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| Broadcast area | Portland metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 1310kHz |
| Branding | News–Talk WLOB 100.5 FM 1310 AM |
| Programming | |
| Format | News–talk |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Atlantic Coast Radio |
| History | |
First air date | February 2,1957 |
Call sign meaning | Lobster (Lobster fishing is a major industry in Maine) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9202 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°41′22.29″N70°20′3.18″W / 43.6895250°N 70.3342167°W /43.6895250; -70.3342167 |
| Translators |
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| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WLOB (1310AM) is acommercial radio stationlicensed toPortland, Maine. The station is owned byAtlantic Coast Radio and airs atalk radioformat. The studios andtransmitter are on Warren Avenue in Portland. WLOB transmits with 5,000 watts using adirectional antenna to protect other stations on its frequency.[2]
Programming on WLOB is also heard onFMtranslatorsW263BZ on 100.5MHz in Portland andW252EI on 98.3 MHz inBrunswick.
Weekdays begin a local news and interview show, hosted by Ray Richardson, which is also carried on several other AM stations in Maine. The weekday schedule continues withnationally syndicated hosts includingMike Gallagher,Sean Hannity,Joe Pags,Chris Plante andAmerica in The Morning. Sports programming includesUniversity of MaineBlack Bearscollege football andhockey.[3]
A portion ofThe Ray Richardson Show was simulcast on Portland'sMyNetworkTV affiliate,WPME, from September 2009 to June 2013. Until March 2009, the entire program (asThe Fox Morning News) was simulcast on Portland'sFox affiliate,WPFO.[4]
Most hours begin with national news fromFox News Radio.
WLOB firstsigned on the air on February 2, 1957.[5] During the late 1960s and early 1970s, WLOB was a popularTop 40 music station, competing with 1440WJBQ in nearbyWestbrook. During this time, McGavern/Guild Media NYC owned WLOB as Atlantic States Industries, which also ownedWTSA inBrattleboro, Vermont;WNVY inPensacola, Florida; andWRYT inBoston.
By about 1979 or 1980, as Top 40 listening began shifting to FM, WLOB switched to abrokeredChristian talk and teaching format. In the late 1990s, it added a simulcast on 96.3 FM inRumford, WLOB-FM. This was the third incarnation of WLOB-FM; previous versions included 97.9 (now occupied byWJBQ) in the 1960s and anAOR-formatted 100.9 (now occupied byWYNZ) from 1978 to 1980.
In 2000, WLOB and WLOB-FM were sold toAtlantic Coast Radio byCarter Broadcasting. The stations subsequently dropped their religious programming and picked up the news-talk format heard today. In 2006, WLOB-FM relocated its transmitter from western Maine toSouth Paris to provide a clearer signal to the Portland area. Following the transmitter move, in 2008, WLOB-FM changed its city of license from Rumford toGray.
On August 25, 2008, WLOB-FM was converted to a simulcast of WJJB (the former WJBQ AM), 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 ofWEEI.[6] 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,[7] and for a week in September 2008 used the WUEI call letters[8]).
On April 1, 2009, 95.5 WGEI converted to a simulcast of WLOB; it became WLOB-FM a few days later.[8] In August 2011, WLOB-FM once again began airing programming from WEEI leaving the talk programming only on the AM signal.
In March 2016, WLOB's programming could once again be heard on the FM dial in the Portland area, this time on an FM translator, 100.5 W263BZ.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W252EI | 98.3 FM | Brunswick, Maine | 202215 | 15 | D | 43°54′12″N70°2′11″W / 43.90333°N 70.03639°W /43.90333; -70.03639 (W252EI) | LMS |
| W263BZ | 100.5 FM | Portland, Maine | 150133 | 250 | D | 43°44′38.3″N70°19′59.2″W / 43.743972°N 70.333111°W /43.743972; -70.333111 (W263BZ) | LMS |