WMDR-FM (88.9

MHz 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 ...

) is a

non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...

, listener-supported FM

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Oakland, Maine Oakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,230 at the 2020 census. Oakland is 4 miles (6 km) west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles (29 km) north of Augusta, the state capital. Wat ...

. It calls itself "God's Country 88.9 FM". WMDR-FM broadcasts a southern gospel and

Christian country A Christian state is a country that recognizes a form of Christianity as its official religion and often has a state church (also called an established church), which is a Christian denomination that supports the government and is supported by ...

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, ...

for the Augusta- Waterville, Lewiston- Auburn,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

South Paris South Paris is a census-designated place (CDP) located within the town of Paris, Maine, Paris in Oxford County, Maine, Oxford County, Maine, United States. South Paris is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and ...

and

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

- Brunswick areas, as well as parts of Downeast Maine and Northern

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. It is owned by Light of Life Ministries with

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

s and offices on Riverside Drive in Augusta. WMDR-FM is a Class C0 station with an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 100,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s, the maximum for most American FM stations. The

transmitter 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 (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is on Kilgore Way in

Buckfield, Maine Buckfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Buckfield is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is a member of Regional School Unit 10 along with nearby Hartford and Sumner. The ...

, off

Maine State Route 117 State Route 117 (SR 117) is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from SR 112 in Saco to SR 219 in Turner. Route description SR 117 begins at SR 112 in Saco. It travels north through Buxton and Ho ...

, just east of Norway. Programming is

simulcast 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 WWLN

91.5 FM The following radio stations broadcast on FM frequency 91.5 MHz: SWTOR * The Gonk FM on Nar Shaddaa * APA Radio San Pedro in San Pedro, Buenos Aires * Casares in Carlos Casares, Buenos Aires * Center Zone in Piedra Buena, Santa Cruz * de la ...

Lincoln, Maine Lincoln is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The town's population was 4,853 at the 2020 United States Census. A statue honoring Medal of Honor recipient Gary Gordon was installed in Lincoln, in 2021. The bronze sculpture fa ...

History

The station

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

the air in January 2006.''Broadcasting Yearbook 2010'' page D-263

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It has always been a

Christian radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

station. It was founded by Ray and Susanne Bouchard who began the Worship Radio Network in 2004 when a friend donated the parent station, WMDR (1340 AM) in Augusta. The network also includes

Christian contemporary Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith an ...

station WWWA (95.3 FM) in Winslow, known as "Reach FM." WMDR-FM was originally powered at 600 watts, a fraction of its current output. In March 2007, the southern gospel format on WMDR 1340 AM moved to WMDR-FM 88.9. Meanwhile, WMDR-FM's contemporary format moved to WWWA, while WMDR 1340 AM began airing children's Christian programming. In 2010, WMDR-FM boosted its power to 100,000 watts as a Class C station, greatly expanding its coverage area. Despite the name, the Maine "God's Country" stations have no

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with the

God's Country Radio Network God's Country Radio Network was a Religious broadcasting radio network in the United States which launched in 2008. The majority of stations that the network aired on were owned by the non-profit organization Educational Media Foundation, thou ...

Translator

In addition to the main station, WMDR-FM is relayed by the following

FM translator 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 tr ...

: In 2010 ''God's Country'' significantly expanded its signal, with a power upgrade and a transmitter move from a

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

Skowhegan Skowhegan () is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,620. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously held state fair in the Unite ...

to a taller tower in Buckfield. It also signed on a full-powered rebroadcaster, 91.5 WWLN in

. With the power upgrade to WMDR-FM and the addition of WWLN, several broadcast translators that previously simulcasted WMDR-FM switched to a simulcast of 95.3 WWWA. In 2012, more full-power rebroadcasters went on the air including 89.3 WRPB

Benedicta Benedicta may refer to: People * Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate (1652–1730), a German princess * Benedicta Ajudua (born 1980), Nigerian sprinter * Caterina Benedicta Grazianini (1685–1715), composer * Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, r ...

and 91.7 WRNM Ellsworth.

References

External links

* {{Religious Radio Stations in Maine MDR-FM Southern Gospel radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2005 Mass media in Kennebec County, Maine Oakland, Maine