles that of Pat "Mr. Haney" Buttram, but with a bit of class.

The call letters were said to stand for (W)ebster (C)hickasaw (P)ontotoc (C)alhoun - the counties around Houston. Another variation I read was on an old rate card: (W)e (C)reate (P)otential (C)ustomers.

In the '70s, I was in Tupelo, and WCPC had a block format, playing top-40 from about 3 PM until sign-off. Rick Huffman (whom I believe is still there) was a pretty good rock jock, and WCPC . After the station went fulltime, they programmed urban at night - and eventually the daytime became all gospel.

WCPC has a mean signal - I could *faintly* hear it 300+ miles away in Troy, Ala. on my GE Superadio II. And those hinky '60s-era jingles I remember from my childhood are, to my knowledge, still being used: "W-C-P-CCCCCCC ... THE GIANT SOUND IN HOU-STONNNNNNNNNNN"

I'm not a real big fan of Southern Gospel -- The Singing Brown Recluses of Itawamba County, or The Sulligent Stepsisters of Praise, etc., etc., but from here in Georgia, just knowing that WCPC and Robin Mathis are still plugging away over there truly warms my heart on cold mornings like this.

 

[mikl73]

> > What does this station program? Who owns them? Where's
> their
> > studio and tower site located?
>
> WCPC was built by Robin and Ralph Mathis, and engineer J.B.
> Skelton. The station went on the air in 1955, and was
> originally a 1kw daytimer on 1320. They also built and owned
> WSJC/Magee, which began as a 5kw daytimer on 790.
>
> In the very early 60's, WCPC moved to 940 and 50kw daytime,
> with a 3 tower array. Sometime in the same time period, WSJC
> got 50kw daytime on 810, with a single tower.
>
> Not long after, both stations filed for, and received,
> grants for Class C FM's. In the 80's, both AM's added a
> tower, and got 250 watts nighttime. Sometime in this time
> period, they built WJXL/Jacksonville, Alabama...with
> 50kw-D/250w-N/DA2.
>
> Ralph Mathis and J.B. Skelton are dead, but their estates
> still hold the stock in WCPC (45% for Mathis, 10% for
> Skelton), along with Robin Mathis, who still holds the other
> 45%. The former WCPC-FM (now WSYE) was sold, as was
> WSJC-AM/FM and WJXL, along with WXTN, Lexington, Ms.
>
> WCPC's transmitter and studio is located north of Houston,
> on Highway 15
>
>
> > I don't know much about 850 WLRC either...
>
> WLRC/Walnut, went on the air in 1982. The station was built
> by Larry Dunlap and Ron Mitchell, who were both preachers.
> They went on with 250 watts, then got an increase to 500
> watts, and finally made the jump to a kilowatt. About a year
> after the station went on the air, Dunlap and Mitchell sold
> to B.R. (Robin) and Martha S. (Scottie) Clayton, who still
> operate the station. Christian formatted from the beginning,
> the call letters stand for "serving a L)iving, R)isen
> C)hrist." Their transmitter is located east of Walnut, off
> to the south of U.S. 72.
>

WLRC does a fantastic job at what they do.
the little station that could you could call it
packed with ads from all over the area
covered with local information
if you lived around n/e miss you would probably have it in your preset just for the news and information.

for 1kw it has a nice daytime signal i think

I dont know much more than what i get sweeping the dial but WLRC is hope that small town local radio can happen, can be fun and intresting, can work even on the AM Dial.


I have family in Calhoun and Chickasaw country... walking around looking at radios in their homes they were always on WCPC. In the past couple years I have seen a mixture of WCPC and now WCMR as of the past couple of years.


WCMR 94.5 signed on I think in 1998 or 1999 and is the only local fm in Calhoun/Chickasaw county. It is satelite fed but I think with some live country.

Even with the FM option WCPC is not forgotten

I remember seeing a couple antique radios growing up with memory push buttons that has WSM and even WCPC printed on them.

I suspect WCPC needs or had some tower work done I think one was down years ago but never heard the outcome. I think its 3 towers favoring a NE & S pattern with very little going to the NW i suppose to protect KXJK 950 Forrest City and 930 in Jackson to the S/SW.

In Memphis you can only hear the them just enough if you strain to pick out advertisements and station ID'S as we are on the dark side of their pattern

 

[Pat2]

WCPC engineer J.B Skelton was my mothers first cousin. We used to go up to Mantee, MS and visit all the time when I was a kid in the 70's. I remember listeninng to WCPC a lot. Thats the only station my aunt listened too. Another cool old station I remember back then was WEPA in Eupora, I think it was around 710 AM if I'm not mistaken. It had a pretty good signal that could be picked up occasionally on a car radio down here in Jackson. The last time I heard it was back in the mid 90's and it was playing country. It sounded like it was on auto pilot. There were no jocks or commercials the last time I heard it. Whatever happened to it? Its a shame to see a station with a halfway good signal go down the tubes. Anyone remember that one?

 

[oldiesstation]

> WCPC engineer J.B Skelton was my mothers first cousin. We
> used to go up to Mantee, MS and visit all the time when I
> was a kid in the 70's. I remember listeninng to WCPC a lot.
> Thats the only station my aunt listened too. Another cool
> old station I remember back then was WEPA in Eupora, I
> think it was around 710 AM if I'm not mistaken. It had a
> pretty good signal that could be picked up occasionally on a
> car radio down here in Jackson. The last time I heard it
> was back in the mid 90's and it was playing country. It
> sounded like it was on auto pilot. There were no jocks or
> commercials the last time I heard it. Whatever happened to
> it? Its a shame to see a station with a halfway good signal
> go down the tubes. Anyone remember that one?
> yep, she bit the dust like a bunch of AM daytimers..had one heck of a signal..gene sisk station, good engineer, knows nothing about programming.

 

[Braswell]

> I suspect WCPC needs or had some tower work done I think one
> was down years ago but never heard the outcome. I think its
> 3 towers favoring a NE & S pattern with very little going to
> the NW i suppose to protect KXJK 950 Forrest City and 930 in
> Jackson to the S/SW.

3 towers in the daytime pattern, likely protecting New Orleans and Macon, Georgia on 940, Jackson and Poplar Bluff, Missouri on 930, and Forest City, Arkansas on 950.

4 towers in the night pattern, likely protecting New Orleans, Macon, Miami and Montreal on 940, and Quincy, Illinois on 930.<P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>