WTHT

WTHT/WBQQ

City of license	WTHT: Auburn, Maine WBQQ: Kennebunk, Maine
Broadcast area	Portland, Maine
Branding	99.9 the Wolf
Slogan	Maine's #1 Country Station
Frequency	WTHT: 99.9 MHz (also on HD Radio) WBQQ: 99.3 MHz
Translator(s)	96.9 W245AA (Portland, relays WTHT-HD2)
First air date	WTHT: February 1977 (as WWAV) WBQQ: November 1991
Format	Country music HD2: Classical music (WBQX simulcast)
Audience share	15.9 (Fa'07, R&R[1])
ERP	WTHT: 28,500 watts WBQQ: 3,000 watts
HAAT	WTHT: 196 meters WBQQ: 100 meters
Class	WTHT: B WBQQ: A
Facility ID	WTHT: 24949 WBQQ: 69854
Transmitter coordinates	WTHT: 43°57′7.00″N 70°17′46.00″W / 43.9519444°N 70.2961111°W / 43.9519444; -70.2961111 WBQQ: 43°24′16.00″N 70°26′15.00″W / 43.4044444°N 70.4375000°W / 43.4044444; -70.4375000
Former callsigns	WTHT: WWAV (1977-1983) WKZS (1983-1998) WMWX (1998-2000) WMEK-FM (2000-2004)
Owner	Binnie Media (WBIN Media Co., Inc.)
Sister stations	WFNK, WHXR, WLAM, WLVP
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	999thewolf.com www.wbachradio.com (HD2)

WTHT (99.9 FM; "The Wolf") is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Auburn, Maine, USA, the station serves the Portland ME area. The station is currently owned by Binnie Media.^[2] Programming is simulcast on WBQQ (99.3 FM) in Kennebunk.

History

WTHT intellectual property

The WTHT call letters were once assigned to 102.9 FM under the moniker of "FM 103", playing Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) licensed to Portland and operating at 100,000 watts ERP from roughly the mid-1980s until 1989.

In 1989 an agreement was made between WBLM, which at the time was broadcasting on 107.5 FM, and WTHT to swap transmitters while retaining their respective call letters. At the time of the swap the 107.5 FM transmitter had an ERP of 50,000 watts and was licensed to Lewiston (Auburn). This swap was intended to give WBLM a significantly stronger signal in Portland, as well as, Central and Southern Maine, Eastern New Hampshire, and Northeastern Massachusetts; however, once the swap was complete, WTHT lost a significant amount of coverage especially in extreme Southern Maine and Southeastern New Hampshire. In fact, during the summer tropospheric ducting season, WTHT at 107.5 FM often suffered from significant interference from WFCC-FM in Chatham, Massachusetts, also on 107.5 FM. This interference was often so significant that, at times, WTHT's signal was completely replaced by WFCC's signal in Southeastern New Hampshire and along the Maine coast from Kittery to the Biddeford/Saco area.

Once the swap with WBLM was complete, WTHT re-branded themselves as "Thunder 107", and retained their CHR format with a bit of a rhythmic lean which was popular at the time. That format continued for a few years before being dropped in favor of an Oldies format with a new moniker of "Oldies 107.5". Later, the Oldies format was replaced by a Country format and again the station was re-branded to reflect the new format as "107.5 The Wolf". In April 2004, as stated below, the WTHT calls, the country format, and for the most part, the moniker, were moved to 99.9 FM. The 107.5 FM transmitter was then assigned the call letters WFNK and launched with a Classic Hits format under the name "107.5 Frank FM". This arrangement continues to this day.

99.9 frequency

The station was once known as "Kiss 99.9" with a top-40 format. WKZS was an affiliate during the short syndication run of "Matty in the Morning" from WXKS-FM in Boston.

Over time, WKZS adjusted its presentation to become a Hot AC, and in March 1997 the station reimaged to become "Mix 96.9 and 99.9", with the call letters WMWX following. In September 2000, the station brought back the "Kiss 99.9" name, this time using the call letters WMEK. Promos at the time occasionally alluded to the station's translator, W245AA, on 96.9 FM in downtown Portland. The station's ratings, however, were relatively low.

WTHT's logo before adding its simulcast on 99.3

On April 6, 2004,^[3] WMEK, along with its WMTW Broadcast Group radio sister stations, was sold to Nassau Broadcasting Partners. In April 2004, Nassau moved the country format of WTHT, then known as "107.5 The Wolf", to the 99.9 FM frequency, clearing the way for the launch of WFNK on the powerful 107.5 FM frequency. Since arriving on the frequency, WTHT "99.9 The Wolf" has remained relatively unchanged.

WTHT, along with 16 other Nassau stations in northern New England, was purchased at bankruptcy auction by WBIN Media Company, a company controlled by Bill Binnie, on May 22, 2012. Binnie already owns WBIN-TV in Derry, New Hampshire.^[4][5] The deal was completed on November 30, 2012.^[6]

WBQQ

WBQQ signed on in November 1991 as a classical music station, branded WBACH. The station's programming would subsequently be expanded to several other Maine radio stations (including existing classical music stations WPKM in Scarborough and WBYA in Thomaston); in a 2008 format shuffle, WBACH programming in southern Maine was consolidated at 104.7 FM, and WBQQ was made a simulcast of WTHT. WBQQ was purchased on May 22, 2012 by WBIN Media Company in the same bankruptcy auction as WTHT.^[4][5]

Translators

In addition to the main station, WTHT is relayed by an additional translator to widen its broadcast area.

As of April 2013, W245AA serves as a repeater of WTHT's HD2 channel, which simulcasts the WBACH classical music format of Thomaston sister station WBQX. This returned the format to Portland for the first time since the 104.7 FM frequency became rhythmic top 40 station WHTP in September 2012.^[7]

References

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WTHT
• Radio-Locator information on WTHT
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WTHT
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WBQQ
• Radio-Locator information on WBQQ
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WBQQ
• Query the FCC's FM station database for W245AA
• Radio-Locator information on W245AA
• Station history