WPPI
{{hatnote group|
{{about||the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, radio station which previously used the WPPI callsign from 2005 to 2008|WMIN|the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, radio station which previously used the WPPI callsign from 2008 to 2009|WXYG}}
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{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WPPI
| above = Simulcast of WPEI
| logo = WEEI Sports Network logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| city = Topsham, Maine
| area = Portland, Maine
| branding = 95.5 and 95.9 WPEI
| frequency = 95.5 MHz
| airdate = {{start date|1993}} (as WPME)
| format = Sports
| power = 3,000 watts
| haat = {{convert|139|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = A
| callsign_meaning = similar to WPEI
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WLLB (1989–1993)|WPME (1993–1994)|WXGL-FM (1994–2000)|WCLZ (2000–2001)|WJJB-FM (2001–2008)|WUEI (2008)|WGEI (2008–2009)|WLOB-FM (2009–2011)}}
| facility_id = 12160
| licensing_authority = FCC
| coordinates = {{coord|43|54|12|N|70|2|13|W|region:US-ME_type:landmark}}
| affiliations = {{ubl|WEEI Sports Radio Network|ESPN Radio|Fox Sports Radio|Boston Red Sox Radio Network|Boston Celtics Radio Network|Portland Sea Dogs Radio Network}}
| owner = Atlantic Coast Radio
| sister_stations = WJJB-FM, WLOB, WRED, WPEI
| webcast =
| website = [http://www.weei.com weei.com]
}}
WPPI (95.5 FM) is a sports radio station in the Portland, Maine, area. The station is owned by Atlantic Coast Radio.
WPPI serves as a simulcast of WPEI (95.9 FM) in Saco. Both stations, in turn, mostly carry the same programs as WEEI-FM from Boston. Some local commercials take the place of Boston commercials, and some WEEI-FM game broadcasts are substituted with Fox Sports Radio. WPPI also carries University of Maine Black Bear football and ice hockey,[http://goblackbears.cstv.com/genrel/060407aaa.htmlUniversity of Maine Official Athletic Site] and Portland Pirates ice hockey.[http://www.portlandpirates.com/newsarticle.asp?Id=1789 Pirates Announce New Radio Home]
History
The 95.5 frequency began operations in 1993 as WPME, simulcasting a country music format with 96.7 WCME from Boothbay Harbor (now WBQA).{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/essays/maine-hist|title=Maine Radio History, 1971–1996|last=Fybush|first=Scott|publisher=Archives @ BostonRadio.org|access-date=September 11, 2008}} A year later, the station converted to an oldies format as WXGL-FM. Atlantic Coast Radio purchased the station in 1999,{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990827.html|title=Maine Station Owner Dies in Plane Crash|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=August 27, 1999|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=September 11, 2008}} and in January 2000, the station switched to an adult album alternative format as WCLZ.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-000128.html|title=Welcome Back WMEX, and We Take On LPFM|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=January 28, 2000|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=September 11, 2008}} A few months later, WCLZ adopted a sports talk format, initially as a simulcast of WJAE;{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-001002.html|title=Spinning the Dial in Connecticut|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=October 10, 2000|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=September 11, 2008}} the next year, the station took the call letters WJJB-FM.{{cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010903.html|title=Labor Day Update|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=September 3, 2001|work=North East RadioWatch|access-date=September 11, 2008}}
On August 25, 2008, 96.3 WLOB-FM was converted to a simulcast of WJJB (which WJAE had become by that time), resulting in WLOB's programming being heard only on the AM signal. This was part of a shuffle of Atlantic Coast Radio's FM stations as a result of the conversion of two of its stations, including WJJB-FM, on September 1, 2008 to simulcasts of WEEI.{{cite news |first=Ray |last=Routhier |title=WEEI to air in Maine Sept. 1 |url=http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031753.html |work=Portland Press Herald |date=August 19, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080826073235/http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031753.html |archive-date=August 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Shortly after the completion of these format changes, 95.5's call letters were changed to WGEI (it had initially planned to use the WTEI call sign,{{cite press release |title=WEEI Sports Radio Network Expands to Portland, Bangor & Keene |publisher=Entercom Communications |date=August 20, 2008|url=http://imgsrv.weei.com/image/weei/UserFiles/WEEINorthNetworkPressRelease81908.pdf |access-date=August 20, 2008 }} and for a week in September 2008 used the WUEI call letters{{cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=12160&Callsign=WPPI|title=Call Sign History|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=November 28, 2023}}).
On April 1, 2009, WGEI converted to a simulcast of WLOB; it became WLOB-FM a few days later. In August 2011, WLOB-FM returned to simulcasting WEEI. On September 7, 2011, WLOB-FM changed its call letters to WPPI.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.weei.com|WEEI official website}}
- {{FM station data|12160|WPPI}}
{{Portland ME Radio}}
{{Sports Radio Stations in Maine}}
{{WEEI Sports Radio Network}}
Category:Sports radio stations in the United States
Category:Radio stations established in 1993