Radio History for the Portland and Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester markets.

[wpxt]

I have been working on a site about the history of radio stations in Portland and PDR that come in in Southern Maine. To get to what I'm asking could anyone on radio-info.com share information with me of what they know about radio stations in Portland and Portsmouth from launch until early 90s'. Here's links to what I've done so far http://seacoastradio.bravehost.com/portland.html and http://seacoastradio.bravehost.com/pdr.html. As you can see I've found a lot already but I'm still missing pieces. You can only get so much information from the web. Thank you in advance for any information you can provide me.

[dunebugg66]

Not sure if these stations count or not but you missed
WUNH - UNH's college station
WMEX - in Ro-Town
WGIP / WGIN & WMYF - the CC / Aloha AM stations

[wpxt]

I'm not doing AM stations or College stations. I'm only working on FM. Thanks anyways.

[MisterBilge]

For P-D-R, ERZ is now considered AC

[TheNeverEndingTrail]

WQSO 96.7 was previously known as "Mix 96.7" WSRI 1995-1997 then changed to "Radio 96.7" WQSO.  The station when it first started, in 1987?, the call signs was WKOS.

[Time Traveler]

Nice attempt...but numerous inaccuracies....I don't really know where to start....but here are a couple...

100.9-WYNZ-Signed on in 1976 as A/C formatted WRQN. Flipped to AOR in 1978, as "FM-101-Portland's Best Rock.  Call letters were changed to WYNZ, in December, 1980, still AOR as "Z-101-Portland's Best Rock".
Format was flipped back to A/C in November, 1981, and remained until late 80s flip to Oldies.

101.9-WPOR-Prior to its long running Country Format, WPOR was Progressive Rock back in 1970....

[wthorne]

AHHHHH...Time Traveler...WPOR has been country since the early 50's

[Gadon]

You're on to something.. Here's a couple to think about..
Wasn't WHEB called "Hit Rock 100" in the early to mid 80's before going rock ?? Sort of a CHR/AOR interesting hybrid...

96.3 WJJB before becoming holier than thou, was a screaming top 40 called "96 WMR" WWMR. The jocks used to emphasize the "M". Before that the station was known as WRUM-FM when it was up in Rumford.. Somewhere I have a WMR bumper sticker I can scan and get to you..

97.9 When WJBQ became WWGT, it was a 'AM type full service AC" done on FM. It had a news department. It didn't make it in the ratings, and became, "The New G-98" taking on the established CHR "FM 103" (WGAN-FM / WTHT) in a great CHR battle in Portland..

[Gadon]

As Columbo would say, "Just one more thing"...96.7 in Rochester has had a lot of call sign changes and format flips before settling in on the WQSO calls..Didn't that station have the calls WWEM for "Easy Mix" at one time ?? Nice project 

[KML-224]

I still remember FM 103, back when I lived in Old Orchard Beach from 1985 to 1987. They became WTHT-FM in June 1987, about 1 week before I moved back to Connecticut. I blended an ID together on audio tape somewhere. I have it to where the announcer says "WGAN...FM 103...WTHT Portland". All I remember is that they used to run a weekly countdown on Friday afternoons. 102.9 FM would become WBLM-FM and the classic rock format moved down the dial with those call letters. WTHT-FM would move up to 107.5 FM and become Thunder 107 (at least that's what they were in July of 1990 when I made a visit). 95.9 FM of Saco was simply calling themselves "96 HYR". I think they were a Top 40/CHR station then, but I'm not sure. 94.3 FM of Biddeford had an AC format at that time. I'm not sure if they were competing with WHOM-FM 94.9 of Mount Washington, NH or not.

Reception in Old Orchard Beach varied. My cheap Randix AM/FM dual cassette radio, followed up by a GE AM/FM single cassette radio with a 3-band EQ did OK at that time. The latter was crap here in central Connecticut, since it couldn't handle the signal overload of West Peak in Meriden, CT (a good clip south-southwest of Hartford, with me halfway between the two).