View source for WQCS

{{Short description|Radio station in Fort Pierce, Florida}}
{{for|the NPR member station in Asheville, North Carolina with call letters WCQS|Blue Ridge Public Radio}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = WQCS
| logo             = WQCS-2-color-logo2.png
| logo_upright     = 1
| city             = [[Fort Pierce, Florida]]
| country          = US
| area             = [[Treasure Coast]]
| branding         = ''WQCS 88.9 FM NPR for the Treasure Coast''
| airdate          = {{start date and age|1982|4}}
| frequency        = 88.9 [[MHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| format           = [[Public radio]] - [[talk radio|News - Talk]]
| subchannels      = {{ubl|HD2: [[Classical music]] "QCS Classic"|HD3: [[Classic hits]] "IRSC River Radio"}}
| erp              = {{val|100000|u=watts|fmt=commas}}
| haat             = {{convert|133|m|sp=us}}
| class            = C1
| facility_id      = 28545
| coordinates      = 
| callsign_meaning = 
| former_callsigns = 
| affiliations     = {{ubl|[[National Public Radio]]|[[Public Radio Exchange]]|[[American Public Media]]|[[BBC World Service]]}}
| owner            = [[Indian River State College]]
| licensee         = 
| sister_stations  = {{hlist|[[WQCP]]|[[WQJS]]}}
| webcast          = {{listenlive|https://www.wqcs.org}}
| website          = {{URL|https://www.wqcs.org}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| repeaters        = 90.5 WQCO Okeechobee, Florida
}}

'''WQCS''' (88.9 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) is the [[National Public Radio]] (NPR) [[network affiliate|member station]] for the [[Treasure Coast]] of [[Florida]].  licensed to [[Fort Pierce]], it is owned by [[Indian River State College]], with studios in Building Q of the college's main campus in Fort Pierce.  The station is [[non-commercial]] and listener-supported.

WQCS is a [[list of broadcast station classes|Class C1]] station.  It has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most FM stations.  The [[transmitter]] is on the Indian River State College Campus in Fort Pierce, on South 30th Street at Cross Campus Road.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wqcs&nav=home Radio-Locator.com/WQCS]</ref>  WQCS broadcasts using [[HD Radio]] technology.  On its HD2 [[digital subchannel]], it offers [[classical music]] as "QCS Classic."  On HD3, it plays [[classic hits]] as "IRSC River Radio."

==Programming==
WQCS carries programs from NPR and other public radio networks.  On weekdays, shows include: ''[[All Things Considered]], [[Morning Edition]], [[Fresh Air]], [[1A (radio program)|1A]]'' and ''[[Here and Now (Boston)|Here and Now]]''.  Frequent news updates come from NPR and the WQCS news department.  The [[BBC World Service]] runs all night.

On weekends, specialty shows are heard, including:  ''[[This American Life]], [[On The Media]], [[Rick Steves|Travel with Rick Steves]], [[TED Radio Hour|The TED Radio Hour]], [[Big Picture Science]], [[A Way with Words]], [[Science Friday]], [[Splendid Table]], [[Radiolab]], [[The Moth Radio Hour]], [[Freakonomics Radio]], [[The New Yorker Radio Hour]], [[To the Best of Our Knowledge]], [[Live Wire Radio|Live Wire]], [[Selected Shorts]]'' and ''[[Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me]]''.  A weekly local interview program "River Talk" airs twice each weekend.

==History==
The station [[signed on]] the air in {{start date and age|1982|4}}.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1986/B-Radio-All-BC-YB-1986.pdf ''Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1986'' page B-57.  Retrieved June 17, 2024.]</ref>  It originally broadcast at 88.3 FM, and was powered at 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output.  It had studios in the McAlpin Fine Arts Center.  Phil Scott was the first station manager.

Four years later, it boosted its power to 100,000 watts, more than tripling its coverage area in the process. That was coupled with a move to its current dial position at 88.9 FM.  The format is a mix of news and NPR talk programming.

==Gallery==
<gallery heights="120px" >

File:WQCS 88.9 FM Signage.jpg|WQCS 88.9 FM Signage

File:WQCS 88.9 FM Building.jpg|WQCS 88.9 FM Building

File:SUV parked in front of WQCS FM in Ft. Pierce Fla..jpg|SUV parked in front of the facility

</gallery>
{{clear left}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{FM station data|28545|WQCS}}
* {{commons category-inline}}

{{clear}}
{{Vero Beach Radio}}
{{NPR Florida}}

{{coord|27.422|N|80.356|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}

[[Category:Radio stations in Florida|QCS]]
[[Category:NPR member stations]]
[[Category:Fort Pierce, Florida]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1982]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in Florida]]