WWBK
Encyclopedia
WCME is a radio station in Brunswick, Maine
. The station is owned by veteran radio news anchor and talk host Jim Bleikamp, and is currently silent. When the station returns, it will operate with a locally-oriented, full-service format emphasizing news and local activities in the midcoast Maine region. WCME's studios are located at the Fort Andross complex in Brunswick.
By 1973, WCME and WCME-FM simulcast a contemporary format; later that year, the call letters were changed to WKXA. The following year, the WKXA stations were sold to Amcom Corporation and implemented a mix of talk
and MOR. In 1977, the simulcast was dissolved, and WKXA flipped to top 40; a year later, the station reverted to simulcasting with WKXA-FM, by then a country
station. Independent programming again resumed in 1980, this time with a news/talk format; this continued after Windward Communications bought the station in 1982, but by 1984 WKXA had adopted an adult contemporary format (separate from that on the newly-renamed WCLZ
), which gave way by 1987 to a return of the country format.
Hawthorne Communications acquired the station in 1988, and changed its call letters to WCLZ to reflect the resumption of the simulcast with WCLZ-FM; in 1990, the station again dropped the simulcast, affiliating with the Business Radio Network. This format continued as the stations were sold to The Eastern Radio Company in 1990 and to Riverside Broadcasting in 1992. The station subsequently returned to simulcasting WCLZ-FM, by then an adult album alternative
station, but separate programming was restored to the AM station again in 1995, this time with home shopping
.
In 1998, Riverside Broadcasting sold the WCLZ stations to Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting, with Riverside owner Mike Waggoner citing the company's local ownership. Co-owner J. J. Jeffrey
, a native of Brunswick, had started his career at WCME. That December, the station changed its call letters to WJJB, and after a brief return to the WCLZ-FM simulcast, the station became a simulcast of sports
station WJAE in 1999. Fuller-Jeffrey sold their FM stations to Citadel Broadcasting
several months later, but J. J. Jeffrey retained WJAE and WJJB as the first stations in his Atlantic Coast Radio
group.
WJJB changed its call letters to WWBK on March 18, 2008; a month later, the station was sold to Bob Bittner for $27,000. Three months later, on July 19, 2008, WWBK was forced off the air, as the owner of the station's transmission facility, Saga Communications
(which acquired the site after buying WCLZ from Citadel in 2007), indicated that it no longer wanted WWBK on the site. The station announced its intention to move its transmitter to a location at or near the transmitter of sister station WJTO
. Bittner had planned to implement a music format, separate from WJTO's adult standards
and oldies
programming.
Bob Bittner sold WWBK to James Bleikamp in March 2009, with the sale being finalized on May 18; the next day, the station changed its call letters back to WCME, which had recently been given up by WTQX. On May 23, 2009, WCME resumed broadcasting under special temporary authority
from the WJTO site; this was necessary because the station could only operate at 176 watts during daytime hours from the site to protect WGHM
in Nashua, New Hampshire
— below the minimum daytime power for licensed AM stations of 250 watts. After the WJTO site was deemed to not be optimal for regular operation, WCME signed off once again on May 25.
WCME again resumed broadcasting on April 21, 2010, operating under special temporary authority from a temporary transmitter at Fort Andross as the station seeks a new permanent transmitter (with the station planning to reach full power in fall 2010). However, it again left the air on May 7 after the transmitter was found to be interfering with fire alarm, telephone, and computer systems in the building. The station was unable to resolve the interference, and has continued to search for a permanent transmitter location; in the meantime, to preserve the broadcast license, WCME again temporarily broadcast from the WJTO site on April 16, 2011 and from April 25–26, 2011.
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
. The station is owned by veteran radio news anchor and talk host Jim Bleikamp, and is currently silent. When the station returns, it will operate with a locally-oriented, full-service format emphasizing news and local activities in the midcoast Maine region. WCME's studios are located at the Fort Andross complex in Brunswick.
History
WCME signed on December 16, 1955 under the ownership of Westminster Broadcasting Corporation. Central Maine Broadcasting System acquired the station in 1964, and launched a sister station on 98.9 FM on April 11, 1965. The WCME stations were sold to WCME Inc. in 1969, and to Condit Broadcasting in 1972.By 1973, WCME and WCME-FM simulcast a contemporary format; later that year, the call letters were changed to WKXA. The following year, the WKXA stations were sold to Amcom Corporation and implemented a mix of talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
and MOR. In 1977, the simulcast was dissolved, and WKXA flipped to top 40; a year later, the station reverted to simulcasting with WKXA-FM, by then a country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station. Independent programming again resumed in 1980, this time with a news/talk format; this continued after Windward Communications bought the station in 1982, but by 1984 WKXA had adopted an adult contemporary format (separate from that on the newly-renamed WCLZ
WCLZ
WCLZ is a radio station licensed to North Yarmouth, Maine with studios located in Portland. Since 2001 WCLZ has been broadcasting an Adult Alternative format. It operates on FM frequency 98.9 and is under ownership of Saga Communications.- History :...
), which gave way by 1987 to a return of the country format.
Hawthorne Communications acquired the station in 1988, and changed its call letters to WCLZ to reflect the resumption of the simulcast with WCLZ-FM; in 1990, the station again dropped the simulcast, affiliating with the Business Radio Network. This format continued as the stations were sold to The Eastern Radio Company in 1990 and to Riverside Broadcasting in 1992. The station subsequently returned to simulcasting WCLZ-FM, by then an adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
station, but separate programming was restored to the AM station again in 1995, this time with home shopping
Home shopping
Home shopping commonly refers to the electronic retailing/home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as HSN, QVC, eBay, ShopNBC, Buy.com, and Amazon.com, as well as traditional mail order and brick and mortar retailers as Hammacher...
.
In 1998, Riverside Broadcasting sold the WCLZ stations to Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting, with Riverside owner Mike Waggoner citing the company's local ownership. Co-owner J. J. Jeffrey
J. J. Jeffrey
J.J. Jeffrey is an American radio executive and a former prominent Top 40 disc jockey whose work was heard on some of the United States' most influential rock-and-roll stations during the 1960s and 1970s....
, a native of Brunswick, had started his career at WCME. That December, the station changed its call letters to WJJB, and after a brief return to the WCLZ-FM simulcast, the station became a simulcast of sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
station WJAE in 1999. Fuller-Jeffrey sold their FM stations to Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
several months later, but J. J. Jeffrey retained WJAE and WJJB as the first stations in his Atlantic Coast Radio
Atlantic Coast Radio
Atlantic Coast Radio, LLC is a radio company located in the state of Maine, owned by longtime broadcaster J. J. Jeffrey. Prior to the current radio group, Jeffrey was a partner in Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting with Bob Fuller. Fuller-Jeffery's portfolio included WBLM and WOKQ but the company was...
group.
WJJB changed its call letters to WWBK on March 18, 2008; a month later, the station was sold to Bob Bittner for $27,000. Three months later, on July 19, 2008, WWBK was forced off the air, as the owner of the station's transmission facility, Saga Communications
Saga Communications
Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations Saga Communications is a broadcasting...
(which acquired the site after buying WCLZ from Citadel in 2007), indicated that it no longer wanted WWBK on the site. The station announced its intention to move its transmitter to a location at or near the transmitter of sister station WJTO
WJTO
WJTO 730 AM is an Adult Standards/Oldies station licensed to Bath, Maine. WJTO is owned by Bob Bittner Broadcasting and is a sister station to Cambridge, Massachusetts' WJIB.-History:...
. Bittner had planned to implement a music format, separate from WJTO's adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
and oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
programming.
Bob Bittner sold WWBK to James Bleikamp in March 2009, with the sale being finalized on May 18; the next day, the station changed its call letters back to WCME, which had recently been given up by WTQX. On May 23, 2009, WCME resumed broadcasting under special temporary authority
Special temporary authority
In U.S. broadcast law, a special temporary authorization or special temporary authority is a type of broadcast license which temporarily allows a broadcast station to operate outside of its normal technical or legal parameters...
from the WJTO site; this was necessary because the station could only operate at 176 watts during daytime hours from the site to protect WGHM
WGAM
WGAM and WGHM are simulcasting radio stations broadcasting a sports talk format. WGAM is licensed to Manchester, New Hampshire, WGHM to Nashua, New Hampshire, USA. The stations serve southern New Hampshire...
in Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
— below the minimum daytime power for licensed AM stations of 250 watts. After the WJTO site was deemed to not be optimal for regular operation, WCME signed off once again on May 25.
WCME again resumed broadcasting on April 21, 2010, operating under special temporary authority from a temporary transmitter at Fort Andross as the station seeks a new permanent transmitter (with the station planning to reach full power in fall 2010). However, it again left the air on May 7 after the transmitter was found to be interfering with fire alarm, telephone, and computer systems in the building. The station was unable to resolve the interference, and has continued to search for a permanent transmitter location; in the meantime, to preserve the broadcast license, WCME again temporarily broadcast from the WJTO site on April 16, 2011 and from April 25–26, 2011.