WPNO

{{redirect|WKTQ (AM)|the 1970s Pittsburgh radio station also known as 13Q|WJAS}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WPNO

| logo = WEZR (AM) The Patriot logo.png

| city = South Paris, Maine

| country = US

| area = Oxford County, Maine

| branding = The Patriot

| frequency = 1450 kHz

| translator = {{Radio Relay|96.9|W245CQ|South Paris}}

| airdate = {{start date and age|1955|10|28}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|pages=D-200–1|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-AL-NE-BC-YB-1999..pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}}

| format = Conservative talk

| power = 1,000 watts unlimited

| class = C

| facility_id = 52176

| licensing_authority = FCC

| coordinates = {{coord|44|13|16.25|N|70|31|41.22|W|region:US-ME_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WKTQ (1955–1973)|WKTP (1973–1976)|WXIV (1976–1981)|WOXO (1981–1986)|WKTQ (1986–2016)|WOXO (2016–2019)}}

| affiliations = {{ubl|Fox News Radio|Westwood One|Motor Racing Network}}

| owner = Bennett Radio Group

| licensee = Bennett Radio Group, LLC

| sister_stations = WEZR, WOXO-FM, WIGY-FM, WIGY, Channel X Radio

| webcast =

| website = {{URL|http://thepatriot.me/}}

}}

WPNO (1450 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve South Paris, Maine. The station is owned by Bennett Radio Group. WPNO airs a conservative talk format simulcast with WEZR (780 AM) and W252DS (98.3 FM) in Rumford. WPNO also operates translator station W245CQ (96.9 FM) in South Paris. WPNO went on the air in 1955 as WKTQ, and was assigned its present call letters on September 26, 2019.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History (WPNO)|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=52176&Callsign=WPNO |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database}}

History

WPNO signed on October 28, 1955, as WKTQ under the ownership of Oxford Broadcasting Corporation.{{cite news|title=WKTQ South Paris, Me., Starts With 15½-Hour Schedule|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1955/1955-11-28-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting-Telecasting|date=November 28, 1955|page=90}} In its early years, WKTQ's programming included news, music, and sports. The station affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System in June 1965,{{cite news|title=Mutual signs seven into fold|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1965/1965-07-05-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=July 5, 1965|page=10}} and switched to ABC Radio's Entertainment network in 1972.{{cite news|title=Media Briefs|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1972/1972-05-29-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=May 29, 1972|page=36}} By this point, WKTQ had a variety format that included 42 hours a week of country music.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1973|year=1973|page=B-90|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1973/B%201%20YB%201973.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}} The call letters were changed to WKTP in 1973.{{cite news|title=For the Record|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1973/1973-05-21-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=May 21, 1973|page=64}}

Richard Gleason, owner of WOXO (92.7 FM) in Norway, bought WKTP for $130,000 in 1976{{cite news|title=For the Record|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1976/1976-08-16-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=August 16, 1976|page=50}} and changed its call letters to WXIV.{{cite news|title=Call Letters|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1976/1976-10-04-BC.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=October 4, 1976|page=68}} The station had a country music format at the time;{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1977|year=1977|page=C-94|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1977/C-1%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}} by 1977, WXIV had changed to a top 40 format, with 80 percent of the programming simulcast on WOXO.{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1978|year=1978|pages=C-96–7|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1978/C-1-Broadcasting-Yearbook-1978-Full.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}} WXIV's call letters were changed to WOXO on November 23, 1981; the station continued to simulcast with WOXO-FM,{{cite web|last1=Fybush|first1=Scott|title=Maine Radio History, 1971–1996|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/essays/maine-hist|website=The Archives at BostonRadio.org|accessdate=August 27, 2016}} which changed to a country music format that year.{{cite news|last1=Marois|first1=Dan|title=Hitting the Airwaves For Over 40 Years|url=http://www.oxfordhillsmaine.com/magazine/index.html#p=29|accessdate=August 11, 2016|work=Oxford Hills Magazine|date=2016–2017|pages=28–9}} Later in the 1980s, the station shifted to religious programming;{{cite book|title=Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983|year=1983|pages=B-109|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1983/B-Radio-Ala-Mt-1983-YB.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984|year=1984|pages=B-116|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1984/B-Radio-AL-MT-BC-YB-1984.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016}} this programming was simulcast on WTME (1530 AM) in Auburn, which Gleason purchased in 1985.{{cite news|title=For the Record|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-02-04.pdf|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=February 4, 1985|page=88}} The call letters were changed back to WKTQ on January 15, 1986. The simulcast on WTME moved to 1240 AM in Lewiston in 1990, after Gleason acquired that facility and shut down the 1530 AM transmitter. WLLB (790 AM) in Rumford began simulcasting WKTQ and WTME in 2001, following Gleason's purchase of that station;{{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}} later that year, WLLB took the WTME call letters from 1240{{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}} (which became WCNM and, in 2007, WEZR) and moved to 780 AM.{{cite news|last1=Fybush|first1=Scott|title=Maine Signal Powers Up; NYC LPTV Loses Allocation Battle|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-020114.html|accessdate=August 27, 2016|work=North East RadioWatch|date=January 14, 2002}}

WKTQ returned to the WOXO call letters on August 1, 2016; at that time, the station began to simulcast on W245CQ (96.9 FM) and took on the country music format previously heard on WOXO-FM, which changed its call letters to WEZR-FM and began simulcasting WEZR's hot adult contemporary format.{{cite news|last1=Crosby|first1=Christopher|title=Radio station WOXO changes frequencies|url=http://www.sunjournal.com/news/oxford-hills/0001/11/30/radio-station-woxo-changes-frequencies/1968848|accessdate=August 2, 2016|work=Sun Journal|date=August 1, 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}} WOXO and W245CQ concurrently inherited the existing simulcast of the country format on WTBM (100.7 FM) in Mexico, which took on the WOXO-FM call sign. In April 2019, WOXO and W245CQ split from the simulcast with WOXO-FM and began simulcasting the hot adult contemporary format of WEZR under the "Z105.5 & 96.9" branding; the country music format concurrently moved back to WEZR-FM.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/175886/woxo-wezr-swap-frequencies/ WOXO & WEZR Swap Frequencies] Radioinsight - April 4, 2019 The call sign became WPNO on September 26, 2019.

WPNO, 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.

Bennett Radio Group's purchase, at a price of $300,000, was consummated on August 5, 2020. On August 19, 2020, WPNO, along with WEZR and the former WTME, returned to the airwaves with a relaunched Hot AC format, branded as "WIGY".[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. The format would later shift to classic hits with the brand "105.5 and 96.9 WIGY".

On October 26, 2021, WPNO and W245CQ, along with WEZR and its translator, flipped to conservative talk as "The Patriot", effectively splitting from its simulcast of WIGY after two years.[https://radioinsight/headlines/214488/patriot-debuts-in-maine/ Patriot Debuts In Maine] Lance Venta, Radio Insight, October 26, 2021.