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WBQA

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Coordinates: 44°1′31.3″N 69°34′15.2″W / 44.025361°N 69.570889°W / 44.025361; -69.570889
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WBQA
Broadcast areaLincoln County, Maine
Frequency96.7 MHz
BrandingMaine Public Classical
Programming
FormatClassical music
Ownership
OwnerMaine Public Broadcasting Corporation
History
First air date
April 1, 1984 (as WCME)
Former call signs
  • WCME (1982–2009)
  • WTQX (2009–2017)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID4090
ClassB1
ERP15,500 watts
HAAT127 meters (417 feet)
Transmitter coordinates
44°1′31.3″N 69°34′15.2″W / 44.025361°N 69.570889°W / 44.025361; -69.570889
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitemainepublic.org

WBQA is a non-commercial FM classical music radio station located at 96.7, owned by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation and licensed to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The station serves Mid Coast Maine with studios in Portland, Lewiston and Bangor. WBQA operates as part of the Maine Public Classical network.

Main article: Maine Public Broadcasting Network

History

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The station signed on April 1, 1984,[2] as WCME, an easy listening station[3] owned by Bay Communications. WCME had news affiliations with the Associated Press[4] and CNN.[5] In 1990, the station changed to a country music format and affiliated with the Satellite Music Network.[6] WCME began simulcasting with WPME (95.5 FM, now WPPI) in Topsham when it signed on in 1993; the following year, the stations changed to an oldies/classic rock format as "The Golden Eagle", with WPME becoming WXGL-FM.[3]

After owner Robert Cole sold WXGL-FM to Great Eastern Media in 1996,[7] WCME went silent for several weeks in March 1997 in what WXGL staff claimed was a permanent shutdown;[8] however, WCME returned to the air that April with a mornings-only schedule of adult contemporary music from the 1970s and 1980s[9][10] while Cole put the station up for sale.[11] Tryon-Seacoast Broadcasting announced its acquisition of the station shortly afterward;[12] that June, WCME returned to full-time operation with an adult contemporary format.[13] Tryon-Seacoast took control of the station in July 1998 and changed it to a simulcast of country music station WKCG (101.3 FM) on July 27;[14] earlier that year, it had agreed to sell its Central Maine stations to Cumulus Media.[15] Cumulus moved the country music format to WCTB (93.5 FM) on March 1, 1999, with "Kicks Country" continuing to simulcast on WCME.[16][17]

In August 2000, WCME and WCTB began simulcasting the "Score" sports programming of WSKW (1160 AM), as part of a five-station network that also included WIGY (97.5 FM, now WQSK) and WHQO (107.9 FM, now WFMX);[18][19] shortly afterward, Cumulus agreed to sell its stations in the market to Clear Channel Communications.[19] That October, WCME dropped "Score" programming for a simulcast of oldies station WABK-FM (104.3).[20] By December 2001, WCME was carrying a news/talk format[21] as part of Clear Channel's "Voice of Maine" network, along with WVOM in Bangor and WHQO in Skowhegan.[22] WHQO was dropped from the network in November 2003 after Clear Channel ended its local marketing agreement with its owner, Mountain Wireless.[23] In October 2005, WCME dropped WVOM's morning show in favor of that of WTOS-FM (105.1), filling a void in the mid-coast and Portland areas created when local jazz station WJZP-LP went on the air on the same frequency as WTOS.[24] Other programs on WCME included The Wall Street Journal Morning Report, The War Room with Quinn and Rose, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Dave Ramsey, Lars Larson, and Coast to Coast AM. WCME also carried University of Maine football and local sports, as well as Boston Red Sox baseball off and on throughout the early 2000s.

Clear Channel announced on November 16, 2006, that it would sell its Central Maine stations after being bought by private equity firms,[25] resulting in a sale to Blueberry Broadcasting in 2008.[26] On January 5, 2009, WCME dropped its talk programming and took on the "Star" adult contemporary format vacated by co-owned WKCG when it became WVQM, a simulcast of WVOM.[27] The Star image and AC format was short lived, as in March of the same year, the station began simulcasting WTOS-FM.[28] On May 4, 2009, WCME changed its call letters to WTQX.[29]

Maine Public purchased WTQX for $550,000 in 2017 with the intention of making it the sixth station in its Maine Public Classical network.[30] The sale was completed on October 31, 2017;[31] concurrently, the call letters changed to WBQA.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBQA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-198. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Fybush, Scott. "Maine Radio History, 1971-1996". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1987 (PDF). 1987. p. B-128. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  5. ^ The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990 (PDF). 1990. p. B-140. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  6. ^ The Broadcasting Yearbook 1991 (PDF). 1991. p. B-146. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  7. ^ Fybush, Scott (December 12, 1996). "WEZE Moves to 590". New England RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Fybush, Scott (March 28, 1997). "Thawing Out and Unpacking..." North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  9. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 17, 1997). "In the Zone". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  10. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 24, 1997). "Pump Up the KiloWatts". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  11. ^ Fybush, Scott (April 3, 1997). "Snow, Snow, and More Snow". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Fybush, Scott (May 1, 1997). "Trouble for Brian Dodge". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Fybush, Scott (June 12, 1997). "Good Evening, Channel 50". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  14. ^ Fybush, Scott (July 30, 1998). "Sorrentino Out at WPRO". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  15. ^ Fybush, Scott (February 26, 1998). "Sinclair Buys and Sells". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  16. ^ Fybush, Scott (February 26, 1999). "A Time For Farewells..." North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  17. ^ Fybush, Scott (March 5, 1999). "We Will Never Make Fun of Boston Weather Again..." North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  18. ^ Fybush, Scott (August 28, 2000). "Moncton Radio Explodes!". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Fybush, Scott (September 11, 2000). "Hearst-Argyle Gets WMUR". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  20. ^ Fybush, Scott (October 16, 2000). "Clear Channel, Aurora Buy Clusters". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  21. ^ Fybush, Scott (December 3, 2001). "Vinikoor Takes Tower Dispute to High Court". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  22. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 30, 2002). "Peter Gzoski, 1934--2002". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  23. ^ "Christmas Keeps Getting Earlier..." NorthEast Radio Watch. November 10, 2003. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  24. ^ Fybush, Scott (October 24, 2005). "A WILD Shift For Radio One/Boston". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  25. ^ Fybush, Scott (November 20, 2006). "Dark Days All Around". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  26. ^ Fybush, Scott (May 5, 2008). "The Sales Market Heats Up". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  27. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 12, 2009). "Santos Exits Amidst WBZ Changes". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  28. ^ Fybush, Scott (March 9, 2009). "CSB School of Broadcasting Folds". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  29. ^ a b "Call Sign History (WBQA)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  30. ^ Routhier, Ray (August 8, 2017). "Maine Public will add a classical music radio station in the midcoast". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  31. ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
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