WTHT

WTHT/WBQQ

City of license	WTHT: Auburn, Maine WBQQ: Kennebunk, Maine
Broadcast area	Portland, Maine north to Augusta on 99.9, south to Portsmouth NH on 99.3
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″N 70°17′46″W / 43.95194°N 70.29611°W / 43.95194; -70.29611 WBQQ: 43°24′16″N 70°26′15″W / 43.40444°N 70.43750°W / 43.40444; -70.43750
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	www.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 WAVX 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.

Call sign	Frequency (MHz)	City of license	ERP W	Class	FCC info
W245AA	96.9	Portland, Maine	250	D	FCC

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

↑ "Ratings". Radio and Records. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
↑ "WTHT Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
↑ "Nassau Shake up in Maine". Scott Fybush. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
1 2 "Carlisle Capital Corp. Wins Bidding For Rest Of Nassau Stations". All Access. May 22, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
1 2 "WBIN Media acquires 17 N.E. radio stations". New Hampshire Union Leader. May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
↑ Kitch, Michael (December 1, 2012). "Binnie closes on purchase of WLNH". Laconia Daily Sun. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
↑ Routhier, Ray (April 9, 2013). "WBACH coming back on Portland airwaves". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 15, 2013.

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

Radio stations in the Portland, Maine market

By AM frequency	560 730 780 870 900 970 1310 1400 1440 1450 1490

By FM frequency	88.3 88.5 88.7 89.3 90.1 90.9 91.9 92.1 92.5 93.1 94.3 94.9 95.5 95.9 96.3 96.9 97.1 97.9 98.9 99.3 99.9 100.5 100.9 101.9 102.9 103.7 104.7 105.9 106.3 106.7 107.5 107.9

By callsign	W223BH W245AA W263BZ WBAE WBCI WBLM WBQQ WCLZ WCME WCYY WFNK WGAN WGIN WHOM WHTP WHXR WJBQ WJJB-FM WJTO WJZF-LP WJZP-LP WKTQ WLOB WLVP WMEA WMGX WMPG WMSJ WPEI WPKQ WPOR WPPI WRED WRKJ WSEW WTHT WTME WXEX-FM WXTP WYAR WYFP WYNZ WZAN

Maine radio markets Augusta–Waterville Bangor Portland Other Maine radio regions Northern & Downeast Maine Lewiston–Auburn See also List of radio stations in Maine Portsmouth Concord Northeast Kingdom Sherbrooke / Estrie

Radio stations in the Portsmouth–Dover–Rochester market

By AM frequency	930 1270 1380 1540

By FM frequency	91.3 91.7 95.3 96.7 97.5 98.7 99.3 100.3 102.1 103.5 104.7 105.3 106.1 106.5 107.1

By callsign	WBQQ WBYY WERZ WHEB WHTP WMYF WNEF WNHI WOKQ WPKX WQSO WSAK WSCA-LP WSHK WTBU WTSN WUNH WWSF WXEX WXGR-LP WWPC

Defunct	1340 WWNH

New Hampshire radio markets Concord (Lakes Region) Lebanon Manchester Portsmouth–Dover–Rochester Other New Hampshire radio regions Northern New Hampshire See also List of radio stations in New Hampshire

Country radio stations in the state of Maine

By frequency:	1160 1280 92.7 95.3 96.9 97.1 98.5 99.1 99.3 99.9 100.7 101.9 103.3 106.5

By callsign:	WBFB WBFE WBPW WBQQ WEBB WJYE WMCM WOXO-FM WPOR WQCB WSKW WTBM WTBU WTHT

By community of license:	Auburn Bangor Bar Harbor Brewer Gardiner Kennebunkport Mexico Norway Portland Presque Isle Rockland Skowhegan Waterville York Center

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Maine

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