WLAM
Encyclopedia
WLAM is a radio station
broadcasting an oldies
, news
and sports
format. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine
, USA, the station serves the Lewiston-Auburn
area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting and simulcasts with WLVP
(870 AM).
on 99.9) was launched in 1975. The station became WKZN on December 26, 1990, swapping call letters with its sister station in Gorham
on 870; the two stations eventually began simulcasting a standards
format. On July 19, 1993, WKZN changed its call sign to WZOU.
Wireless Talking Machine Company sold WZOU, WLAM, and WLAM-FM (106.7 FM, which had launched in 1996 as an FM simulcast of the stations; it is now WXTP), along with 99.9 (by then WMWX) and WTHT (107.5 FM; now WFNK
) to Harron Communications, then-owner of WMTW-TV, in 1999. On May 21, 2001, Harron restored the WLAM call letters to the station; two weeks prior to this, 870 and 106.7 were converted to news/talk
as WMTW. While WLAM initially retained the standards format, on November 26, the station was switched to a simulcast of WMTW; shortly afterwards, talk programming was removed from the stations in favor of an all-news
format, mainly from the Associated Press
's All-News Radio service.
After Harron sold its Maine radio stations to Nassau Broadcasting in 2004, Newsradio WMTW was discontinued. Nassau also introduced three separate formats to the stations, with WLAM reverting back to standards. This incarnation of the format would prove short-lived; in late 2005, the station switched to ESPN Radio
.
One of WLAM's personalities during its standards incarnations was Bud Sawyer, a longtime staple of Portland-area radio stations such as WPOR
, who was the station's morning host from 1998 until the 2001 switch to news/talk, and again during the mid-2000s restoration of the standards format.
WLAM had planned to drop ESPN Radio in favor of programming from Boston's WEEI
in January 2008, but the deal between Nassau and Entercom ended up collapsing. The ESPN Radio format would remain until February 2, 2009, when WLAM and WLVP switched to the current oldies
format. In conjunction with the change, the stations began simulcasting WCSH
's morning and early evening newscasts, a move made to continue the newscasts' availability via radio even after the station's own 87.7 MHz audio is discontinued following the shutdown of analog television signals
.
Initially locally programmed, in early 2010 WLAM and WLVP became affiliates of The True Oldies Channel
. Additionally, on August 2, the station added The Jeff Santos Show from WWZN
in Boston; this in effect took WLAM's morning drive programming back to a news/talk format, as Santos' program immediately follows the simulcast of WCSH's morning newscast. The stations' format was modified once more on August 6, 2011, when sports talk
was re-added to the schedule 7 days a week via locally-produced shows and high school football and basketball from the Maine Sports Network (which previously provided some weekend programming to WJJB-FM).
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, news
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
and sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, USA, the station serves the Lewiston-Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting and simulcasts with WLVP
WLVP
WLVP is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies format. Licensed to Gorham, Maine, USA, it serves southern Maine, including Portland. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting and is simulcasted with WLAM .-History:...
(870 AM).
History
WLAM first went on the air September 4, 1947. The station initially aired various programs, including ABC Radio programming, music, and local sports coverage. An FM sister station on 100.1, WWAV (now WTHTWTHT
-External links:*...
on 99.9) was launched in 1975. The station became WKZN on December 26, 1990, swapping call letters with its sister station in Gorham
Gorham, Maine
Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 16,381 at the 2010 census. In addition to an urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town also encompasses a number of smaller, unincorporated villages and hamlets with distinct...
on 870; the two stations eventually began simulcasting a standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format. On July 19, 1993, WKZN changed its call sign to WZOU.
Wireless Talking Machine Company sold WZOU, WLAM, and WLAM-FM (106.7 FM, which had launched in 1996 as an FM simulcast of the stations; it is now WXTP), along with 99.9 (by then WMWX) and WTHT (107.5 FM; now WFNK
WFNK
WFNK is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format, known on air as Frank FM. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine, USA, the station serves the Portland, Maine area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners....
) to Harron Communications, then-owner of WMTW-TV, in 1999. On May 21, 2001, Harron restored the WLAM call letters to the station; two weeks prior to this, 870 and 106.7 were converted to news/talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
as WMTW. While WLAM initially retained the standards format, on November 26, the station was switched to a simulcast of WMTW; shortly afterwards, talk programming was removed from the stations in favor of an all-news
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
format, mainly from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
's All-News Radio service.
After Harron sold its Maine radio stations to Nassau Broadcasting in 2004, Newsradio WMTW was discontinued. Nassau also introduced three separate formats to the stations, with WLAM reverting back to standards. This incarnation of the format would prove short-lived; in late 2005, the station switched to ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
.
One of WLAM's personalities during its standards incarnations was Bud Sawyer, a longtime staple of Portland-area radio stations such as WPOR
WPOR
WPOR is a radio station in Portland, Maine that broadcasts a country music radio format. It is currently owned by Saga Communications. It broadcasts at 101.9 on the FM dial....
, who was the station's morning host from 1998 until the 2001 switch to news/talk, and again during the mid-2000s restoration of the standards format.
WLAM had planned to drop ESPN Radio in favor of programming from Boston's WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
in January 2008, but the deal between Nassau and Entercom ended up collapsing. The ESPN Radio format would remain until February 2, 2009, when WLAM and WLVP switched to the current oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format. In conjunction with the change, the stations began simulcasting WCSH
WCSH
WCSH is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire. Licensed to Portland, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter on Winn Mountain in Sebago. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Time Warner Cable channel 6...
's morning and early evening newscasts, a move made to continue the newscasts' availability via radio even after the station's own 87.7 MHz audio is discontinued following the shutdown of analog television signals
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
.
Initially locally programmed, in early 2010 WLAM and WLVP became affiliates of The True Oldies Channel
The True Oldies Channel
The True Oldies Channel is a syndicated radio programming stream begun in the spring of 2004, hosted by American radio personality Scott Shannon...
. Additionally, on August 2, the station added The Jeff Santos Show from WWZN
WWZN
WWZN is an AM radio station licensed to serve the Boston media market. Its programming is a time-brokered mix between progressive talk radio during the daytime , sports talk and religious programming in the overnight hours...
in Boston; this in effect took WLAM's morning drive programming back to a news/talk format, as Santos' program immediately follows the simulcast of WCSH's morning newscast. The stations' format was modified once more on August 6, 2011, when sports talk
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
was re-added to the schedule 7 days a week via locally-produced shows and high school football and basketball from the Maine Sports Network (which previously provided some weekend programming to WJJB-FM).