WIGY (1240

kHz 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 uni ...

) is an

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmi ...

station owned by Bennett Radio Group that is licensed to serve

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...

. WIGY airs a classic hits

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

. In addition to music, WIGY broadcasts

Lewiston–Auburn Lewiston–Auburn (L–A) are twin cities in Androscoggin County, Maine, USA. Together, they have a population of 61,182 in a combined . The cities are commonly called "Cities of the Androscoggin," as they are seated along the banks of the Andro ...

area high school sports.

History

The station was assigned the WEZR call letters by the

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on January 18, 2007. On March 31, 2014, WEZR began

simulcasting Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

on 105.5 FM, via translator W288CW, and rebranded as Z105.5. On August 1, 2016, the station began simulcasting on WEZR-FM (92.7, formerly WOXO-FM, whose

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

format was transferred to 1450 AM and 96.9 FM), expanding the format's reach to the Oxford Hills area; as a result, the station rebranded to "Maine's Big Z". In April 2019, WEZR rebranded as "Z105.5 & 96.9", reflecting the move of its Oxford Hills simulcast from WEZR-FM to WOXO (now WPNO). WEZR, along with its sister stations, went off the air March 29, 2020, citing financial considerations that included expected reduction in advertising revenue attributed to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. The stations had been up for sale following the death of owner Dick Gleason in February 2019. A sale of the Gleason Media Group stations to Bennett Radio Group was announced in May 2020. Bennett Radio Group's purchase, at a price of $300,000, was consummated on August 5, 2020. On August 19, 2020, WEZR and WPNO returned to the air as they relaunched the hot AC format as "WIGY", while adding a simulcast on the former WTME (now WEZR).WEZR Relaunches As WIGY Following Return Of WOXO
Lance Venta, RadioInsight, August 19, 2020. The call sign for 1240 AM was changed to WIGY on September 7, 2020.

Translator

References

External links

* ( Guide to reading History Cards) ;FM translators * * * * 1938 establishments in Maine Classic hits radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1938 IGY (AM) {{Maine-radio-station-stub