WEZQ

For the Wethersfield, New York, radio station that held the call sign WEZQ at 107.7 FM from 1991 to 1992, see WLKK.
WEZQ
Broadcast areaBangor, Maine
Frequency92.9 MHz
Branding92.9 The Ticket
Programming
FormatSports
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WBZN, WDEA, WQCB, WWMJ
History
First air date
June 9, 1976 (as WPBC)
Former call signs
  • WPBC (1976–1992)
  • WSHZ (1992–1993)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID17673
ClassB
ERP20,000 watts
HAAT240 meters (790 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
44°45′35.2″N 68°33′53.1″W / 44.759778°N 68.564750°W / 44.759778; -68.564750
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.929theticket.com

WEZQ (92.9 MHz; "The Ticket") is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Bangor, Maine, United States, the station signal extends to Bar Harbor and Belfast on the coast, to Howland to the north.[2] The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media and features programming from ESPN Radio.[3]

The Ticket's weekday schedule includes some local sports talk, as well as syndicated shows from ESPN Radio. It is also the Bangor outlet for Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics and New England Patriots games.[4][5]

History

[edit]

The station signed on the air June 9, 1976, as WPBC, a beautiful music station owned by Penobscot Broadcasting.[6] It became WSHZ in 1992, after the station evolved to a soft adult contemporary format, placing it in competition with Ellsworth station WKSQ.[7]

In October 1993, WSHZ was purchased by Dudman Communications, owner of WDEA and WWMJ in Ellsworth.[8] That December, the station changed its call sign to WEZQ.[9] However, the "Soft Hits 92.9" branding used as WSHZ[8] was retained for several years after becoming WEZQ.[10] Dudman sold its stations to Cumulus Media in 1998.[11] In later years, WEZQ carried syndicated adult contemporary shows from Delilah[12] and The Bob and Sheri Show.

On July 31, 2012, Cumulus swapped 55 stations, including WEZQ, to Townsquare Media in exchange for Townsquare's stations in Bloomington and Peoria, Illinois.[13] On January 1, 2013, Townsquare relaunched WEZQ with a sports format as "92.9 The Ticket".[4]

In 2018, WEZQ became the Bangor affiliate for the Boston Red Sox Radio Network, taking over from longtime Red Sox station WZON.[5] On October 25, 2021, the station became one of the inaugural affiliates of Toucher and Rich from WBZ-FM in Boston, along with the commonly-owned trimulcast of WCYY, WPKQ, and WJZN.[14] The station dropped Toucher and Rich in 2023.[15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEZQ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WEZQ
  3. ^ "WEZQ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ a b http://wezq-fm.com/new-bangor-sports-radio-station-website-to-launch-jan-1/ New Bangor Sports Radio Station Website To Launch Jan 1
  5. ^ a b Clark, Ernie; Warner, Pete (January 19, 2018). "'It was shabby treatment': Stephen King unhappy after Red Sox broadcast rights in Bangor awarded to 92.9 The Ticket". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  6. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1978 (PDF). 1978. p. C-95. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  7. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1993 (PDF). 1993. p. B-158. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Ellsworth company purchases WSHZ". Bangor Daily News. October 9, 1993. p. 29. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "WEZQ Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  10. ^ "New call letters". Bangor Daily News. December 31, 1993. p. 18. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  11. ^ Fybush, Scott (December 18, 1998). "Vermont Heats Up". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  12. ^ Harrison, Judy (June 2, 1997). "Delilah show an after-dark radio delight". Bangor Daily News. pp. C6–7. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  13. ^ "Townsquare Cumulus station swap closes". Radio Ink. August 1, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  14. ^ Venta, Lance (October 25, 2021). "Townsquare Media Launches WCYY Trimulcast Across Northern New England". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Venta, Lance (October 2, 2023). "WCYY Brings Back Rob Riccitelli For Mornings; Dropping Toucher & Rich". RadioInsight. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
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