Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

[wthorne]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

Scott,
I tried to explain WMTW was NEVER on 102.9, but to no avail. Guy Gannett put 102.9 on in 1966, it is a grandfathered "A". It played "Elevator Music" for most of it's run, changing to CHR a few years before Gannett was forced to divest thanks to ownership rules.

 

[fybush]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

No such thing as a "grandfathered A." 102.9 isn't a grandfathered anything, in fact. It's far enough north of Portland to fall into class C territory (Portland proper is in class B territory), and 102.9 isn't even a full class C anymore. Because it falls short of the 450-meter minimum height for a full class C (up to 100 kW/600m), it was downgraded to class C0 status a few years back, thus creating just enough mileage spacing for a station on 103.1 in Royalton VT (near White River Junction) to upgrade from A (6 kW/100m) to B1 (25 kw/100m).

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmclasses.html

Sitting just south of the class line, Portland is one of only a few places with a mix of class B and C stations. The WMGX, WJBQ and WPOR sites closer into the city are B territory, while WBLM and WMEA are in C-territory.

Oh, and as for Donna Halper? She's teaching communications at several Boston-area colleges and just earned her doctorate from UMass Amherst.

 

[Ozman]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

WTOS on 96.7 (i dont know the call letters) is crushed in Portland by an adjacent frequency LP-FM and 105 does not come in anywhere within 20 Miles of Portland becuse of an LP-FM

Spend a summer in Portland and you will understand the difference in signals. The co-channel interference is something Fuller wanted to get away from completely in the metro. Even at 100Kw, 107.5 gets plowed under some days. That said, obviously 107.5's signal is very good 99% of the time and a proven success.



--

 

[Mediaace]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

WBLM Lewiston 107.5 (Fuller-Jeffrey) and WTHT Portland 102.9 (Taylor Communications) swapped frequencies in January of 1990. I still have the individual recordings in a box somewhere in the garage recorded off pair of tuners. Digging further in the weeds; WBLM signed on in 1974 on the WCBB TV (channel 10) tower in Litchfield. In the late Spring of 1983 WBLM Moved their primary TX facilities to New Gloucester to the lower half of the WWAV Auburn 99.9 site (15 miles closer to Portland). WAYU Lewiston 93.9 (Name of owners then now escapes me) was at the time on a class-A signal. They received authorization to become a Class-B and moved their primary TX to the original WBLM facility in New Gloucester retuning that transmitter site to 93.9 to become the rim-shot signal they are today. In 1991, WTHT at 107.5 was able to upgrade their signal to 91,000 watts moving to a brand new transmitter site in Poland while under the ownership of radio legend Ron Frizzell. They have long since been upgraded yet again to operate at the full ERP 100,000 watt level while continuing to maintain auxiliary facilities in New Gloucster at their sister 99.9 site (the current WTHT).

WGAN-FM (still owned by Guy Gannett) was a beautiful music format all the way through to Tuesday, February 5, 1985 when they signed on with J.R. Randell pulling morning drive with Bruce Springsteen - "Born in the U.S.A." Indeed a culture shock for older folks whose clock radios buzzed at 6 AM! WGAN-FM became WTHT in June of 1987

WHOM stayed with beautiful music awhile longer making a 'much' slower transition to vocals and into their current AC format which if memory serves me during the Spring 1987. To hear Anita Baker - "Sweet Love" was an eyebrow raiser then.

Hope this helps!

No such thing as a "grandfathered A." 102.9 isn't a grandfathered anything, in fact. It's far enough north of Portland to fall into class C territory (Portland proper is in class B territory), and 102.9 isn't even a full class C anymore. Because it falls short of the 450-meter minimum height for a full class C (up to 100 kW/600m), it was downgraded to class C0 status a few years back, thus creating just enough mileage spacing for a station on 103.1 in Royalton VT (near White River Junction) to upgrade from A (6 kW/100m) to B1 (25 kw/100m).

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmclasses.html

Sitting just south of the class line, Portland is one of only a few places with a mix of class B and C stations. The WMGX, WJBQ and WPOR sites closer into the city are B territory, while WBLM and WMEA are in C-territory.

Oh, and as for Donna Halper? She's teaching communications at several Boston-area colleges and just earned her doctorate from UMass Amherst.

 

[Me Venture Capital]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I love the posts and the history, Scott is right, when you post it is great to learn things you may not have known. Two answers as to where the call letters W B L M come from; one was Brunswick, Lewiston Maine - good guess but not right nor was Beautiful Lewiston Maine. And I have heard it a thousand times "We Believe in the Legalization of Marijuana" is not the correct answer either...

After Scott posted (and a few others) I do remember the 90 something frequency, but the radio and TV studios were in the same building in Poland Springs and the FM was on the same stick as the TV station, they boasted the largest coverage of any FM in America Covering three states... I suppose it wouldn't be the first time a station lied of used puffery in promotion. I just love the input. Nothing personal here.

;D

 

[wpxt]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I think the WBLM call letters are short for Blimp when 102.9 was known as Maine's Legendary Rock and Roll Blimp.

 

[necrat123]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

They have long since been upgraded yet again to operate at the full ERP 100,000 watt level while continuing to maintain auxiliary facilities in New Gloucster at their sister 99.9 site (the current WTHT).

I was told by the engineer of WBLM, that the aux at the 99.9 site is 102.9's AUX and not 107.5's.

107.5 has a full power, but directional , aux on the WMTW-TV tower in Baldwin.

 

[Mediaace]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

This is bizzarre - according to an engineer I knew there, WBLM has or had an Aux located up on Blackstrap Hill in Falmouth from the 1998 icestorm. Whether that still is the case is unknown to me. I stand corrected if that has changed.

As for the 99.9 site -- it would seem that would put WBLM outside it's ideal coverage area assuming that site is less than the class-C signal they enjoy at their primary facility. Also there is a 102.9 WCRQ Dennysville with 100,000 watts. Wouldn't there be a co-channel spacing issue for 'the Blimp' to use that frequency in New Gloucester? Just wondering. Hopefully we can find out what the real deal is. Thanks for mention it!

They have long since been upgraded yet again to operate at the full ERP 100,000 watt level while continuing to maintain auxiliary facilities in New Gloucster at their sister 99.9 site (the current WTHT).

I was told by the engineer of WBLM, that the aux at the 99.9 site is 102.9's AUX and not 107.5's.

107.5 has a full power, but directional , aux on the WMTW-TV tower in Baldwin.

 

[ray ting]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I think the WBLM call letters are short for Blimp when 102.9 was known as Maine's Legendary Rock and Roll Blimp.

The "Blimp" moniker didn't happen until after Fuller-Jeffrey bought the station. Back when the station signed on, I was told that the call letters stood for "Beautiful Lewiston Maine", but I don't know that to be an absolute fact.

One nit-picky correction that I do know as fact, though, is that WBLM signed on in early 1973, not 1974.

 

[Underminer]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I used to work with a salesguy, last name Bazinet, who claimed BLM was named for him and two other sales weasels who had the last initlals L and M. Didn't believe him then either.

It was 1973, not 1974, btw. Beautiful music 6am-6pm, rock 6pm to 6am. Changed to all rock in 1974.

 

[necrat123]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

This is bizzarre - according to an engineer I knew there, WBLM has or had an Aux located up on Blackstrap Hill in Falmouth from the 1998 icestorm. Whether that still is the case is unknown to me. I stand corrected if that has changed.

From Bob Perry, CE of Citadel Portland, this afternoon:

The lower 6 bay is WBLM's Aux antenna. WBLM no longer has a site on Black strap.

 

[Mediaace]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

That settles that - thanks for the correction!

Necrat-

On a different note: I was looking at your website pictures (nice collection btw!); what is the second FM transmitter for at the WMTW site? It is a smaller unit, maybe no more than 5KW. What station does that service?

Rayting-
You are correct! It was indeed 1973 (not 1974) WBLM signed on from the 'Beautiful Leaky Mobile' Home with The Moody Blues "Story in Your Eyes" as the first song. That's what I get for posting at 2 AM. Thanks for catching that!

This is bizzarre - according to an engineer I knew there, WBLM has or had an Aux located up on Blackstrap Hill in Falmouth from the 1998 icestorm. Whether that still is the case is unknown to me. I stand corrected if that has changed.

From Bob Perry, CE of Citadel Portland, this afternoon:

The lower 6 bay is WBLM's Aux antenna. WBLM no longer has a site on Black strap.

 

[necrat123]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

That settles that - thanks for the correction!

Necrat-

On a different note: I was looking at your website pictures (nice collection btw!); what is the second FM transmitter for at the WMTW site? It is a smaller unit, maybe no more than 5KW. What station does that service?

That would be a full fledged HD install. That 2nd transmitter is the HD transmitter.

 

[wpxt]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

Listening to WCYY for a little while yesterday I realized when Cumulus takes over will they stop the commercial free weekends?

 

[adbuyer1]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

Or stop the format completely. The BIGGEST statement that commercial free weekends make is that there is not a lot of advertiser demand in the market for the format. They're certainly not turning down thousands of dollars in revenue each weekend just to go commercial free.

 

[Me Venture Capital]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I think the WBLM call letters are short for Blimp when 102.9 was known as Maine's Legendary Rock and Roll Blimp.

SORRY! W B L M call letters were taken from the last names of the three original partners who put the station on the air. I forget their names now but Mr. B. & Mr. L & Mr. M, arrived way before the "Blimp" logo was thought of. The "Blimp" logo was first done by a listener, entered into a contest on the station.

This is the fact. I bet Mark Fybush could even verify this.

 

[Nick Gerard]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

Maybe it stood for BeautifuL Music. If that was the format for much of the day, why not?

Nick Seneca

 

[ray ting]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I think the WBLM call letters are short for Blimp when 102.9 was known as Maine's Legendary Rock and Roll Blimp.

SORRY! W B L M call letters were taken from the last names of the three original partners who put the station on the air. I forget their names now but Mr. B. & Mr. L & Mr. M, arrived way before the "Blimp" logo was thought of. The "Blimp" logo was first done by a listener, entered into a contest on the station.

This is the fact. I bet Mark Fybush could even verify this.

*Mark* Fybush?? Have you even gotten ONE fact right since you started posting here?

 

[necrat123]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

*Mark* Fybush?? Have you even gotten ONE fact right since you started posting here?

Maybe it's Scott's long lost cousin, who is also a radio historian? ;D

 

[Me Venture Capital]

Re: Q-97.9 WJBQ & 102.9 WBLM "The Blimp" are Floting away on a Cumulus Cloud!

I think the WBLM call letters are short for Blimp when 102.9 was known as Maine's Legendary Rock and Roll Blimp.

SORRY! W B L M call letters were taken from the last names of the three original partners who put the station on the air. I forget their names now but Mr. B. & Mr. L & Mr. M, arrived way before the "Blimp" logo was thought of. The "Blimp" logo was first done by a listener, entered into a contest on the station.

This is the fact. I bet Mark Fybush could even verify this.

*Mark* Fybush?? Have you even gotten ONE fact right since you started posting here?

Someones name is NOT A FACT, it was a mistake and I didn't claim to know anyone's name on this PUBLIC forum. You are a nit picker! Go take yourself seriously. Dispute the fact of my post, which was the real meaning of the call letters W B L M; that is a historical fact that I am 100% positive of. While some of the things I believed to be true were not as I remembered, I stood corrected, and said so (or did you miss that post?) Challenge me on this post, I welcome your facts. BTW: FYM