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Channel X Radio is a network of radio stations in
In late 2006 WCXV in Van Buren began to simulcast Channel X Radio. It broadcast at a lower power until December 27, 2007, when WCXV began broadcasting at the full 6 kW. Later, CanXus changed their
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County ( ; ) is the northernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maine. It is located along the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 67,105. The county ...
, United States. With studios in Caribou
The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...
, the stations are heard through various transmitters
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna with the purpose of signal transmissi ...
throughout Aroostook County and broadcast a Classic hits format.
History
The CanXus Broadcasting Corporation was founded in Maine in May 1986. Shortly after that, CanXus submitted an application to put a 3,000–watt transmitter on the Green Ridge Road, or on the Caribou/ Fort Fairfield town line. On November 15, 1986 at 6:00 p.m., WCXU Caribou began operation on 97.7MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...
. The studios and offices were in a single-wide trailer while the transmitter was 400 feet away.
With a 3 kW signal and a small transmitter, people north of Caribou couldn't get the signal. Madawaska was the first place to get a satellite station
A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...
. On January 30, 1988 WCXX 102.3 Madawaska began atop 11th Avenue Extension in a tiny studio, rebroadcasting WCXU. The signal reached all the way to Caribou.
Because of the valley-like nature, and the small power that WCXX transmits, the signal is degraded in most of Fort Kent. In late 1994, CanXus applied for W276AY on 103.1 MHz. This very small signal is located near the Northern Maine Medical Center and reaches only Fort Kent and surrounding towns. At the same time WCXU doubled its power to 6 kW, then later increased the output to 20 kW. Now the signal can go all the way to Houlton and Fort Kent in a radius. Since then, the transmitter building has doubled in size, the transmitter has become a little bigger (now Height Above Average Terrain
Height above average terrain (HAAT), or (less popularly) effective height above average terrain (EHAAT), is the vertical position of an antenna site above the surrounding landscape. HAAT is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is ...
(HAAT) of 90 m) and in 1998, Channel X moved to its new studio-office with state-of-the-art computerized broadcasting equipment.
In late 2006 WCXV in Van Buren began to simulcast Channel X Radio. It broadcast at a lower power until December 27, 2007, when WCXV began broadcasting at the full 6 kW. Later, CanXus changed their construction permit
Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions.
House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...
to decrease its HAAT to 1 m.
Bennett Radio Group acquired Channel X Radio from CanXus in 2023 for $400,000.
On January 1st, 2024, the Station changed formats to Classic Hits.
Programing
Under CanXus ownership, Channel X Radio offered a mix of adult contemporary, oldies, and local music. In 2024, under new management (the Bennett Radio Group), it changed formats to Classic Hits. It is home to one of the longest running oldies and retro music programs in the region. Furthermore, Channel X Radio covers local events and broadcasts live interviews from around the region. The station broadcasts local sports updates and news stories on a daily basis.Transmitters
References
External links
* * {{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Maine * Mass media in Aroostook County, Maine Classic hits radio stations in the United States Presque Isle, Maine Radio stations established in 1986 1986 establishments in Maine