WWBX
Encyclopedia
WAEI-FM is an American
radio station licensed to, and with studios located in, Bangor, Maine
. It is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
. The station's branding is similar to sister station Fox Sports Maine based out of Augusta
.
. Initially a simulcast of WABI, on March 1, 1973 the station became WBGW, a country
station.
Community Broadcasting Service merged with Journal Publications in 1971 to form Diversified Communications
; the company's broadcasting division retained the Community Broadcasting Service name until 1982, when WBGW was transferred to Diversified directly. The call letters were changed to WYOU-FM in 1986.
Diversified announced in 1993 that it would put most of its broadcasting properties, including WYOU and WABI, up for sale; while it would retain WABI-TV following the collapse of a deal to sell it to Vision Communications, the radio stations were sold to Bangor Radio Corporation. Two years later, the station adopted a modern rock
format under the WWBX calls. The station eventually changed to a hot adult contemporary format. WWBX and WABI were sold to Gopher Hill Broadcasting in 1997.
WWBX was instrumental in storm coverage during the North American ice storm of 1998
. It was Michael W. Hale who made the decision to suspend the music format and allow open phones and dialogue to help those with no power and to provide home-based entertainment. The station allowed listeners from all over central and eastern Maine to call in and share stories of prior storms, survival tips, and even just to let people know they were still waiting for power. Michael W. Hale (the morning host at the time) was so inundated with calls, the station effectively became a talk
station for a time. The announcers, Les Newsome, Cindy Michaels (now at WVII-TV
), Ted Wallace, Dave Glidden and Rob "On The Radio" Rosewall kept people all over eastern and central Maine informed. Inbound calls for help and assistance were so many, volunteers came to the station to take calls and nearby states. The station than returned to its regular format after the power was restored.
In September 1998, the format was again changed to top 40, with an on air slogan
of "B97". The station was an overnight success, giving cross-town rival WBZN
the competition needed to spice the small market. Although the ratings were often close, jocks from both stations demonstrated the skills to provide Bangor with large market sounds.
Clear Channel Communications
signed a local marketing agreement
with Gopher Hill in early 2001; a few weeks later, it bought WWBX and WABI. The company announced on November 16, 2006 that it would sell its Bangor stations after being bought by private equity firms, resulting in a sale to Blueberry Broadcasting to 2008. On September 1, 2008, WWBX dropped the top 40 format in favor of sports talk
provided by Boston
's WEEI
, in a simulcast with WABI; the call letters were changed to WAEI. The call letters were modified to WAEI-FM in February 2009 in order to install the WAEI call letters on WABI. Though WAEI carried WEEI's talk shows, most game broadcasts were not aired on the station. Blueberry Broadcasting ended WAEI's affiliation with WEEI on January 11, 2010, replacing it with Fox Sports Radio
programming; Blueberry cited a breach of contract.
On September 1st WBFB swapped frequencies with 97.1 WAEI.
and The Jim Rome Show
. Beginning with the 2008 Maine Black Bears
hockey season, WAEI became the flagship station for University of Maine
sportshttp://www.learfieldsports.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=8A3DE4DA-B958-A7A2-3CD32A2114BF0BCF.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio station licensed to, and with studios located in, Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. It is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
Blueberry Broadcasting
Bluberry Broadcasting is a Kennebunkport, Maine based media company owning 17 radio stations throughout the state of Maine. The company is headed by Bruce Biette, vice president and CEO, and Louis Vitali, President. Studios are located in Augusta and Bangor....
. The station's branding is similar to sister station Fox Sports Maine based out of Augusta
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
.
History
The 97.1 frequency has a long history in Bangor, signing on March 15, 1961 as WABI-FM, owned by the Community Broadcasting Service along with WABI (now WAEI) and WABI-TVWABI-TV
WABI-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central and Eastern Maine licensed to Bangor. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Peaked Mountain in Dixmont. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 6 and in high definition...
. Initially a simulcast of WABI, on March 1, 1973 the station became WBGW, 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.
Community Broadcasting Service merged with Journal Publications in 1971 to form Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a broadcasting company, headquartered in Portland, Maine. Among the various publications and broadcast outlets, the company organizes trade shows, publishes magazines, produces digital business and operates broadcast stations....
; the company's broadcasting division retained the Community Broadcasting Service name until 1982, when WBGW was transferred to Diversified directly. The call letters were changed to WYOU-FM in 1986.
Diversified announced in 1993 that it would put most of its broadcasting properties, including WYOU and WABI, up for sale; while it would retain WABI-TV following the collapse of a deal to sell it to Vision Communications, the radio stations were sold to Bangor Radio Corporation. Two years later, the station adopted a modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
format under the WWBX calls. The station eventually changed to a hot adult contemporary format. WWBX and WABI were sold to Gopher Hill Broadcasting in 1997.
WWBX was instrumental in storm coverage during the North American ice storm of 1998
North American ice storm of 1998
The North American ice storm of 1998 was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms which combined to strike a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada, and bordering areas from northern New York to central Maine in the...
. It was Michael W. Hale who made the decision to suspend the music format and allow open phones and dialogue to help those with no power and to provide home-based entertainment. The station allowed listeners from all over central and eastern Maine to call in and share stories of prior storms, survival tips, and even just to let people know they were still waiting for power. Michael W. Hale (the morning host at the time) was so inundated with calls, the station effectively became a 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...
station for a time. The announcers, Les Newsome, Cindy Michaels (now at WVII-TV
WVII-TV
WVII-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central and Eastern Maine licensed to Bangor. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter on Black Cap Mountain along the Penobscot and Hancock County line. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable...
), Ted Wallace, Dave Glidden and Rob "On The Radio" Rosewall kept people all over eastern and central Maine informed. Inbound calls for help and assistance were so many, volunteers came to the station to take calls and nearby states. The station than returned to its regular format after the power was restored.
In September 1998, the format was again changed to top 40, with an on air slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
of "B97". The station was an overnight success, giving cross-town rival WBZN
WBZN
WBZN is a radio station licensed to Old Town, Maine and is found at the frequency 107.3 MHz . The station has been on the air since August 1996. Previous to its current Top 40 format, the station was "Greatest Hits of the 70s" classic hits station under ownership of Eclipse Broadcasting, started by...
the competition needed to spice the small market. Although the ratings were often close, jocks from both stations demonstrated the skills to provide Bangor with large market sounds.
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
signed a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with Gopher Hill in early 2001; a few weeks later, it bought WWBX and WABI. The company announced on November 16, 2006 that it would sell its Bangor stations after being bought by private equity firms, resulting in a sale to Blueberry Broadcasting to 2008. On September 1, 2008, WWBX dropped the top 40 format in favor of sports talk
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...
provided by Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
, in a simulcast with WABI; the call letters were changed to WAEI. The call letters were modified to WAEI-FM in February 2009 in order to install the WAEI call letters on WABI. Though WAEI carried WEEI's talk shows, most game broadcasts were not aired on the station. Blueberry Broadcasting ended WAEI's affiliation with WEEI on January 11, 2010, replacing it with Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
programming; Blueberry cited a breach of contract.
On September 1st WBFB swapped frequencies with 97.1 WAEI.
Programming
Currently, WAEI's programming is largely sourced from Fox Sports Radio; it also carries Imus in the MorningImus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
and The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
. Beginning with the 2008 Maine Black Bears
Maine Black Bears
The Maine Black Bears are the athletic teams which represent the University of Maine. They compete in NCAA Division I athletics, with the majority of the teams playing in the America East Conference...
hockey season, WAEI became the flagship station for University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
sportshttp://www.learfieldsports.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=8A3DE4DA-B958-A7A2-3CD32A2114BF0BCF.