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WLPJ - A History

WLPJ-FM 91.5 New Port Richey – Non-commercial WLPJ-FM signed on the air in 1985 from studios at 2020 Lafayette Street, just north of the intersection of Sunset Drive and South Boulevard, near Community Hospital, in New Port Richey – its 3000-watt signal able to be heard in Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas, and Hillsborough counties.

Andrew Stamat, president of Showem, Inc. (the licensee of WLPJ), developed a unique format several years prior to the station going on the air whereby its airwaves would be open to programs from the community – civic clubs and organizations, as well as individuals, who could go on the air for free. They would just need a sponsor to underwrite an hour of special programming so the station could meet operating expenses. Since it was a non-commercial operation, sponsors couldn’t be given a commercial, but they could have their name, phone number and business description aired.

WLPJ played religious music, punctuated by announcements and news. It was “your radio station” in a way not true of any other on the radio dial. It was also open to those who would like to learn how to work in radio. Volunteers could try their skills at preparing newscasts and handling station bookkeeping. Records were donated to enhance the station’s music library.

In 1995, WLPJ was acquired by the Radio Training Network (James L. Campbell, president) and the station flipped to an adult contemporary Christian music format as a satellite station of Sarasota’s 88.1 WJIS, The Joy FM. A CP was also issued to increase power to 22-kilowatts and studios eventually moved to 6214 Springer Drive in Port Richey.

WLPJ became WCIE (Where Christ Is Everything) in 2009.

Other names from WLPJ-FM’s history include Gerry Morsut (GM and general sales manager), Roger Duncan (music director), Rik Boyko (news director), Ken O’Bryan (operations manager), Patty Turner (pubic service director), Randy Hildebrand (PD), Ed Gorman (chief engineer), John Browning (music director), Carolyn Holt (public service director), Gary Benjamin (GM, PD, music and news director), Bill Carlin (GM), Bob Liebel (chief engineer), Rob Dempsey (GM), John Collinson (chief engineer), Dr. Joseph A. Cerreta (GM), Jeff McFarlane (GM), Carmen Brown (promotions), Steve Rieker (chief engineer),

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Station History