WEZR (AM)
| Broadcast area | Western Maine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 780 kHz |
| Branding | 105.5 & 96.9 WIGY |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WIGY, WIGY-FM, WOXO-FM, WPNO | |
| History | |
First air date | August 21, 1953[1] |
Former call signs | WRUM (1952–1997) WLLB (1997–2001) WTME (2001-2020) WIGY (2020)[2] |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9209 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000 watts day 18 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 44°30′53″N 70°31′01″W / 44.51472°N 70.51694°W |
| Translator(s) | W252DS (98.3 MHz, Rumford) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wigyradio |
WEZR (780 AM) is a radio station in Rumford, Maine. The station is owned by Stan Bennett, through licensee Bennett Radio Group. The station airs a classic hits radio format. As a sports station, it was the home of the Portland Pirates American League hockey, and Portland Sea Dogs Eastern League baseball.[4] On weekday mornings and middays, some Christian talk and teaching programs were also heard.
The station was assigned the WTME call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on July 11, 2001.[2]
WTME's programming was previously simulcast with WCNM (1240 AM) in Lewiston and WKTQ (1450 AM) in South Paris.[5] WCNM switched to CNN Headline News in July 2001[6] and is now hot adult contemporary station WIGY, while WKTQ became country music station WOXO in August 2016[7] and is now WPNO, a simulcast of WEZR.
On March 8, 2017, WTME changed its format to sports, with programming from NBC Sports Radio.
WTME, along with its sister stations, went off the air March 29, 2020, citing financial considerations that included expected reduction in advertising revenue attributed to COVID-19.[8] The stations had been up for sale following the death of owner Dick Gleason in February 2019.[9] A sale of the Gleason Media Group stations to Bennett Radio Group was announced in May 2020,[10] and was consummated on August 5, 2020, at a sale price of $500,000.
On August 9, 2020, WTME changed its call letters to WIGY, and returned to the air on August 19, 2020, as Hot AC "WIGY", which it returned to simulcasting WEZR (the former WCNM) and WPNO (the former WKTQ) in the process.[11] It changed its callsign to the current WEZR on September 7, 2020.
Previous logos
File:WTME logo.PNG File:WTME 780 Sports logo.png
References
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-201. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Winter 2008 Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ^ Fybush, Scott (February 5, 2001). "River Flows to New Home". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ Fybush, Scott (July 16, 2001). "CTV Adds Montreal to O&O Roster". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ Venta, Lance (July 29, 2016). "WEZR & WOXO Lewiston On The Move". RadioInsight. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ "WOXO says farewell to listeners; Gleason Radio Group to go silent after 45 years". Lewiston Sun Journal. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- ^ Venta, Lance (March 25, 2020). "Gleason Media To Shut Down Cluster In Lewiston/Auburn". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- ^ Binnie VP/Programming Stan Bennett Acquires Silent Maine Cluster Lance Venta, Radio Insight, May 26, 2020.
- ^ WEZR Relaunches As WIGY Following Return of WOXO Lance Venta, RadioInsight, August 19, 2020.
External links
- Facility details for Facility ID WEZR ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
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