WMGX

WMGX (93.1 MHz "Coast 93.1") is a commercial FM radio station in Portland, Maine. The stations coverage area reaches across all of Southern Maine. WMGX airs an Adult Top 40 radio format and is owned by Saga Communications. Studios and offices are on Western Avenue in South Portland.

WMGX
CityPortland, Maine
Broadcast areaGreater Portland
Frequency93.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingCoast 93.1
SloganPortland's Adult Hit Music Station
Programming
FormatFM/HD1: Adult Top 40
HD2: News/Talk (WGAN simulcast)
HD3: Christian radio (Bible Broadcasting Network)
Ownership
OwnerSaga Communications
(Saga Communications of New England, LLC)
Sister stationsWBAE, WCLZ, WGAN, WPOR, WVAE, WYNZ, WZAN
History
First air dateJune 10, 1977
Call sign meaningW MaGic X (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID58548
ClassB
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT135 meters (422 ft)
Translator(s)105.1 W286CU (Saco, relays HD3)
Links
WebcastListen Live
WebsiteCoast931.com

WMGX has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts. The transmitter is off Presumpscot Street in Portland, near Interstate 295.[1] It broadcasts in the HD Radio hybrid format. The HD2 subchannel carries the talk radio programming of sister station AM 560 WGAN. And the HD3 subchannel carries the Bible Broadcasting Network's Christian radio programming, which feeds FM translator W286CU at 105.1 MHz in Saco, Maine.[2]

History

On June 10, 1977, WMGX first signed on the air.[3] It was owned by Sunshine Broadcasting and played a soft rock format as "Magic 93." Artists included James Taylor, Carole King, Cat Stevens and Carly Simon. Announcers did not talk over the music. Several songs were played in a row, with no talking between the songs.

From the mid-to-late-1980s and through the 1990s, WMGX was owned by the Portland Radio Group, LLC., which also operated talk radio station 560 AM WGAN, country music station 101.9 WPOR and "Oldies" (1950s and 1960s hits) station 100.9 WYNZ. WMGX had a unique format, blending classic, soft, and progressive rock with adult contemporary music. At this time, the station claimed that "[It] never [played] the same song twice [in one 24-hour period]," a boast that it later backed up with a monetary prize to anyone who caught the station doing so.

In 1992, WMGX and WGAN were acquired by Saga Communications.[4] On March 9, 2006, 29 years after the station's launch, WMGX changed format. The station then became "Coast 93.1," with a hot adult contemporary format, playing music from the "80s, 90s and Now".

WMGX eventually dropped the "80s, 90s and Now" slogan and changed it to "Today's Best Mix" in order to reflect the playlist from the current and recent Top 40 charts, minus any songs deemed too hard-edged or rap-oriented. Songs from the last couple of decades also were heard but WMGX rarely played any song recorded before 1990.

As of April 2016, to compete more with the long dominant Top 40 station 97.9 WJBQ, WMGX shifted to an Adult Top 40 format under the branding of "Portland's Adult Hit Music Station." The station currently acts as a hybrid between a Hot AC and a Mainstream Top 40 station. On Sunday mornings, WMGX airs the nationally syndicated show "American Top 40" with Ryan Seacrest.

The Coast Morning Show

The Coast Morning Show with Blake Hayes and Eva Matteson was voted Portland's #1 morning show according to the Portland Phoenix. Mondays are "Missed Connection Monday," when Blake and Eva read different posts from Craigslist's Missed Connections Section. Thursday is "Blown Off" Day where Blake and Eva try to figure out why a listener was "blown off" by a person they went out on a date with. Fridays are "Tell Us Something Good" where listeners get a chance to call in and tell everyone something positive.

Blake Hayes is open about being gay and sometimes discusses life as a gay man.[5]

gollark: Yes; each socket no longer gets its own ID (they were useless) and I'm using collision-resistant message IDs.
gollark: I mean, by me. Obviously it needs its own.
gollark: Er, *any* documenting?
gollark: Does the ID thing need much documenting?
gollark: How is it now?

References
  1. Radio-Locator.com/WMGX
  2. Radio-Locator.com/W286CU
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 page C-98
  4. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2007 page D-245
  5. http://coast931.com/blake-hayes/

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.