KWPC

KWPC (860 AM) is a commercial radio station serving the Muscatine, Iowa area. The station broadcasts a Farm format by day, with classic country music at night. The station airs regular news, weather and sports coverage. KWPC is owned by Prairie Radio Communications, which also owns stations in Illinois and Wisconsin.

The studio, transmitter, and broadcast tower are located at 3218 Mulberry Avenue in northwest Muscatine, behind Muscatine High School. The tower is 108 m (354 ft) tall. KWPC shares its tower with sister FM station KMCS.

History

Charles Henderson was the original owner of the land that was to become Muscatine’s KWPC Radio. During the 1940s this portion of Mulberry Avenue was a gravel road extension and considered to be located just outside the city. The property was a working farm with grazing livestock. “Charlie” Henderson, who also owned an automobile dealership in Muscatine. In 1946 Henderson gave his daughter Thelma and her new husband George J. Volger the land and financial backing to start the radio station. Cattle continued to roam the land around the station’s tower well into the 1970s and KWPC still occupies the original farmhouse today.