WEZR (AM)
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| city = Rumford, Maine
| country = US
| above =
| name = WEZR
| callsign =
| logo = WEZR (AM) The Patriot logo.png
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| area = Western Maine
| frequency = {{Frequency|780|kHz}}
| rds =
| branding = The Patriot
| languages =
| format = Conservative talk
| subchannels =
| network =
| affiliations = {{ubl|Fox News Radio|Westwood One|Motor Racing Network}}
| owner = Stan Bennett
| licensee = Bennett Radio Group, LLC
| operator =
| sister_stations = WIGY, WIGY-FM, WOXO-FM, WPNO, Channel X Radio
| founded =
| airdate = {{start date and age|1953|8|21}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|page=D-201|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-AL-NE-BC-YB-1999..pdf|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}
| last_airdate =
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WRUM (1952–1997)|WLLB (1997–2001)|WTME (2001–2020)|WIGY (2020)}}
| former_names =
| former_frequencies =
| callsign_meaning =
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 9209
| class = D
| power = {{ubl|1,000 watts day|18 watts night}}
| coordinates = {{coord|44|30|53|N|70|31|01|W|region:US-ME_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| translators = {{Radio Relay|98.3|W252DS|Rumford}}
| repeaters =
| webcast =
| website = {{URL|http://thepatriot.me/}}
}}
WEZR (780 kHz) is an AM radio station in Rumford, Maine. The station is owned by Stan Bennett, through licensee Bennett Radio Group, LLC. The station airs a conservative talk radio format.
History
The station went on the air August 21, 1953, as WRUM, associated with the Rumford Daily Times newspaper.{{cite news |title=Rumford's New Station Will Go On the Air Today |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1uNKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mvMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5168%2C4465103 |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=Lewiston Evening Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=August 21, 1953 |page=6}} It changed its call sign to WLLB on November 21, 1997, and to WTME on July 11, 2001.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=9209&Callsign=WEZR |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database}}
WTME's programming was previously simulcast with WCNM (1240 AM) in Lewiston and WKTQ (1450 AM) in South Paris.{{cite news|last1=Fybush|first1=Scott|title=River Flows to New Home|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010205.html|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=North East RadioWatch|date=February 5, 2001}} WCNM switched to CNN Headline News in July 2001{{cite news|last1=Fybush|first1=Scott|title=CTV Adds Montreal to O&O Roster|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010716.html|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=North East RadioWatch|date=July 16, 2001}} and is now hot adult contemporary station WIGY, while WKTQ became country music station WOXO in August 2016{{cite news|last1=Venta|first1=Lance|title=WEZR & WOXO Lewiston On The Move|url=https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/107477/wezr-woxo-lewiston-on-the-move/|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=RadioInsight|date=July 29, 2016}} and is now WPNO, a simulcast of WEZR.
On March 8, 2017, WTME changed its format to sports, with programming from NBC Sports Radio. As a sports station, it carried Portland Pirates hockey, and Portland Sea Dogs baseball. On weekday mornings and middays, some Christian talk and teaching programs were also heard.
WTME, 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.{{cite news |title=WOXO says farewell to listeners; Gleason Radio Group to go silent after 45 years |url=https://www.sunjournal.com/2020/03/25/woxo-says-farewell-to-listeners/ |accessdate=March 25, 2020 |work=Lewiston Sun Journal |date=March 25, 2020}} The stations had been up for sale following the death of owner Dick Gleason in February 2019.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Gleason Media To Shut Down Cluster In Lewiston/Auburn |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/185536/gleason-media-to-shut-down-cluster-in-lewiston-auburn/ |accessdate=March 25, 2020 |work=RadioInsight |date=March 25, 2020}} A sale of the Gleason Media Group stations to Bennett Radio Group was announced in May 2020,[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/187736/binnie-vp-programming-stan-bennett-acquires-silent-maine-cluster/ Binnie VP/Programming Stan Bennett Acquires Silent Maine Cluster] Lance Venta, Radio Insight, May 26, 2020. and was consummated on August 5, 2020, at a sale price of $500,000.
On August 9, 2020, WTME changed its call letters to WIGY, and returned to the air on August 19, 2020, as a hot adult contemporary station, once again simulcast with WEZR (the former WCNM) and WPNO (the former WKTQ).[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/195748/woxo-returns-wezr-to-become-wigy/ WEZR Relaunches As WIGY Following Return of WOXO] Lance Venta, RadioInsight, August 19, 2020. It changed its callsign to the current WEZR on September 7, 2020. In 2021, the format shifted to classic hits, as "105.5 & 96.9 WIGY".
On October 26, 2021, WEZR and W252DS, along with WPNO and its translator, split from the simulcast with WIGY and flipped to conservative talk, branded as "The Patriot".[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214488/patriot-debuts-in-maine/ Patriot Debuts In Maine] Lance Venta, Radio Insight, October 26, 2021.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://thepatriot.me/}}
{{AM station data|9209|WEZR}}
- {{FCC-LMS-Facility|200148|W252DS}}
- {{FXL|W252DS}}
{{Lewiston-Auburn Radio}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1953
Category:1953 establishments in Maine
Category:Conservative talk radio
Category:Talk radio stations in the United States
{{Maine-radio-station-stub}}