WPUR
Encyclopedia
WPUR is a country music
formatted radio station
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. WPUR is more commonly known as "Cat Country 107.3".
, was granted the random WZZP call sign on March 17, 1997, and went on the air on February 28, 1998, with a mix of classic rock, oldies, and newer songs. This test broadcast was erratic and mostly heard on weekends through March 17, 1998. Chief engineer Tom McNally was the first voice heard on the station, as a "conducting equipment tests" message aired between the music.
On April 9 and 10, 1998, WZZP began broadcasting a mix of country songs. Later on April 10 and into April 11, listeners were inundated with the song "Tubthumping
" by Chumbawumba over and over. Another stunt format aired from April 12 to April 14, this time with all classic rock songs as "ZZ-107." From April 14 to April 17, CHR was featured with ID's only saying "107.3." This was expanded upon from April 17 to April 25, when more CHR songs were added to the playlist and the station's name shifted to "ZZ-107 The Zipper."
On April 25, 1998, "Fun 107" debuted with a Rhythmic CHR format, which was easy to do since WZZP's sister station, at the time, in New Bedford, Massachusetts
, was "Fun 107" WFHN
. Most people thought this was going to be the final format, but it was just another long drawn-out stunt that ultimately lasted for a little over two months.
At 3PM on June 29, 1998, the real format and name finally debuted: "Cat Country 107.3," with "Fancy" by Reba McEntire
as the station's first song. The call letters officially changed to WPUR on July 20, 1998.
"Cat Country 107.3" is currently rated #3 (12+) in the Atlantic City-Cape May Spring, 2011, Arbitron ratings.
entered the Atlantic City market as it purchased Spring Broadcasting. In July, 2001, Citadel Communications sold WPUR and its Atlantic City sister stations to newly formed Millennium Radio Group for $19.4 million. In 2011, Millennium's radio stations were turned over to Townsquare Media.
2002 jingle package from Reel World and Carter Davis as the stations voiceover announcer.
from an antenna 94 meters (308 ft) high (HAAT) on the WFPG tower in Atlantic City. Up until early 2008, WPUR's antenna was located on the roof of the Trump Taj Mahal casino on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
WPUR had a severe null in its signal over land until WSNJ-FM 107.7/Bridgeton, NJ, went off the air in February, 2004. When WSNJ-FM went off the air, WPUR was able to bring a full 25,000 Watt ERP signal over land.
, raising over $1,000,000, and also holds a yearly quest for One Million Pennies for St. Jude.
Some notable former air staff members include Andy Harris (most recently at WDSD
/Dover, DE), Elaine Everett (most recently at WIL-FM
/St. Louis, MO), Jay Christopher (most recently at WOGK
/Ocala, FL), Lee (Leo) Kirschner (now at WMGM-TV
/Atlantic City, NJ), and Lexi Carter (most recently at WKMK
/Eatontown, NJ).
Specialty weekend programming on WPUR includes Country Countdown USA
with Lon Helton, The Big Time Saturday Night with Whitney Allen, Cat Classics with Chris Coleman, and Country Top 40 with Bob Kingsley
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. WPUR is more commonly known as "Cat Country 107.3".
History
107.3 in Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, was granted the random WZZP call sign on March 17, 1997, and went on the air on February 28, 1998, with a mix of classic rock, oldies, and newer songs. This test broadcast was erratic and mostly heard on weekends through March 17, 1998. Chief engineer Tom McNally was the first voice heard on the station, as a "conducting equipment tests" message aired between the music.
On April 9 and 10, 1998, WZZP began broadcasting a mix of country songs. Later on April 10 and into April 11, listeners were inundated with the song "Tubthumping
Tubthumping
"Tubthumping", informally known by its prominent lyric "I Get Knocked Down", is the title of a song released by the Anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba on 11 August 1997 through Universal Records and EMI Electrola. It was their most successful single, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart...
" by Chumbawumba over and over. Another stunt format aired from April 12 to April 14, this time with all classic rock songs as "ZZ-107." From April 14 to April 17, CHR was featured with ID's only saying "107.3." This was expanded upon from April 17 to April 25, when more CHR songs were added to the playlist and the station's name shifted to "ZZ-107 The Zipper."
On April 25, 1998, "Fun 107" debuted with a Rhythmic CHR format, which was easy to do since WZZP's sister station, at the time, in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, was "Fun 107" WFHN
WFHN
WFHN, better known as Fun 107, is a Contemporary Hit Radio radio station that serves the New Bedford-Fall River, Massachusetts market, broadcasting on the FM band at 107.1 MHz. The station is licensed in Fairhaven, Massachusetts to Cumulus Media. The studio and transmitter are both located in...
. Most people thought this was going to be the final format, but it was just another long drawn-out stunt that ultimately lasted for a little over two months.
At 3PM on June 29, 1998, the real format and name finally debuted: "Cat Country 107.3," with "Fancy" by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
as the station's first song. The call letters officially changed to WPUR on July 20, 1998.
"Cat Country 107.3" is currently rated #3 (12+) in the Atlantic City-Cape May Spring, 2011, Arbitron ratings.
Ownership
Spring Broadcasting, LLC, purchased the construction permit for 107.3 in Atlantic City from Radio-Vision II in the late 1990s. In November, 1999, Citadel CommunicationsCitadel Communications
Citadel Communications Ltd. is a Bronxville, NY-based private broadcasting company that operates 5 full-power television stations and 1 low-power station...
entered the Atlantic City market as it purchased Spring Broadcasting. In July, 2001, Citadel Communications sold WPUR and its Atlantic City sister stations to newly formed Millennium Radio Group for $19.4 million. In 2011, Millennium's radio stations were turned over to Townsquare Media.
Positioning
WPUR positions itself as "Cat Country 107.3," playing "continuous country favorites." Originally, WPUR was positioned as "South Jersey's Hot New Country." WPUR currently uses the WCTOWCTO
WCTO is a radio station based in Easton. WCTO is owned by Cumulus Media and serves the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.The station offers a country music format, playing country music from the 1980s through to the present...
2002 jingle package from Reel World and Carter Davis as the stations voiceover announcer.
Technical
WPUR is a class-B1 FM radio station, operating with 25,000 Watts ERPEffective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
from an antenna 94 meters (308 ft) high (HAAT) on the WFPG tower in Atlantic City. Up until early 2008, WPUR's antenna was located on the roof of the Trump Taj Mahal casino on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
WPUR had a severe null in its signal over land until WSNJ-FM 107.7/Bridgeton, NJ, went off the air in February, 2004. When WSNJ-FM went off the air, WPUR was able to bring a full 25,000 Watt ERP signal over land.
Charity work
WPUR supports local non-profit organizations throughout Southern New Jersey. In addition, since 2000, WPUR has held annual two-day radiothons for St. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
, raising over $1,000,000, and also holds a yearly quest for One Million Pennies for St. Jude.
Programming
Notable weekday on-air personalities include Joe Kelly in mornings, Georgia in mid-days, Chris Coleman in afternoon drive, and "The Big Time" with Whitney Allen from 7PM to midnight. Joe Kelly also serves as the station's program director and Chris Coleman serves as the station's commercial production director.Some notable former air staff members include Andy Harris (most recently at WDSD
WDSD
WDSD is a radio station licensed to serve Dover, Delaware. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. It airs a country music format....
/Dover, DE), Elaine Everett (most recently at WIL-FM
WIL-FM
WIL-FM is a 99 kilowatt radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station serves the St. Louis metropolitan area. Hubbard Broadcasting is the station licensee, authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Its transmitter is located in St. Louis. WIL-FM was heard in Salt Lake City, Utah...
/St. Louis, MO), Jay Christopher (most recently at WOGK
WOGK
WOGK , known as "K-Country", is a commercial radio station in Ocala, Florida, broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida area on 93.7 MHz. The station can also be heard as far as Lakeland, Orlando and Jacksonville.-History:...
/Ocala, FL), Lee (Leo) Kirschner (now at WMGM-TV
WMGM-TV
WMGM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Jersey that is licensed to Wildwood. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter along CR 601 in Swainton east of the Garden State Parkway. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 and in...
/Atlantic City, NJ), and Lexi Carter (most recently at WKMK
WKMK
WKMK and WTHJ are two radio stations simulcasting a country music format. The stations are licensed to Eatontown and Bass River Township, New Jersey, respectively. The station is owned by Press Communications. WKMK's transmitter is located at exit 105 of the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls...
/Eatontown, NJ).
Specialty weekend programming on WPUR includes Country Countdown USA
Country Countdown USA
CMT Country Countdown USA is a nationally syndicated weekly country music top-30 chart countdown program hosted by Lon Helton.-Debut:The show premiered in April 1992. The program began as the brainchild of Westwood One Chairman Norman J. Pattiz who assigned the project to his programming VP, Gary...
with Lon Helton, The Big Time Saturday Night with Whitney Allen, Cat Classics with Chris Coleman, and Country Top 40 with Bob Kingsley
Bob Kingsley
Bob Kingsley is an American country music radio personality and host of the nationally syndicated programs "Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40" and "Bob Kingsley with Today's Hit Makers."...
.