On the banks of the Little Androscoggin River, off the northbound lanes of U.S. 202 on the approach to Lewiston, Me., sit twin directional broadcast towers for an AM radio station that in recent years has offered Adult Standards and Oldies and circa October 1977 was an adult-focused Top 40 station branded as “Musicradio 1470.”
Today, they are silent, as the licensee earlier this month received a grant for a silent Special Temporary Authority request from the FCC. If the AM returns to officially celebrate its 78th birthday will likely be up to any potential buyer.
As reported by the Lewiston Sun-Journal, WLAM-AM has concluded its broadcast run. So has W247DK, the facility’s FM translator at 97.3 MHz.
It is a decision made by the licensee Blue Jey Broadcasting and the estate of Bob Bittner, who tells the FCC it is in discussions to sell the stations.
Meanwhile, Blue Jey has ceased fundraising and seeking listener support for the station’s noncommercial programming. “Therefore, this request is being made for financial reasons,” Raisa Bittner shares.
Writing on Bob’s Memory Station‘s website, she said, “It is hard to keep a radio station on the air with the rising cost of power and utilities. We do want to thank all of you for you listener-ship, friendship and support over the years. It has meant a lot to us here at the Memory Stations. Once a final sale is made WLAM .. will return to the air under new ownership.”
So will Gorham, Me.-licensed WLVP-AM 870 and its FM translator at 105.1 MHz.
“We will not be disappearing completely,” Raisa Bittner says, noting, “You can still hear Bob and the great music on Bob Bittner’s Memory Station online, which we have no plan to end.”
