WPUC-FM
Radio station in Ponce, Puerto Rico From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WPUC-FM (88.9 FM), branded on-air as Católica Radio, is a non-commercial educational[4] radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, the station serves the entirety of the island with the aid of a booster at Caguas and a translator covering Mayagüez. The station is owned by Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Service Association, Incorporated.
_Emisora_Radio_Catolica,_en_Ponce_Bypass_(PR-2),_Barrio_Canas_Urbano,_Ponce,_PR_(DSC05046X).jpg) | |
| Broadcast area | Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 88.9 MHz |
| Branding | Católica Radio |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Spanish and English |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | 1958 (as WEUC AM 1420) May 17, 1984 |
Former call signs | WEUC-FM (1982–2000)[1] |
Call sign meaning | Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9351 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 50,550 watts[3] |
| HAAT | 860.0 meters (2,821.5 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 18°10′27″N 66°35′32″W |
| Translator(s) | W206AF 89.1 (Mayaguez) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | catolicaradiopr |
The Catholic University of Puerto Rico entered into broadcasting when it built WEUC,[5] a 1,000-watt AM radio station operating at 1420 kHz, in 1958.[6] The station, which signed on in May, was the island's first Catholic radio station.[7] The station's call letters stood for Emisora Universidad Catolica (Catholic University Station).[8] Bishop James E. McManus, who founded the university, had invited Father Carl Hammond to assist in the design of the buildings on the campus; Hammond, an avid ham radio operator, was instrumental in launching the station.[9]
On May 17, 1979, the Catholic University of Puerto Rico applied to the Federal Communications Commission to build and launch a noncommercial FM station on 88.9 MHz. WEUC-FM was approved by the commission on January 11, 1982, but the station did not sign on the air until May 17, 1984.[10]
The university sold the AM station in 2000 to El Mundo Broadcasting Corporation, owners of WKAQ-AM-WKAQ-FM in San Juan and WUKQ-FM in Mayagüez, for $1.45 million; the sale resulted in the AM frequency becoming a simulcaster of WKAQ.[11] After selling the AM station, the university changed WEUC-FM's call sign to WPUC-FM, reflecting the papal designation of the pontifical title on the university, which had taken place in 1991.
The radio station serves dual purposes: as a communication media with the external community and as an internship for students studying communications.[12] In 2014, the station's main studio was named for Luis Varela (1938[13] - 23 June 2020[14]), whose sports program Trinchera Deportiva aired from WEUC/WPUC since 1961.[15][16]
After Hurricane Maria, WPUC-FM lost 80 percent of its coverage. The translator for Mayagüez, located inside the Maricao State Forest, was returned to service in January 2019.[17]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPUC-FM1 | 88.9 FM | Caguas, Puerto Rico | 9353 | .25 | LMS |
| W206AF | 89.1 FM | Mayaguez, Puerto Rico | 9350 | .25 | LMS |
- Radio Colegial: University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
- WRTU: University of Puerto Rico-San Juan
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