W-BACH

[rjoc]

What's the deal on the 3 stations? Last evening (Sunday) all 3 were just dead-air. And with tropo-skip ducting, I was even able to get WBQW 104.7 from Kennebunk and showing digitl ID on my Sangean RDS radio and they were just dead air; And wiping out semi-local 104.7 Belfast.
I know they are in process of being sold, and not all to the same outfit...but this a technical, or other matter?
I have noticed that frequently WBQI 107.7 Bar Harbor has long periods of dead-air and open carrier overnight, while WBQX 106.9 is still on. But last night was the first time I go all 3 here on Mount Desert Island.

 

[CatCall]

True Story: On a semi-related note, I went to the Acton Fair in Maine this weekend and W-BACH was playing on someone’s radio in the cow barn. One of the handlers told me that cows produce better milk while listening to classical versus CHR or Rock. I noticed the radio was off yesterday (Sunday) afternoon and the milking was suspended.

Please W-BACH return to the air ASAP as the cows in Maine are suffering!!

 

[amguy]

So, the cow's favorite is classical MOOOOS-ic? (See....it really IS time to retire!)

 

[Mainedude2007]

I know they are in process of being sold, and not all to the same outfit...but this a technical, or other matter?

Probably automation of some sort, I believe they all run separate commercials so there could be a relay problem between the 3 stations.

 

[MatrixMan]

The best Classical station ever.

 

[newsbot]

WBQW (104.7 Kennebunkport) will drop the Classical format (it was sold separately from the other W-BACH affiliates) on September 13 at 5PM when Mainestream Media assumes control of the station. The two remaining W-BACH affiliates will remain under new owner Binnie Media. An unsourced claim on Wikipedia has WBQI (107.7 Bar Harbor) being flipped to Blueberry Broadcasting after the Nassau-Binnie deal closes.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/radio-station-to-stop-airing-classical-music_2012-09-07.html

 

[DougD]

I dearly hope that news about the Bar Harbor station isn't true. It's bad enough that Binney isn't keeping the whole network together. There will be a huge howl of protest from classical music aficionados (of which there are many down this way) if that format is lost.

 

[JustinT]

I dearly hope that news about the Bar Harbor station isn't true. It's bad enough that Binney isn't keeping the whole network together. There will be a huge howl of protest from classical music aficionados (of which there are many down this way) if that format is lost.

Really, Nassau started disbanding the network when it combined the 106.3 and 99.3 signals on 104.7, which lost coverage to the north and south of the two signals. Then, WBIN Media didn't win the bid for 104.7, so it was lost to Mainestream Media (from the pieces I can put together, looks like 104.7 will go in a rhythmic CHR/hip-hop direction). Now, 107.7 bids farewell.

I think the question now is - with classical music only on the 106.9 signal, a signal that doesn't cover any rated markets (I suppose it's an Augusta rimshot), will WBIN deem it worthwhile to continue the fully-staffed service? Will it be able to make money on its own? It seems like a donation of the signal to MPBN could allow WBIN to get out of the classical game and build some goodwill.

 

[Andy Taylor]

(from the pieces I can put together, looks like 104.7 will go in a rhythmic CHR/hip-hop direction).

Could this be the gang from RED HOT 95? That would be great.The WRED calls are currently on am 1440 in Westbrook.

 

[4CX1000A]

WBQW (104.7 Kennebunkport) will drop the Classical format (it was sold separately from the other W-BACH affiliates) on September 13 at 5PM when Mainestream Media assumes control of the station. The two remaining W-BACH affiliates will remain under new owner Binnie Media. An unsourced claim on Wikipedia has WBQI (107.7 Bar Harbor) being flipped to Blueberry Broadcasting after the Nassau-Binnie deal closes.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/radio-station-to-stop-airing-classical-music_2012-09-07.html

This was mentioned on the Boston board, where I asked: doesn't Louis Vitali run Blueberry? Unless I misremember, he's the one who sold the W-Bach stations to Nassau.

 

[JustinT]

Could this be the gang from RED HOT 95? That would be great.The WRED calls are currently on am 1440 in Westbrook.

At least that's what it looks like to me. The contact person for Mainestream on all of the FCC paperwork is Lee L'Heureux, former APD/MD for WRED. "I still hunt on the internet for new music and buy albums and mixtapes" sure doesn't seem to suggest country or soft rock.

http://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/10-questions/archive/4381-10-questions-with-lee-lheureux

 

[Andy Taylor]

I heard Blueberry only paid $1000,000.I hope this isn't going to be another simulcast or trimulcast.Isn't the other Bar Harbor station Blueberry owns ,99.1 a trimulcast?

 

[Maine-i-ac]

Um, how much Andy?

And yes Blueberry simulcasts 97.1 The Bear on 99.1 and their other downeast frequency 101.1 simulcasts 105.1 WTOS.

 

[Andy Taylor]

OOPS! One hundred thousand.

 

[John MacCormack]

Re: WBQW

So did the station go silent after 5PM, or did they change the stations format?

 

[Maine-i-ac]

There's classical on 106.9 and 107.7.

 

[Mainedude2007]

Re: WBQW

So did the station go silent after 5PM, or did they change the stations format?

They're not dropping classical until Thursday at 5

I heard Blueberry only paid $1000,000.I hope this isn't going to be another simulcast or trimulcast.Isn't the other Bar Harbor station Blueberry owns ,99.1 a trimulcast?

They've requested call letters similar to WABK...the same thing they did with 104.7 in Bangor

So it's a countdown to a WABK trimulcast....

 

[Maine-i-ac]

Re: WBQW

So it's a countdown to a WABK trimulcast....

Z-z-z-z-z. No wonder I like my mp3 player.

 

[radiosmith]

Re: WBQW

They've requested call letters similar to WABK...the same thing they did with 104.7 in Bangor

So it's a countdown to a WABK trimulcast....
[/quote]

What are the call letters?? How do you know this? I searched the fcc website but didn't find anything...

 

[Maine-i-ac]

From the W-Bach website:

An important change is coming to WBACH. This Spring, the radio stations of WBACH’s parent company were placed into a bankruptcy auction. As a result of that auction, this Thursday, September 13th, at 5pm, our Southern Maine frequency 104.7 WBQW will pass into the hands of a new owner, Mainestream Media, and will no longer carry WBACH's classical music programming. WBACH will continue to be heard on its frequencies at 106.9 in the Midcoast and 107.7 in Downeast Maine. For those of you listening now at 104.7 in Southern Maine, you can still access WBACH’s programming on line at wbachradio.com. We thank all of you listeners in Southern Maine for being with us these many years and we thank the large number of businesses which have supported the station with advertising.

So, now I'm all confoozled. Guess we'll wait and see.