:WKZX (Maine)
{{Short description|Radio station in Presque Isle, Maine (1932–1991)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WKZX
| airdate = {{start date|1932|1|6}}
| last_airdate = {{end date and age|1991}}
| frequency = 950 kHz
| city = Presque Isle, Maine
| format = Adult contemporary
| owner = Colonial Broadcasting Company
| operator = CanXus Broadcasting Corporation
| power = 5,000 watts
| coordinates = {{coord|44|46|23|N|68|49|45|W|type:landmark_region:US-ME|display=inline,title}}
| facility_id = 12319
| former_frequencies = 1420 kHz (1932–1941), 1450 kHz (1941–1958)
| former_callsigns = WAGM (1932–1981)
}}
WKZX was a radio station broadcasting on 950 AM in Presque Isle, Maine, that operated from 1932 to 1991. It was the first radio station in Presque Isle, broadcasting under the call letters WAGM from its inception until 1981.
History
On January 9, 1931, the Aroostook Broadcasting Corporation filed for a construction permit to build a new radio station on 1420 kHz in Presque Isle, approved by the Federal Radio Commission on May 26 of that year.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=62690 |title= History Cards for WKZX|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) Initially assigned WMHM, the call letters were quickly changed to WAGM before going on the air January 6, 1932.{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1988/1988-BC-YB.pdf|page=B-128 (212)|work=Broadcasting Yearbook|title=WKZX(AM)|date=1988|accessdate=March 13, 2020}} The new radio station, owned by ham operators Red Hughes and Bob McIntosh,{{cite book|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/The-History-of-Broadcasting-in-Maine-1990.pdf|accessdate=March 13, 2020|title=The History of Broadcasting in Maine: The First Fifty Years|date=1990|publisher=Maine Association of Broadcasters}}{{rp|18}} had a young staff: its five employees ranged in age from 19 to 27.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1932/1932-04-15-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=April 15, 1932|page=22|title=Station Notes|accessdate=March 12, 2020}} The original studios were located on the top floor of the Old Theater Building{{r|maine|p=20}} and primarily had basic, handmade equipment.{{r|maine|p=21}} The operation was so small that Harold Glidden, who was the manager of WAGM, was its only salesman until the mid-1940s.{{r|maine|p=28}} WAGM moved with other stations on the frequency to 1450 kHz when NARBA came into force on March 29, 1941.{{r|hc}}
In the winter of 1944, a fire destroyed WAGM's facility.{{r|maine|p=33}} The 100-watt outlet increased power to 250 watts in 1946,{{r|hc}} part of a post-fire move to studios on State Street. Additionally, WAGM affiliated with the Keystone Broadcasting System, which distributed transcriptions of programming to stations.{{r|maine|p=33}} The power increase improved WAGM's coverage of the "Golden Triangle" of Presque Isle, Caribou, and Fort Fairfield, as well as its ability to attract sales accounts.{{r|maine|p=43}} A television station, WAGM-TV, was started in October 1956. In 1957, original owner Harold Glidden sold Aroostook Broadcasting to Community Broadcasting Service, a company owned by then-Governor Horace Hildreth that owned WABI-AM-TV in Bangor.{{cite news|title=WAGM-AM-TV, WABM Sold To Owners Of WABI-AM-TV|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1957/1957-07-29-BC.pdf|page=9|accessdate=December 4, 2011|newspaper=Broadcasting-Telecasting|date=July 29, 1957}} Community increased WABI's power to 5,000 watts during the day on a new frequency of 950 kHz in 1958.{{r|hc}} At the time of purchasing WAGM, Community had held a permit to build a new station of its own in Presque Isle, as WABQ; it relinquished the construction permit as a condition of the acquisition.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1957/1957-09-30-BC.pdf|date=September 30, 1957|work=Broadcasting|title=Transcontinent Merger Okayed, $8 Million in Sales Approved|accessdate=March 13, 2020|pages=74–75}}
Community Broadcasting Service merged with Journal Publications in 1971 to form Diversified Communications.{{cite news|title=Publication Firm, TV Unit Merge|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0SE0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ceEIAAAAIBAJ&dq=community-broadcasting-service&pg=5881%2C1583138|accessdate=June 3, 2010|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|date=January 21, 1971}} WAGM radio was sold for $235,000 in 1981 to Colonial Broadcasting Company, a group of three men with Presque Isle real estate interests.{{cite news|title=Changing Hands|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1981/1981-01-05-BC.pdf|page=94|accessdate=December 4, 2011|newspaper=Broadcasting|date=January 5, 1981}} The television station kept the call letters, and Colonial chose to rename its station WKZX, effective May 25.{{r|hc}}
In September 1991, the FCC issued a fine of $10,000 to Dennis H. Curley's CanXus Broadcasting Corporation for having assumed control of WKZX from Colonial, considered an unlicensed transfer of control.{{cite news|url=https://archive.bangordailynews.com/1991/09/28/broadcaster-fined-for-fcc-violation/|accessdate=March 12, 2020|date=September 28, 1991|work=Bangor Daily News|title=Broadcaster fined for FCC violation}} In assessing the fine, the commission's Mass Media Bureau noted that, while a transfer of control had been applied for in January 1988 (with a sale price of $216,000{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1988/RR-1988-02-12.pdf|accessdate=March 13, 2020|work=Radio & Records|date=February 12, 1988|title=Transactions|page=10}}), WKZX had become financially indistinguishable from CanXus as early as September 1987, CanXus was promoting WKZX as its station in press releases and on stationery, while it was also making programming decisions. The commission stated that Colonial had "abdicated financial control" of the station.{{r|lma}} The two companies had become so intertwined that preparation of separate tax returns was difficult.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1991/RR-1991-10-04.pdf|work=Radio & Records|pages=1, 32|date=October 4, 1991|title=Maine LMA Fined $10K|accessdate=March 12, 2020}} While CanXus programmed WKZX, the station aired an adult contemporary format.{{r|bcyb88}}
By the time of the FCC issuing its fine to CanXus, WKZX had gone silent.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1991/RR-1991-10-11.pdf|work=Radio & Records|date=October 11, 1991|page=14|title=Radio's Most Distressed Real Estate|accessdate=August 17, 2019}} The FCC deleted the station on December 16, 1991.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1992/BC-1992-03-02.pdf|date=March 3, 1992|work=Broadcasting|page=63|title=For the Record|accessdate=March 12, 2020}}
The building where WKZX was located remained abandoned for many years before it was torn down sometime in the 2010s.