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Portland Radio August, 1980

T

TimeTraveler

Guest
90.1-WMEA Classical/Jazz/NPR
93.1-WMGX Soft Rock/Soft AOR
94.9-WHOM elevator music
97.9-WDCS Classical/bible thumper
98.9-WKXA Country
100.9-WLOB AOR
101.9-WPOR Country
102.9-WGAN elevator music
105.9-WIGY Top 40/AOR
106.3-WJBQ Top 40/AC
107.5-WBLM AOR

560-WGAN Full Service/AC
970-WCSH Top 40/Oldies
1310-WLOB AOR (simulcast of 100.9FM)
1440-WJBQ Top 40/AC (simulcast of 106.3FM )
1490-WPOR Country
1590-WDCI bible thumper
 
> 105.9-WIGY Top 40/AOR
> 106.3-WJBQ Top 40/AC

When did WJBQ move to 97.9? It couldn't have been too long after this...I recall them being there in '81.
 
> > 105.9-WIGY Top 40/AOR
> > 106.3-WJBQ Top 40/AC
>
> When did WJBQ move to 97.9? It couldn't have been too long
> after this...I recall them being there in '81.
>

WJBQ and WDCS flipped frequencies in either late September, or October, 1980.
 
When did WGAN-FM 102.9 (now WBLM-FM) become "FM 103"? I lived in Old Orchard Beach between September 1985 and June 1987. I remember 102.9 becoming WTHT-FM at the end of that time (about a week before I left).
 
> When did WGAN-FM 102.9 (now WBLM-FM) become "FM 103"? I
> lived in Old Orchard Beach between September 1985 and June
> 1987. I remember 102.9 becoming WTHT-FM at the end of that
> time (about a week before I left).
>


I think it was around April-May of '85. At least that's when I discovered them, and they were making a big deal about being a "new" station.
 
> > When did WGAN-FM 102.9 (now WBLM-FM) become "FM 103"? I
> > lived in Old Orchard Beach between September 1985 and June
>
> > 1987. I remember 102.9 becoming WTHT-FM at the end of that
>
> > time (about a week before I left).
> >
>
>
> I think it was around April-May of '85. At least that's
> when I discovered them, and they were making a big deal
> about being a "new" station.
>

the NEW FM 103 was NEW for about 18 months.

the switch from Shulke's Beautiful Music format to the "Nobody Plays More Hits" thing occured in early '84 after Taylor Communications purchased the WGAN stations from Guy Gannett Broadcasting.

mornings: "Captain" Ken (Witham)
Middays: Patti Boss
Afternoons: Pete Falconi (Now PD at WODS, Oldies 103.3 in Boston)
Evenings: Tom "rock&roll" Rush
Overnights: Bob Grady (Gerathy)

the station eventually included Greg Murray (in Chicago, killer production, for the past decade & a half), Jay Michaels and a host of other talented air folks.

not exactly sure when the calls flipped to WTHT (was at the same time as the frequency exchange with 107.5?) , but the format eventually went to Oldies for a bit, then Country.

i remember carting up (remember carts???) "On The Dark Side" by John Cafferty/Beaver Brown Band prior to the flip (sworn to secrecy) and in walks JJ Taylor III (young and prententious as the name) who whoops "ooooh! love that Bruce Springsteen! turn it up!!!) i did (turn it up), with a knowing smile and my mouth clamped shut. paychecks don't bounce, so at the time it was a good thing.
fwiw: the "old man" Taylor - good old fashioned new england stock: made his money with hard work and effort. kid was doing the argyle socks & silver spoon thing.
 
Remember "Humble but none the less Mighty John Marshall"? He was there for a short time.Jack O'brien did mornings for a while.Ikeep thinking of more names,How about Steve Shannon also in the morning.
 
> Remember "Humble but none the less Mighty John Marshall"? He
> was there for a short time.Jack O'brien did mornings for a
> while.Ikeep thinking of more names,How about Steve Shannon
> also in the morning.
>

Steve Shannon (Hodus). did he take over when Ken Witham or Jay Michaels departed? Steve's wife, Kristen, was great on the air, too. she worked in biddeford for a time on WIDE (am1400) and WYJY (94.3 - pre-STG/CYY).

Jack had a cup o joe there. i don't recall Mighty John being at Northport, though.

the station also had Jim Schaffer (character voice of Frederick J Witherstock) on staff forever. first as a "sidekick" (read that capable broadcaster) for Ken, then as sidekick/newsguy/stuntboy for the others up through Bob Anderson (in the Oldies/Country days).
 
>
> Jack had a cup o joe there. i don't recall Mighty John
> being at Northport, though.

John was there at the end and there was someone else that came down from Z 62 with him,Maybe Bobby Russel.I have some airchecks.Someday I'll find them.

Speaking of the past. Whatever happened to Willie Mitchell?His sign off was always "O.K. ma come get me ". I remember him at WLAM & WIGY.
 
Portland Radio and "FM 103" 1987, 1989 and 1990

>
> not exactly sure when the calls flipped to WTHT (was at the
> same time as the frequency exchange with 107.5?) , but the
> format eventually went to Oldies for a bit, then Country.
>

WGAN-FM became WTHT-FM in June of 1987. I remember that because it was about a week before I finished 10th grade (the 1986-87 school year). I moved back to Connecticut on June 20, 1987.

The frequency swap with WBLM-FM occured in December of 1989. I still have some airchecks on tape with "FM 103" and a few other stations from the period of September 10 to 12, 1989.

As for formats, all I know for certain is that WTHT-FM 107.5 was calling themselves "Thunder 107" for a time. This is when I made another visit to Old Orchard Beach and Portland in July of 1990. I think they still had a Top 40 format.
 
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