WHTP-FM

Last updated

WHTP-FM
WHTP WHZP Hot Radio Maine logo.png
Broadcast area Southern Maine
Frequency 104.7 MHz
BrandingHot Radio Maine
Programming
Format Rhythmic contemporary hit radio
Ownership
OwnerMainestream Media, LLC
WHTP, WHZP
History
First air date
December 1, 1994 (as WQEZ) [1]
Former call signs
  • WXPT (1990–1994)
  • WBQW (1994)
  • WQEZ (1994–2004)
  • WHXQ (2004–2008)
  • WBQW (2008–2012)
  • WHTP (2012–2020)
Call sign meaning
"Hot Portland"
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 69855
Class A
ERP 6,000 watts
HAAT 87 meters (285 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 43°24′16.3″N70°26′13.1″W / 43.404528°N 70.436972°W / 43.404528; -70.436972
Repeater(s)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website hotradiomaine.com

WHTP-FM (104.7 MHz) is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Kennebunkport, Maine, serving York County and southern Cumberland County, Maine. Its signal is broadcast from the same location. Established in 1994, WHTP-FM is owned by Mainestream Media. The station broadcasts a rhythmic top 40 format. [3]

Contents

WHTP-FM is simulcast in the Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta metro areas on WHTP (1280 AM and 100.3 FM), as well as in Bangor and surrounding areas on WHZP (1400 AM and 102.9 FM). [4]

History

WHTP-FM began broadcasting December 1, 1994, as WQEZ, an easy listening/adult contemporary station owned by Vega Corporation, which also owned WBQQ (99.3 FM). [1] [5] Vega sold the stations to Mariner Broadcasting on June 16, 1997. [6] Mariner sold its stations to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2004. [7] That April, Nassau relaunched the station as WHXQ, a classic rock station branded as The Bone and simulcasting with WHXR (106.7 FM, now WXTP). [8] During the summer of 2006, WHXQ/WHXR expanded their playlist and shifted to active rock. WHXQ and WHXR had planned to switch to sports talk provided by Boston's WEEI in January 2008, [9] but the deal between Nassau and WEEI owner Entercom ended up collapsing. [10]

Logo as WBQW W-BACH logo.png
Logo as WBQW

WHXQ swapped formats and call signs with WBQW (106.3 FM, now the current WHXR) on October 6, 2008, and began to carry WBACH's classical music programming (which had originated on WBQQ in 1991; concurrent with the WHXQ/WBQW swap, WBQQ became a simulcast of WTHT). [11] Nassau Broadcasting entered bankruptcy in 2011, which culminated in an auction of its stations. Prior to the conclusion of the auction, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network expressed interest in running the WBACH stations. [12] As part of the bankruptcy proceeding, WBQW was auctioned in May 2012 to local owner Mainestream Media for $150,000, while the other WBACH stations (WBQX in Thomaston and WBQI in Bar Harbor) went to Bill Binnie's WBIN Media Company. [13] [14] [15]

Mainestream Media dropped WBACH's programming at 5 p.m. on September 13, 2012, [16] [17] and began stunting with Christmas music, making the claim of being the first station to switch to Christmas music in 2012, and promoting the "104 Days Of Christmas", saying they would give Portland special "gifts" through the holidays, with the first to come the following day at 5 p.m.. [18] At that time, the station adopted its permanent rhythmic top 40 format, branded as "Hot 104.7". [3] [19] [20] The first song on "Hot" was LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem". On October 1, WBQW's call letters were changed to WHTP, fitting the "Hot" branding. WHTP currently competes with longtime Top 40 station WJBQ, which has a more mainstream feel to it as compared to WHTP's Rhythmic approach (similar to the former WRED). In February 2013, WHTP was added to Mediabase's Rhythmic panel, reflecting its choice of musical direction.

WHTP began simulcasting on WJYE (1280 AM and 100.3 FM) in Gardiner and WCYR (1400 AM and 102.9 FM) in Veazie on January 13, 2020; to reflect its expanded reach, the station rebranded as "Hot Radio Maine". [4] The station added the "-FM" suffix to its call sign on March 6, 2020. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEEI-FM</span> Sports radio station in Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving Boston

WEEI-FM – branded SportsRadio 93.7 WEEI-FM – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WEEI-FM is the Boston affiliate for Infinity Sports Network, the NFL on Westwood One Sports, the flagship station for the Boston Red Sox Radio Network; and the radio home of Greg Hill, Lou Merloni, Christian Fauria and Jermaine Wiggins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBGB (FM)</span> Adult hits radio station in Boston

WBGB – branded as Big 103 – is a commercial adult hits FM radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Boston. The WBGB studios are located in the Boston neighborhood of Brighton, while the station's transmitter resides in nearby Newton. Besides a standard analog transmission, WBGB broadcasts over two HD Radio channels, and is available online via Audacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPEI</span> Radio station in Maine, United States

WPEI is a WEEI Sports Radio Network station serving the Portland, Maine, area. The station is owned by Atlantic Coast Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHTP (AM)</span> Radio station in Gardiner, Maine

WHTP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Gardiner, Maine, United States. It serves the Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta metropolitan areas. The station is owned by MaineInvests LLC. It airs a rhythmic contemporary format, branded as Hot Radio Maine, simulcast with WHTP-FM (104.7) in Kennebunkport and WHZP in Veazie.

The Big JAB is the name of two sports radio stations in western and southern Maine, owned by Atlantic Coast Radio. It is heard on WRED and WJJB-FM. The stations air local sports talk hosts Monday through Friday. Fox Sports Radio provides programming nights and weekends. In July 2017 Atlantic Coast Radio purchased a 250-watt translator at 92.5 MHz from Augusta, Maine-based Light of Life Ministries to further augment its Portland-area FM signal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBACH</span> Classical music radio network in Maine (1991–2017)

WBACH was a radio network in the American state of Maine, active from 1991 to 2017. Airing on four stations at its peak, the network broadcast a classical music format from studios in Kennebunk.

WXTP is a Catholic talk radio station licensed to North Windham, Maine, serving the Portland area from studios in Freeport. The station is an affiliate of Relevant Radio and is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBFB</span> Radio station in Bangor, Maine

WBFB is a commercial radio station in Bangor, Maine. The station is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting and airs a country music radio format, simulcast on sister stations WBFE in Bar Harbor and WMCM in Rockland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHXR</span> Radio station in Scarborough, Maine

WHXR is an active rock radio station licensed to serve Scarborough, Maine, with studios in Portland. Established in 1974, the station is owned by Binnie Media.

Nassau Broadcasting Partners LP was a company based in Princeton, New Jersey that owned radio stations in New England and the Mid-Atlantic United States. Nassau's stations, which included both AM and FM frequencies, were located in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The company was owned and headed by Louis F. Mercatanti. Nassau was predominantly an operator of radio stations in medium and small markets. Nassau formerly owned radio station WCRB in Waltham, a Boston suburb, and located in the Boston market, the 11th largest radio market in the US, according to BIA Financial Network. However that station was sold to WGBH in 2009. Nassau operated radio stations in substantially all of the major formats. The company's most common format was classic rock/classic hits. On October 13, 2011 Nassau Broadcasting entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after their senior lenders petitioned for an involuntary Chapter 7 liquidation in September. The stations were auctioned to various bidders in May 2012 subject to bankruptcy judge and FCC approval. Nassau's last station, WPLY in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, lost its license in 2014 after having shut down in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTHT</span> Country music radio station in Auburn, Maine

WTHT is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Auburn, Maine, the station serves the Portland area. The station is owned by Binnie Media. Programming was simulcast on WBQQ in Kennebunk from 2012 until 2024, when WBQQ launched a York County–oriented soft oldies format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBQX</span> Radio station in Thomaston, Maine

WBQX is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits music format. Licensed to Thomaston, Maine, United States, it serves the Mid Coast region. It first began broadcasting in 1992 under the call sign WAVX. The station is owned by Binnie Media. The station's competitor is WBAK in Belfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNNH</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WNNH is a commercial radio station owned by Binnie Media. WNNH is licensed to Henniker, New Hampshire, and serves the Concord-Manchester area. Its transmitter is on Watchtower Road in Contoocook and its studios and offices are on Church Street in Concord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWLK-FM</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WWLK-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Meredith, New Hampshire, and serving the Lakes Region. The station broadcasts a soft adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Dirk Nadon, through licensee Lakes Media, LLC. The studios and offices are on Church Street in Concord, New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBAK</span> Radio station in Belfast, Maine

WBAK is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Belfast, Maine. It is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting, and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. Its programming is also simulcast on WBKA in Bar Harbor, as well as WABK-FM in Gardiner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVEI-FM</span> Radio station in Rhode Island, United States

WVEI-FM is a radio station broadcasting a sports talk format, largely simulcasting Boston-based WEEI-FM. The station is licensed to Westerly, Rhode Island, United States, and is owned by Audacy, Inc. In addition to WEEI programming, WVEI-FM carries Providence Friars men's basketball, Boston Bruins hockey, and ESPN Radio. Its transmitter is in Exeter, Rhode Island; due to it being mostly a simulcast, its operations are run out of WEEI-FM's studios in Boston's Brighton neighborhood.

WLAM is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards and oldies format. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine, United States, the station serves the Lewiston-Auburn area. Established in 1947, the station is owned by Robert Bittner through licensee Blue Jey Broadcasting Co. Its 5,000-watt signal can be heard at day throughout most of Southern Maine and portions of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and at night throughout most of New England and portions of New York and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPPI</span> Radio station in Topsham, Maine

WPPI is a sports radio station in the Portland, Maine, area. The station is owned by Atlantic Coast Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTSV</span> Radio station in Claremont, New Hampshire

WTSV is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Claremont, New Hampshire, United States, the station serves the Dartmouth–Lake Sunapee Region. The station is owned by Jeffrey Shapiro's Great Eastern Radio. Most of the station's programming is simulcast from Boston sports radio station WEEI-FM. WTSV's programming is also carried on two FM translators, W232DN in Claremont, and W233CC in White River Junction, Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBZ-FM</span> Sports radio station in Boston

WBZ-FM is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; the flagship station for the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Revolution radio networks; and the radio home of Fred Toettcher, Scott Zolak, Mike Felger, Tony Massarotti, and Bob Socci. The WBZ-FM studios are located in Waltham, while the station transmitter resides in the Boston suburb of Newton. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WBZ-FM broadcasts over two HD Radio channels, and is available online.

References

  1. 1 2 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 (PDF). 1995. p. B-182. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WHTP-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. 1 2 "WBQW Lights Up Top 40 'Hot 104.7'". All Access. September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Venta, Lance (January 13, 2020). "Hot 104.7 Portland Expands To Bangor & Lewiston". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ Fybush, Scott. "Maine Radio History, 1971–1996". Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-199. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Stations sold". Sun Journal . Associated Press. December 12, 2003. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Stern's The "Maine Man" For Nassau". FMQB . April 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  9. ↑ Whitehouse, Randy (October 23, 2007). "Boston's WEEI coming to Maine". Sun Journal.
  10. ↑ "Entercom-Nassau Deal Falls Through". Radio Ink . January 4, 2008. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Atlantic Coast, Nassau Shake Up Maine". August 25, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  12. ↑ MPBN Going Commercial? Al Diamon, Downeast.com, April 23, 2012
  13. ↑ Nassau’s Maine Stations Split Up Al Diamon, Downeast.com, May 4, 2012
  14. ↑ Venta, Lance (May 22, 2012). "Nassau Broadcasting Auction Results". RadioInsight. Retrieved September 14, 2012. (updated May 23, 2012)
  15. ↑ "104.7 WBQW Portland to Launch New Format".
  16. ↑ "104.7 Change of Ownership". wbachradio.com. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Southern Maine radio station to stop airing classical music". Portland Press Herald . September 7, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Radio's first all-Christmas station arrives". Inside Radio. September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Hot 104.7 Debuts in Southern Maine".
  20. ↑ "WBQW Becomes Hot 104.7". September 14, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Call Sign History (WHTP-FM)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved March 15, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.