WAGM-TV
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| WAGM-TV | |
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| Presque Isle, Maine | |
| Branding | WAGM-TV 8 / News Source 8 Fox 8 (8.1 digital subchannel) |
| Slogan | Northern Maine's News Source, Northern Maine's Weather Source |
| Channels | 8 (VHF) analog, 16 (UHF) digital |
| Translators | 11 W11AA Madawaska 11 W11AY St. John 2 W02AU St. Francis |
| Affiliations | CBS on 8.1: FOX |
| Owner | NEPSK Inc. |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Call letters meaning | Aroostook Garden of Maine |
| Former affiliations | ABC (secondary, 1956-98) NBC (secondary, 1956-2005) FOX (secondary, 1994-97) UPN (secondary; until 9/2006) |
| Website | wagmtv.com |
WAGM-TV is a CBS-affiliated television station located in Presque Isle, Maine. It is the sole commercial station north of Bangor. However, on June 28, 2006, a construction permit was issued to Western Broadcasting Company, LLC of Austin, Texas for construction of a new commercial television station for Presque Isle, operating in analog on channel 47. [1]
On its digital broadcast, WAGM carries an additional channel known as Fox 8, which carries programs from the Fox network.[1] Both analog and digital services are broadcasted from a tower atop Mars Hill Mountain, located about one mile from the United States-Canada border.
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[edit] History
WAGM first started broadcasting in October 1956, owned by the same company as WAGM-AM 950. The radio station was sold off in the late 1970s and changed its calls to WKZX before going dark in the 1990s. It was affiliated with all three American television networks, allowing it to pick and choose the most popular programs for its primetime lineup. However, it has always been a primary CBS affiliate.
By the 1980s, the station began phasing out ABC and NBC, and by 1990 the station carried the entire CBS primetime lineup, with other network programs airing between 7-8 PM weeknights and on weekends. When Fox gained rights to National Football League games in mid-1990s, WAGM aired those, making it the only station in the United States to air programs from all four major networks at the same time. It also aired some UPN programs from the late 1990s onward.
Given the increased availability of cable and satellite television in rural Aroostook County—NEPSK Inc., the owner of WAGM, even operates in cable systems several Maine towns—the necessity to carry programming from multiple networks decreased. It dropped ABC completely in 1998. The last NBC show to air on the station was Days of Our Lives, which disappeared from the schedule in September 2005. KXGN-TV in Glendive, Montana is the only remaining station affiliated with more than one "big three" network. Today, WLBZ and WVII-TV of Bangor act as the de-facto NBC and ABC affiliates, respectfully, for the market, though available only by cable. Many of the stations in Edmunston, New Brunswick also serve the area.
Preceding the shuttering of the national Foxnet service, which provided the area's only access to Fox network programming on cable, WAGM launched a new digital subchannel to replace it on September 12, 2006. The new channel, branded as Fox 8, is available on digital subchannel 8.1.[2] lol hi
[edit] Programming
As for national programming, WAGM airs the complete CBS schedule (aside from the overnight Up to the Minute newscasts) along with syndicated programming. FOX 8 does the same for FOX network.
During the fall potato harvest, potatoes being the most important industry in the region, the annual Potato Picker's Special is aired from 4:30 until 6:00 AM for six days a week on WAGM. The program announces details from area farmers with regards to the harvest.
A local version of The Dollar Saver Show, titled Dollar Stretcher Show ("on a mission to save you money"), is also aired. The format, originated by WPME and WPXT from Portland, mostly sells discounted certificates for area businesses available via a toll-free phone number.
As with most stations, though, the most significant local programming are the station's newscasts.
[edit] Newscasts
WAGM's News Source broadcasts have routinely ranked as the highest-rated in the country based on market share. The station has quite a large area to cover, but its primary market is Aroostook County, which is about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Given the station's close proximity to Canada, it also covers news in northwestern New Brunswick to serve viewers there.
The small market nature of the station tends to lead to high employee turnover. Nevertheless, a few have been with the station for more than just a few years: Rene Cloukey, sports director; Jon Gulliver, news director and anchor; and Shawn Cunningham, anchor. Other long-lasting employees no longer with the station include former news director Sue Bernard. It should be noted that former WVII meteorologist Ted Shaprio is now employed at WAGM. Shaprio was ousted from WVII when the station cut its weather department and implemented a pre-recorded forecast from out of state.
[edit] Weekdays
- NewsSource 8: The Morning Edition (6 to 7 AM)
- rebroadcasted on FOX 8 from 11 AM to 12 PM
- The Early Show (7 to 9 AM)
- with local news and weather updates at :25 and :55 past the hour
- NewsSource 8: The First Edition (5:30 to 6 PM)
- NewsSource 8: The Evening Edition (6 to 6:30 PM)
- NewsSource 8 at 10 on FOX 8 (10 to 10:30 PM)
- NewsSource 8: The Late Edition (11 to 11:35 PM)
(additionally, there is a short news update at Noon)
[edit] Saturdays
- NewsSource 8: The Weekend Edition (6 to 6:30 PM)
- the newscast is simulcasted on FOX 8
[edit] News Team
- Jon Gulliver, News Director / Anchor
- Rene Cloukey, Sports Director
- Shawn Cunningham, Anchor / Reporter
- Dick Palm, Morning Co-Anchor
- Ted Shapiro, Chief Meteorologist
- Kara Lauritsen, Morning Co-Anchor / Morning Weathercaster
- Jaimarie Ely, Weekend Anchor / Reporter
- Gene Petriello, Reporter / Weekend Sports Anchor
- Julia Dunn, Reporter
[edit] Coverage
The station's signal can be seen across northern Maine and western New Brunswick. Prior to moving its transmitter site to Mars Hill Mountain in 1999, WAGM used a tower behind the station. The move, placing the antenna at a much higher point, has improved reception of the signal.
WAGM is seen on cable throughout northwestern New Brunswick, such as in Woodstock, Grand Falls and Edmundston, and was available to a greater extend in Canada, such as in Fredericton, until the advent of satellite-delivered American broadcast stations on Cancom in the early 1990s. It should be noted that WAGM can be picked up over the air a few miles outside of Fredericton city limits in communities such as Keswick Ridge.
WAGM operates three translators: W11AA in Madawaska (which also serves neighboring Edmundston), W11AY in St. John and W02AU in St. Francis. WAGM used to have two other translators licensed to Allagash, W02BB and W12BE; the two no longer appear in FCC records, however WAGM continues to state their presence at sign-on and sign-off.
[edit] Administration
- Gordon Wark - General Manager
- Cathy Donovan - Chief Financial Officer
- Linda Connolly - National / Regional Sales Manager
- Kelly Landeen - Sales Manager
Account Executives
- Bernie Lagasse
- JoAnna Leavitt
- Lorraine Pelletier
- Vickie Saucier
[edit] External links
- Station Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WAGM
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W11AA
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W11AY
- Query the FCC's TV station database for W02AU
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| American stations (Presque Isle / Caribou) | |||
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WAGM 8 (CBS) (FOX on DT1) - WMEM 10 (PBS / MPBN) - W51AG 51 (TBN) |
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| Canadian stations (Woodstock / Edmundston / Grand Falls) | |||
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CKLT-1 3 (CTV) - CIMT-TV-1 4 (TVA) - CBAT-1 6 (CBC) - CBAFT-2 13 (SRC) - CIHF-11 38 (Global) - CFTF-TV-1 42 (TQS) |
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| Local and regional cable television channels | |||
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NECN - NESN - FSN New England - "WBPQ" 13 (The CW) - Atlantic Satellite Network |
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| Bangor Broadcast television available on cable only: | |||
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WVII 7.2 / WFVX-LP 22 (Bangor) - WAGM 8.1 (Presque Isle) - WPFO 23 (Waterville / Portland) |
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| See also: ABC, CBS, CW, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in Maine | |
