WJZN

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WJZN
Currently silent
Broadcast areaKennebec County, Maine
Frequency1400 kHz
Programming
FormatSilent
Ownership
Owner
WEBB, WMME-FM
History
First air date
February 23, 1932; 92 years ago (1932-02-23)[1]
Former call signs
  • WRDO (1932–1987)
  • WMME (1987–1995)
  • WEZW (1995–1996)
  • WLTI (1996)
  • WEZW (1996–2004)
Call sign meaning
warehoused from the now-WKIM in Munford, Tennessee
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID52604
ClassC
Power1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
44°17′30″N 69°46′27″W / 44.29167°N 69.77417°W / 44.29167; -69.77417
Translator(s)95.9 W240DH (Augusta)
Links
Public license information

WJZN (1400 AM) was a radio station licensed to serve Augusta, Maine, United States. The station, established in 1932 as WRDO, was owned by Townsquare Media; it broadcast an alternative rock format simulcast from WCYY in Portland prior to going silent in May 2023. WJZN's programming was also heard on W240DH (95.9 FM) in Augusta.

History[edit]

WJZN went on the air February 23, 1932,[1] as WRDO, owned by the Rines family's Congress Square Hotel Company, who also owned WCSH in Portland and WFEA in Manchester, New Hampshire.[3][4]

The Rines family sold WRDO to Ocean Coast Properties, owner of WPOR AM-FM in Portland, for $100,000 in 1974.[5] H&R Corporation bought the station for $225,000 in 1977.[6] By 1978, WRDO had a middle of the road format and was affiliated with the NBC Radio Network.[7] H&R sold WRDO to Sterling Broadcasting Corporation for $260,000 in 1980.[8] Sterling changed the station's format to country music in 1981;[9] the format was simulcast with FM sister station WSCL (92.1 FM).[10] Augusta-Waterville Broadcasters, controlled by the owners of WGHQ and WBPM in Kingston, New York, bought WRDO and WSCL for $425,000 in 1983.[11] By this point, the stations were simulcasting an adult contemporary format; WSCL had also moved to 92.3,[12] and that December changed its call letters to WRDO-FM.[13]

Augusta-Waterville Broadcasters sold WRDO and WRDO-FM to Marcom for $400,000 in 1986.[14] The call letters changed to WMME on March 1, 1987,[15] as the station began simulcasting a contemporary hit radio format with what had become WMME-FM.[16] Target Communications sold WMME and WMME-FM to Tri-Group for $1.4 million in 1988.[17] Pilot Communications bought the stations for $950,000 in 1993.[18] The call letters were changed to WEZW on August 17, 1995,[15] though the station continued to simulcast WMME-FM;[16] it then changed to WLTI on August 30, 1996, before returning to WEZW on September 25.[15]

Pilot's radio stations were acquired by Citadel Broadcasting in 1999 as part of its purchase of parent company Broadcasting Partners Holdings.[19] In January 2003, Citadel ended WEZW's simulcast of WMME-FM and switched the station to an adult standards format, simulcast with sister station WTVL (1490 AM) in Waterville under the "Kool" branding.[20] The call letters were changed to WJZN on October 14, 2004.[15]

Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[21] Townsquare Media acquired Cumulus' Augusta-Waterville stations in 2012.[22] On July 14, 2016, WJZN split from its simulcast with WTVL and launched a classic rock format, branded as "Capital 95.9"; this followed the launch of FM translator W240DH (95.9 FM).[23]

On October 22, 2021, WJZN dropped the classic rock format and began stunting towards a new format to launch on Monday October 25. That day, the station began simulcasting a relaunched version of the alternative rock format from Portland sister station WCYY.[24] WCYY's expansion, which also included WPKQ in North Conway, New Hampshire, coincided with the syndication launch of Toucher and Rich from WBZ-FM in Boston, with the WCYY stations, along with Bangor sister station WEZQ, serving as the program's first affiliates.[24] On May 8, 2023, Townsquare Media filed an STA to take the station silent.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-197. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WJZN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "Personal Notes" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 15, 1932. p. 17. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  4. ^ "120 Stations Owned by 42 Interests, Commission's Report to Senate Reveals" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 1, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 8, 1974. p. 44. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  6. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 19, 1977. p. 121. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  7. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 (PDF). 1979. p. C-97. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  8. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 14, 1980. p. 151. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  9. ^ Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook 1982 (PDF). 1982. p. C-104. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  10. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983 (PDF). 1983. p. B-107. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  11. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 11, 1983. p. 166. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  12. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984 (PDF). 1984. p. B-114. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  13. ^ "Call Sign History (WMME-FM)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  14. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 3, 1986. p. 86. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d "Call Sign History (WJZN)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Fybush, Scott. "Maine Radio History, 1971–1996". The Archives at BostonRadio.org. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  17. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 11, 1988. p. 104. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  18. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 11, 1993. pp. 64–5. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  19. ^ Seavey, Deborah Turcotte (November 9, 1999). "8 Maine radio stations bought". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  20. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 27, 2003). "KB Komes Back". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  21. ^ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  22. ^ "Cumulus sells radio stations in Bangor, Augusta, Presque Isle". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. April 30, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  23. ^ Capital 95.9 Launches in Augusta, ME Radioinsight - July 14, 2016
  24. ^ a b Venta, Lance (October 25, 2021). "Townsquare Media Launches WCYY Trimulcast Across Northern New England". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  25. ^ Venta, Lance (May 14, 2023). "FCC Report 5/14: $15,000 Fine Upheld For LPFM Airing Commercials". RadioInsight. Retrieved September 26, 2023.

External links[edit]

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