WTOS-FM
Encyclopedia
WTOS-FM known as "The Mountain of Pure Rock", is an FM
radio station licensed to Skowhegan, Maine
whose studios are located in Augusta
.
station in 1973
started by John Pineau on 107.1 FM
, with a studio based in Skowhegan, Maine
. The tower was moved to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain
with an upgrade to the current frequency of 105.1.
WTOS remained locally owned by Mountain Wireless
, and gained a reputation as one of the region's more daring stations throughout the 1980s, due to its penchant for playing harder or more obscure rock bands that did not normally appear on commercial radio stations. Music directors Annie Earhardt and Duane Bruce helped to take WTOS in a direction that many others followed. The DJs also had input into what selections were played and an eclectic mix soon prevailed, separating the station from other rock-oriented stations in the region. WTOS struggled with ratings, but was #1 in the Canadian province of Quebec where the signal is heard quite well.
In October 1987 the station changed format from an eclectic college alternative
format to a more commercial classic rock
format. After a public funeral through downtown Skowhegan for the previous format (organized by then Music Director Duane Bruce), "The Mountain" continued to build up a large local following of fans, which was especially obvious at its frequent on-location remotes, usually at area bars and nightclubs.
WTOS was acquired by Cumulus Media
in late 2000, and the main studios were moved from Skowhegan to Augusta. The association with Cumulus did not last long, as only months later, WTOS was purchased by media giant Clear Channel Communications
. In May 2008, WTOS and the 16 other Clear Channel stations in the Augusta and Bangor markets were sold to Blueberry Broadcasting, a Maine-based company headed by Louis Vitale and Bruce Biette. On July 28, 2008, the newly-formed Blueberry Broadcasting LLC assumed control of WTOS.
and as far north as Houlton
. It carries into the Estrie
region of Quebec
province to places such as Lac-Mégantic
and Thetford Mines, and can be received in eastern Maine in places such as Bar Harbor
and Vinalhaven
. The station is also heard by listeners in northern New Hampshire
and parts of Vermont
, although reception can be sporadic in those areas due to interference from the White Mountains
.
Until April 1, 2005, WTOS' broadcast area included the greater Portland
area. However, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) granted a license to a small, Portland-area, community-programmed jazz
station (WJZP-LP
) to broadcast on the 105.1 frequency. As such, WJZP is available to listeners instead of WTOS, in Maine regions south of Brunswick
and Freeport on the 105.1 frequency.
In March 2009, Blueberry Broadcasting began to simulcast WTOS' signal on its former talk
station WCME on the frequency of 96.7 FM, expanding to Mid Coast Maine and in June 2010 WTUX
signed on the air simulcasting WTOS to the Downeast Maine region on the frequency of 101.1 FM.
WTOS also hosted Rock Relief every year, raising funds for a different charitable organization each summer. It originated as a response to Hurricane Katrina
in 2005, and became an annual event to raise money for charities in need, up through July, 2008. In 2009, Rock Relief took on a year-round dimension as the "WTOS School of Rock" concert series. The series features local and regional bands playing concerts at area high schools that raise money for the school's music program. Several Maine high schools have hosted shows, and as of 2010, over 20 different bands have performed.
Mark Matzell-- Mid-day personality. Former host of the "Mark and Mark Remarkable Morning Show" on WBLM
in Portland.
Mandy X- Afternoon personality. Formerly of WFZX
in Bangor.
Kat- Night-time personality. Formerly of WFZX
in Bangor. Also morning host on the "All-New Bear" WBFB
.
Kennedy-- Hosts "WTOS Homegrown", a Wednesday evening show devoted to local artists, and "The Metal Church", a Sunday-night show dedicated to classic and vintage heavy metal from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, as well as two hours devoted to current metal acts.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio station licensed to Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 8,824. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuous state fair in the United States...
whose studios are located in Augusta
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
.
History
WTOS originated as a free-form rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
station in 1973
1973 in radio
The year 1973 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*15 October – Dutch public-broadcasting station Hilversum 3 begins round-the-clock transmission....
started by John Pineau on 107.1 FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
, with a studio based in Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 8,824. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuous state fair in the United States...
. The tower was moved to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain (Franklin County, Maine)
Sugarloaf Mountain is a mountain located in Franklin County, Maine. It is the second highest mountain in the state, after Mount Katahdin. Sugarloaf is flanked to the south by Spaulding Mountain....
with an upgrade to the current frequency of 105.1.
WTOS remained locally owned by Mountain Wireless
Mountain Wireless
Mountain Wireless, Inc. is a radio company located in the State of Maine. Its studios are located in Skowhegan, Maine.-Current stations:-Previous stations:WTOS-FM Mountain Wireless, Inc. is a radio company located in the State of Maine. Its studios are located in Skowhegan, Maine.-Current...
, and gained a reputation as one of the region's more daring stations throughout the 1980s, due to its penchant for playing harder or more obscure rock bands that did not normally appear on commercial radio stations. Music directors Annie Earhardt and Duane Bruce helped to take WTOS in a direction that many others followed. The DJs also had input into what selections were played and an eclectic mix soon prevailed, separating the station from other rock-oriented stations in the region. WTOS struggled with ratings, but was #1 in the Canadian province of Quebec where the signal is heard quite well.
In October 1987 the station changed format from an eclectic college alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
format to a more commercial classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. After a public funeral through downtown Skowhegan for the previous format (organized by then Music Director Duane Bruce), "The Mountain" continued to build up a large local following of fans, which was especially obvious at its frequent on-location remotes, usually at area bars and nightclubs.
WTOS was acquired by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
in late 2000, and the main studios were moved from Skowhegan to Augusta. The association with Cumulus did not last long, as only months later, WTOS was purchased by media giant Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. In May 2008, WTOS and the 16 other Clear Channel stations in the Augusta and Bangor markets were sold to Blueberry Broadcasting, a Maine-based company headed by Louis Vitale and Bruce Biette. On July 28, 2008, the newly-formed Blueberry Broadcasting LLC assumed control of WTOS.
Broadcast area
With a 57,000 Watt signal and the advantage of having a tower placed at such a high elevation, WTOS reaches a significant portion of northern New England. The station can be heard over the airwaves from its studios in Augusta to BangorBangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
and as far north as Houlton
Houlton, Maine
Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith...
. It carries into the Estrie
Estrie
The Estrie is an administrative region of Quebec that overlaps mostly the Eastern Townships. Estrie, a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of est, "east."...
region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
province to places such as Lac-Mégantic
Lac-Mégantic, Quebec
Lac-Mégantic is a town in Estrie on Lac Mégantic, a freshwater lake for which the town was named. Situated in the former Frontenac County in the historic Eastern Townships, Lac-Mégantic is the seat of Le Granit Regional County Municipality and of the judicial district of...
and Thetford Mines, and can be received in eastern Maine in places such as Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
and Vinalhaven
Vinalhaven, Maine
Vinalhaven is a town located in the Fox Islands in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,235 at the 2000 census. It is home to a thriving lobster fishery and hosts a summer colony...
. The station is also heard by listeners in northern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and parts of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, although reception can be sporadic in those areas due to interference from the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
.
Until April 1, 2005, WTOS' broadcast area included the greater Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
area. However, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) granted a license to a small, Portland-area, community-programmed jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
station (WJZP-LP
WJZP-LP
WJZP-LP is a low-power broadcast radio station in Portland, Maine, USA. The station currently broadcasts a community-based Smooth Jazz format, The station has been on the air since 2005....
) to broadcast on the 105.1 frequency. As such, WJZP is available to listeners instead of WTOS, in Maine regions south of Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
and Freeport on the 105.1 frequency.
In March 2009, Blueberry Broadcasting began to simulcast WTOS' signal on its former talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station WCME on the frequency of 96.7 FM, expanding to Mid Coast Maine and in June 2010 WTUX
WTUX
WHIT is a radio station based in Madison, Wisconsin and broadcasting an oldies format. The station is currently owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting....
signed on the air simulcasting WTOS to the Downeast Maine region on the frequency of 101.1 FM.
WTOS Battle of the Bands and Benefit Concerts
The WTOS Battle of the Bands took place annually at the Skowhegan fairgrounds in mid-August. The event gained a great deal in popularity over time, and almost 6,000 fans attended the final battle in 2008. The winners of the events included Emptyhead (2003) and Dead Season (2004, 2005, and retired from the competition after their win in 2006), Civil Disturbance (2007) and Soundbender (2008). Blueberry Broadcasting ended their involvement in the contest after the August 2008 show.WTOS also hosted Rock Relief every year, raising funds for a different charitable organization each summer. It originated as a response to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005, and became an annual event to raise money for charities in need, up through July, 2008. In 2009, Rock Relief took on a year-round dimension as the "WTOS School of Rock" concert series. The series features local and regional bands playing concerts at area high schools that raise money for the school's music program. Several Maine high schools have hosted shows, and as of 2010, over 20 different bands have performed.
On-air staff
Tom O & Mr. Mike--"The Mountain Morning Show", which has been on the air since 1992. Both joined WTOS in 1987 - Tom O as afternoon personality, and Mr. Mike as News Director.Mark Matzell-- Mid-day personality. Former host of the "Mark and Mark Remarkable Morning Show" on WBLM
WBLM
WBLM 102.9 FM is a classic rock radio station servicing the southern Maine and southeastern New Hampshire listening areas from Portland, Maine. The station has a studio in One City Center, along with WJBQ and WHOM...
in Portland.
Mandy X- Afternoon personality. Formerly of WFZX
WFZX
WKVV and WKVZ are radio stations licensed to Searsport and Dexter, Maine USA, the stations serve the Bangor area. The stations are currently owned by the Educational Media Foundation...
in Bangor.
Kat- Night-time personality. Formerly of WFZX
WFZX
WKVV and WKVZ are radio stations licensed to Searsport and Dexter, Maine USA, the stations serve the Bangor area. The stations are currently owned by the Educational Media Foundation...
in Bangor. Also morning host on the "All-New Bear" WBFB
WBFB
WBFB also known as 97-1 The Bear is an FM broadcast station licensed to Belfast, Maine with studios in Bangor, Maine. The station is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting and is a country formatted radio station simulcasting on co-owned WMCM and WLKE....
.
Kennedy-- Hosts "WTOS Homegrown", a Wednesday evening show devoted to local artists, and "The Metal Church", a Sunday-night show dedicated to classic and vintage heavy metal from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, as well as two hours devoted to current metal acts.