Reviving a historic call sign that had been abandoned at 105.1 FM in Providence when it became WWLI in 1985, WPJB broadcast an adult contemporary format and was owned and operated by Full Power Radio of Narragansett, Inc.[1] Full Power Radio of Narragansett sold WPJB to Back Bay Broadcasters for $1.05 million in 1997;[3] the station became a simulcast of Back Bay's rhythmic CHR outlet WWKX "Kix 106" and changed its call letters to WAKX to reflect the new programming.

[6] The stations carried Stern through the end of his terrestrial radio run, though, alongside some other Citadel stations, "Hot 106" began cutting his show short because Stern was excessively promoting his soon-to-be-new home at Sirius Satellite Radio.

Citadel immediately optioned WAKX, along with WKKB in Middletown, to Davidson Media Group in a $7.5 million sale, breaking the simulcast.

[10] In 2018, concurrent with RIPR's relaunch as The Public's Radio, the call letters were changed to WNPE.

[12] From March 2013 until February 2018, MVYradio leased the HD2 multicast channel of WNPE to broadcast a modified content stream of WMVY (88.7 FM) on Martha's Vineyard; this fed translator W243AI 96.5 FM, which broadcast from the roof of Newport Hospital.