WMCE-FM (88.5

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a non-commercial

classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

, owned and operated by

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is a private medical school in Erie, Pennsylvania, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Bradenton, Florida, DeFuniak Springs, Florida and Elmira, New York. Founded in 1992, LECOM confers medical (D.O.) ...

. WMCE-FM was simulcast on

sister station In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement. Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...

WMCE 1530 AM until its sale on September 1, 2017. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...

is located near Knoyle Rd and Dewey Rd outside of Erie.

History

Formation as WMCY

After

Mercyhurst College (Seize the day) , former_names = Mercyhurst College (1926–2012) , established = , type = Private university , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Sisters of Mercy) , endowment = $31.8 million , faculty = 136 full-time , administrat ...

acquired the frequency, 88.5 first signed on as WMCY on February 3, 1989. It was a mixed format station broadcasting

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

Broadway musicals Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, talk programs and more. It eventually switched to

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and classical and then changed formats again in January 2009 to nearly exclusively

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

music.

JAZZ FM

Under the direction of station manager Mike Leal, the station switched to jazz programming in January 2009. Content was provided by local hosts, and weekly regional shows. Programs included Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Profiles, Jazz Variations, Radio Deluxe, European Jazz Stage, Latin Jazz Perspectives, Blues Before Sunrise, Juke in the Back, Blues and Beyond, Frank's Place, Swingin' Down The Lane and The Jazz Scene. Jazz hosts included Bob Protzman, Mark Richard, Helen Wigger, Tony Mowod, Bill Hillgrove. Additional programming was streamed using satellite services.

"The Greatest Hits of all Time"

Under the management of Dan Geary, WMCE changed formats to

in January 2013. The station and features many more local hosts and less syndicated programming. Hosts on WMCE now include former Erie radio and TV personalities. Captain Dan, hosting Erie morning radio for over 32 years is still in charge of the morning

drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...

in Erie. Johnny Holiday, an Erie radio legend hosts middays. Afternoon drive and the is managed by Commander Bill. The Commander is followed by the Dr. Denny Woytek. Weekends are handled by John "Harada Data" Harada, Teri Bohn and Mighty Mike Langer. Johnny Holiday also handles Saturday evenings and featuring spotlight hour themes. Saturday mornings from 9 to noon the station broadcasts hits with Rick Johnson. Sunday mornings from 9 to noon it broadcasts Bob and Alice Koziel and the Polka Celebration. WMCE is a broadcast service of

(LECOM), said institution having purchased the station in 2018 from

Mercyhurst University (Seize the day) , former_names = Mercyhurst College (1926–2012) , established = , type = Private university , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Sisters of Mercy) , endowment = $31.8 million , faculty = 136 full-time , administrat ...

. Mercyhurst no longer is connected to WMCE. Recognizing the station as a valuable community asset, LECOM has retained the talent and the on air format and delivers short and timely messages regarding various topics regarding healthcare services delivered by their institution. In May 2021, WMCE-FM purchased WWCB, a commercially licensed AM radio station based in

Corry, Pennsylvania Corry is a city in northwestern Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 6,217 at the 2020 United States Census, it is the second largest city in Erie County. Corry is a part of the Erie, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city became ...

, from Bill Stafford.

References

External links

* * {{coord, 42.090, N, 79.943, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title MCE-FM MCE-FM Radio stations established in 1989 1989 establishments in Pennsylvania Classic hits radio stations in the United States