WGBP-FM
Frequency90.1 MHz
Programming
FormatDefunct (was Variety)
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
March 10, 1975
Last air date
1990
Call sign meaning
Green Bay Premontre
Technical information
Facility ID53403
ClassD
ERP10 watts
Transmitter coordinates
44°31′14.4″N 88°03′05.4″W / 44.520667°N 88.051500°W / 44.520667; -88.051500

WGBP-FM was an FM high school radio station at Premontre High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The station operated on 90.1 MHz between 1975 and 1990.

History

On November 30, 1973, Premontre High School applied to build and operate a 10-watt radio station from its campus at 610 Maryhill Drive in Green Bay. WGBP-FM signed on March 10, 1975,[1] as the fourth high school radio station in the state.[2] The impetus to start the station had come when students had heard of WSHS at Sheboygan North High School in Sheboygan and wanted to start up a facility; faculty advisors thought that, despite the paperwork burden, such an outlet would be useful.[2] The station's program output during the school day included easy listening and rock music, plus news, weather, sports and public affairs programming.[2]

WGBP quickly developed a deep tradition in sports broadcasting—one that would outlive the station itself. In its first full school year of operation, WGBP began carrying play-by-play of Premontre sports, quickly becoming the station's most popular program output.[3] One of its first sports play-by-play announcers was a young Kevin Harlan, son of Packers executive Bob. After spending his freshman year doing studio work,[4] Harlan began doing play-by-play of the school's football, basketball and hockey games as a sophomore,[5] which included home and away broadcasts.[4] After attending the University of Kansas and being named the lead radio announcer for the Kansas City Kings at the age of 22, making him the youngest announcer in the four major sports, Harlan called getting into radio at WGBP his "first good move".[5] Another basketball announcer, Pete Pranica of the Memphis Grizzlies, also started his career in broadcasting at the station.[6] Mark Daniels, who later went on to a lengthy career in Green Bay sports radio, was a senior at Premonte when WGBP started up and served as its first sports director.[7]

As the 1980s drew to a close, two different events would signal the end of WGBP-FM. The first concerned Premontre High itself. In November 1989, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay announced a three-way merger that would combine Premontre with Abbot Pennings High School and St. Joseph Academy on Premontre's campus;[8] the new Notre Dame Academy began operating in 1990, and the station was closed. Even if the station had been allowed to continue, the increasing power of other stations would have foreclosed its continued operation. In 1991, the Federal Communications Commission assigned 90.1 to a new radio station applicant, whose station signed on in 1994 as WORQ.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Premontre Radio Now In Operation". Green Bay Press-Gazette. March 10, 1975. p. A-12. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Gerds, Warren (February 1, 1976). "In'erview". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  3. ↑ Gerds, Warren (January 27, 1976). "WGBP Leads Prep Broadcasting". Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Dougherty, Pete (February 18, 2018). "Dougherty: Elite company for Green Bay's Kevin Harlan". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Gerds, Warren (September 24, 1982). "Splash at 22: Premontre graduate youngest play-by-play sportscaster". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. A-11. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Pete Pranica voted 2017 Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association". Memphis Grizzlies. January 16, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  7. ↑ Lowe, Bob (September 12, 1999). "Daniels begins 20th year on 'The Fifth Quarter'". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Local school merger reported". Green Bay Press-Gazette. November 2, 1989. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ Gerde, Warren (February 5, 1994). "It's music with a message". p. B-3. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
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