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History of WRPN Radio

  • Sept 15, 1957 :
    WCWC signed on the air on a Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM . First song played was S’ Wonderful by Ray Conniff. Francis Stratman was manager.
  • July 1961:
    Arlow Bice Jr. and his brother Ralph purchased WCWC, From Central Wisconsin Company (John Monroe was major stock holder).
  • Nov 1962:
    Applied for Class C F.M. Frequency (wanted 50,000 watts).
  • March 1963:
    Applied for Night-time system for WCWC. Application was submitted a few days before F.C.C. “froze” all applications for a period of 2 years.
  • April 1964:
    Requested and received permission for a change to the F.M. transmitter site to same place as WCWC AM.
  • March 1964:
    Received construction permits to construct both AM Night-Time and F.M.
  • Nov 1964:
    Started construction on building addition.
  • Nov 1964:
    Started night-time antenna construction.
  • January 1965:
    Moved AM transmitter into new addition and one week later, moved the Control Room into new addition.
  • Jan 1965:
    Arlow Bice installed A.T.C. Automation equipment.
  • Feb 1965:
    WCWC-FM went on the air at 6:00 PM. Ripon’s Mayor Adamski officially turned on the F.M. transmitter.
  • Feb 8, 1965 :
    F.M. moved sign ON to 1:00 PM
  • April 5, 1965 :
    WCWC went night time. Mike Engler was first D.J. at night.
  • May 7, 1965 :
    WCWC-FM began to broadcast S.C.A.(Muzak)
  • June 7,1965 :
    FM. moved Sign On to 5:00am (Simulcast till 0800)
  • Sept. 20 1965 :
    F.M. Signed off at 0200 hours instead of midnight .
  • Oct. 19, 1965 :
    F.M. went full time or 24 hours each day.
  • June 24, 1965 :
    WCWC Transmitter off the air 1014 to 1721 – shorted mod.
  • April 24 1965 :
    WCWC Transmitter off the air again 0755-1714 – short. mod. trans.
  • Jan 16, 1969 :
    Heavy icing conditions. WCWC off air from 0043 until 0934 due to Wis. Power and Light
    failure. Two utility poles supplying power to WCWC went down. Off air 8 hours 52 min.
  • Feb, 1970:
    Received and temporarily installed a standby electrical generator. Onan, 35,000 watts.
  • Feb 5, 1971 :
    Due to heavy icing conditions, WCWC lost power from 0728 until 0100 hours Feb. 6th.  Operated on emergency generator 16 hours for AM and 17 hours for F.M. Power lines between WCWC and KK broken in three different places.
  • Oct 1, 1971 :
    By mutual Agreement, Ralph Bice purchased remaining stock of Greycote from Arlow. Arlow maintained control of Muzak franchised and leased F.M sub-carrier from Greycote.
  • October 2, 1972 :
    By mutual agreement between WCWC-FM and Sunshine Sounds (Leasee of S.C.A) SCA broadcasting ceased at 11:15 AM .
  • Jan 31,1972 :
    FM went 24hrs.
  • June 1972:
    FM began broadcasting varied programs on FM with MikeCuthbert as program director.
  • January 7, 1973 :
    F.M. began simulcasting with AM 100% of the time.
  • January 7, 1973 :
    FM Transmitter down due to burned out fan motor for I.P.A. Repaired Tues .Ian 9 at 1654 hrs. FM off the air for 32.5 Hrs.
  • August 10, 1973 :
    Installed two new Revox reel to reel machines in AM Control Room.
  • March 27, 1973
    Installed ITC 3D-0003 cart machine in AM Control Room.
  • June 10, 1974 :
    Installed new Marti receiving antenna.
  • June 11, 1974 :
    Repainted tower #2.
  • September 28, 1975 :
    Installed and started to operate new control board in A.M. Cetec, Series 10.
  • March 5, 1976 :
    0nce again operated with emergency generator from 0330 to 1345 hrs.  No electrical power due to sleet and ice storm. Power feed on Hwy 49 S. of Ripon had 21 broken power poles. Many areas in Southern Wis. declared disaster areas.  WCWC generator used about 6 gallons of gas each hour. (12hrs)
  • March 6, 1976 :
    Loss of WP&K power from 1351 to 1813hrs. 12000 volt line 1/4 mile south of WCWC (4+ hours) Downed
  • March 12 1976 :
    License of WCWC AM/FM transferred to DeNovoCom, Inc. Walter and Paula Richey effective March 12, 1977
  • October 6, 1977 :
    Meem Adams, Secretary, received call from a man saying there was a bomb in the radio station. Ripon police and Fond du Lac County Sheriff Dept and Ripon Fire Dept responded. Call was received at WCWC at about 4:05pm . after a thorough search of station, normal operation resumed at about 4:59 PM
  • September 1, 1979 :
    WCWC AM & FM becomes a CBS affiliate.
  • May 1, 1980 :
    Radio Station WYUR-FM signed on at 5:00 A. M. with a new Beautiful Music format provided by TM Company of Dallas TX .
  • November 19th 1992 :
    Wrpn Sold to BBK Broadcasting of Fond du Lac , WI
  • March 15th 2004 :
    Radio Plus Inc. Formally BBK applied for STA from the FCC for Repairs.
  • February 4th 2005 :
    Radio Plus Inc. Filed to sell WRPN-Am to Michael S. Enfelt of Radio One Communications LLC, WI.
  • March 15th 2005:
    Radio Communications (WRPN) Started carrying WFRV-TV 5 news at 5:00pm – Local news 5:30pm to 6:00pm.
  • April 4th 2005:
    FCC approves sale to Radio One Communications
  • April 18th 2005:
    Tower base brush cleaned for antenna re-build.
  • 2016:
    Hometown Broadcasting, LLC, owner of WISS-AM Berlin and WAUH-FM Wautoma, purchases WRPN.  Format changes from Classic Rock to Soft Gold/News/Talk.
  • November 9, 2018 – 93.1 FM signs on the air re-adding an FM counterpart to WRPN.  WAUH-FM and WISS-AM relocate studios to the WRPN Radio Road facility.
  • May 28, 2021 @ 2pm – WRPN rebrands as “The Wave” as a nod to all the area lakes with a gold based soft adult contemporary format.