WBAE
| Broadcast area | Southern Maine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1490 kHz |
| Branding | AM 1490 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Advice talk |
| Affiliations | Dial Global |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Saga Communications |
| History | |
First air date | 1946 |
Former call signs | WPOR (until 1999) |
Call sign meaning | BAE = sounds like "Bay" (branding for former adult standards format) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 49983 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Links | |
| Website | am1400and1490.com |
WBAE is a radio station that serves southern Maine with an advice talk format. WBAE is licensed in Portland, Maine, while WVAE is licensed in Biddeford, Maine. Both stations are owned by Portland Radio Group, itself owned by Saga Communications.
Until 1999, WBAE had the WPOR call sign and was a simulcast of sister station WPOR-FM. WVAE was formerly known as WIDE, and had been under separate ownership; Saga bought it in 2003 to improve the station's signal.
The original format as WBAE and WVAE was adult standards, initially provided by the Music of Your Life network, and later Dial Global's Adult Standards (America's Best Music) service. WBAE and WVAE also had an affiliation with ABC News Radio, and were the local outlets for Paul Harvey, Portland Pirates and the Portland Sea Dogs. (The Sea Dogs have moved to WPEI 95.9 and WPPI 95.5; Paul Harvey died in 2009, and the Pirates have since moved to WLOB).
The stations adopted a hot talk on March 4, 2009; it had been heard on WZAN before that station shifted to a political talk format. This was replaced with an advice-oriented talk format on January 18, 2010.[1]
Current programming on the stations includes Bob and Tom, Clark Howard, The Dr. Laura Program, The Dave Ramsey Show, Dr. Joy Browne, Loveline, NASCAR racing from Motor Racing Network, and NFL football from Westwood One.
On September 15, 2009, it was announced that WBAE and WVAE would begin to broadcast the Boston Bruins. On January 16, 2012, it was announced that WBAE and WVAE would begin to broadcast the New York Yankees. [2]
The WVAE calls were used at 92.3 FM in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1980s, with a new age/jazz format as "The Wave." Both the callsign and nickname were also used a decade later at 94.9 FM in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In February 2013 WVAE split from its simulcast with WBAE for a simulcast with news/talk-formatted WGAN 560 AM Portland, Maine. It now has the call letters WGIN. [3][4]
References
- ^ "Radio station unveils advice show lineup". Portland Press Herald. January 19, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/101093/yankees-ink-new-affiliate-in-portland-me Yankees Ink New Affiliate in Portland ME
- ^ http://am1400and1490.com/2013/02/25/whats-happened-to-am-1400/
- ^ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/81132/wgan-portland-adds-simulcast/
External links
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID WBAE ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
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