WBAK

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Radio station in Belfast, Maine

title: "WBAK" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-in-bangor,-maine", "classic-hits-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "radio-stations-established-in-1986", "1986-establishments-in-maine", "belfast,-maine", "blueberry-broadcasting-radio-stations"] description: "Radio station in Belfast, Maine" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBAK" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Radio station in Belfast, Maine ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station dual"]

FieldValue
name1WBAK
name2WBKA
logoWABK-FM & WBAK logo.png
logo_size200px
aboveSimulcasts of WABK-FM, Gardiner
city1Belfast, Maine
city2Trenton, Maine
countryUS
area1Mid Coast–Bangor, Maine
area2Down East
brandingBig 104 FM
frequency1
frequency2
airdate1
airdate2
formatClassic hits
erp110,000 watts
erp23,400 watts
haat1335 m
haat2134 m
class1B
class2A
facility_id125411
facility_id240925
licensing_authorityFCC
coordinates1
coordinates2
callsign_meaningsimilar to WABK-FM (sister station in Gardiner)
former_callsigns1
former_callsigns2
ownerBlueberry Broadcasting, LLC
sister_stations
webcast
website
::

| name1 = WBAK | name2 = WBKA | logo = WABK-FM & WBAK logo.png | logo_size = 200px | above = Simulcasts of WABK-FM, Gardiner | city1 = Belfast, Maine | city2 = Trenton, Maine | country = US | area1 = Mid Coast–Bangor, Maine | area2 = Down East | branding = Big 104 FM | frequency1 = | frequency2 = | translator = | repeater = | airdate1 = | airdate2 = | format = Classic hits | language = | erp1 = 10,000 watts | erp2 = 3,400 watts | haat1 = 335 m | haat2 = 134 m | class1 = B | class2 = A | facility_id1 = 25411 | facility_id2 = 40925 | licensing_authority = FCC | coordinates1 = | coordinates2 = | callsign_meaning = similar to WABK-FM (sister station in Gardiner) | former_callsigns1 = | former_callsigns2 = | former_frequencies = | affiliations = | owner = Blueberry Broadcasting, LLC | licensee = | sister_stations = | webcast = | website =

WBAK (104.7 MHz "Big 104 FM") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Belfast, Maine. It is owned by Blueberry Broadcasting, and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. Its programming is also simulcast on WBKA (107.7 FM) in Trenton, as well as WABK-FM 104.3 in Gardiner (serving Augusta).

Studios and offices are on Target Industrial Circle in Bangor. WBAK's transmitter is off Murray Lane in Frankfort. WBKA's transmitter is off Tunk Lake Road in Sullivan. WBAK's competitor is WBQX in Thomaston. WBKA's competitors are cross-town station WNSX in Winter Harbor and WWMJ in Ellsworth.

History

WBAK

WBAK signed on the air on March 7, 1986, as WWFX. WWFX was taken over in 1991 by Union Financial Services. The station was sold to Group H Radio on March 17, 1993.

Group H announced on September 18, 1996, that it would sell WWFX to Star Broadcasting, a company owned by Mark Osborne and Natalie Knox (current owners of WNSX) that already owned WKSQ and WLKE (now WBFE). To minimize playlist overlap with WKSQ, The first song was "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson. The change gave rival WQCB its first competition since WYOU-FM became modern rock station WWBX a year earlier.

Osborne and Knox sold WBFB, WKSQ, and WLKE to Communications Capital Managers in February 2000; that July, CCM announced that it would sell the group (which through other purchases also included WBYA, WGUY, and WVOM) to Clear Channel Communications. Clear Channel announced on November 16, 2006, that it would sell its Bangor stations after being bought by private equity firms, resulting in a sale to Blueberry Broadcasting to 2008; on September 28, 2009, Blueberry began simulcasting WBFB on WLKE and WMCM, replacing their separate country formats. The station swapped formats and call letters with 97.1 FM (the former WYOU-FM) on September 1, 2011, and became sports radio station WAEI-FM, simulcasting with WAEI (WLKE and WMCM continue to simulcast WBFB on its new frequency). The call letters were changed to WBAK on February 5, 2012; the next day, the format was changed to classic hits, leaving the sports format exclusively on WAEI's 910 AM frequency.

WBKA

WBKA went on the air from Bar Harbor May 6, 1995, Original owner MDI Communications sold the station to Bridge Broadcast Corporation in 1997; the new owners changed the station's format to adult album alternative. WMDI was simulcast on WNSX from that station's launch in July 2000 until February 2001, when WNSX was sold to Clear Channel Communications and began to simulcast WFZX. In January 2001, Bridge reached a seal to sell WMDI to Mariner Broadcasting; after the sale was completed in April 2001, the station temporarily left the air, returning on April 23 as WBQI, part of Mariner's WBACH network of classical music stations. Mariner sold its stations to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2004.

Nassau Broadcasting entered bankruptcy in 2011, which culminated in an auction of its stations. Prior to the conclusion of the auction, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network expressed interest in running the WBACH stations. As part of the bankruptcy proceeding, WBQI, along with 29 other Nassau-owned northern New England radio stations, went to a partnership of WBIN-TV owner Bill Binnie and Jeff Shapiro; 17 of the stations, including WBQI, were acquired by Binnie's WBIN Media Company. The purchase was consummated on November 30, 2012, at a price of $12.5 million. WBIN Media promptly announced plans to resell WBQI to Blueberry Broadcasting; on November 30, 2012, the station began to simulcast WBAK. On January 3, 2013, the station changed its call sign to WBKA.

References

References

  1. (1999). "Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999".
  2. (February 6, 2012). "Bangor, Maine's WAEI-FM flips sports for adult hits; AM maintains Fox Sports". Radio-Info.com.
  3. Trotter, Bill. (January 2, 2013). "Blueberry Broadcasting completes purchase of MDI radio station". [[Bangor Daily News]].
  4. [http://www.big104fm.com/contact-us/ Big104FM.com/contact-us]
  5. [https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wbak&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C Radio-Locator.com/WBAK]
  6. [https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WBka&nav= Radio-Locator.com/WBKA]
  7. (December 27, 1986). "Newsline". [[Billboard (magazine).
  8. "Application Search Details (1)". [[Federal Communications Commission]].
  9. "Application Search Details (2)". Federal Communications Commission.
  10. "Application Search Details (3)". Federal Communications Commission.
  11. Nessell, Doug. (September 19, 1996). "Kiss 94.5 a winner in Fox hunt". [[Bangor Daily News]].
  12. Fybush, Scott. (October 9, 1996). "Meet the New 'FNX...". New England RadioWatch.
  13. Fybush, Scott. (October 18, 1996). "Kidstar Débuts!". New England RadioWatch.
  14. Fybush, Scott. (May 15, 1997). "Changes in the Morning". North East RadioWatch.
  15. "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission.
  16. Fybush, Scott. (February 18, 2000). "Consolidating in Bangor". North East RadioWatch.
  17. Fybush, Scott. (July 21, 2000). "An End to Jukebox's Legal Troubles". North East RadioWatch.
  18. Fybush, Scott. (November 20, 2006). "Dark Days All Around". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  19. Fybush, Scott. (May 5, 2008). "The Sales Market Heats Up". NorthEast Radio Watch.
  20. Venta, Lance. (August 18, 2011). "Bangor, ME Bear Moves". RadioInsight.
  21. Fybush, Scott. (May 8, 1997). "May Miscellany". North East RadioWatch.
  22. Fybush, Scott. (July 14, 2000). "Saga Swallows Ithaca; We Go To Ohio". North East RadioWatch.
  23. Fybush, Scott. (February 26, 2001). "WBUF Rocks Again...". North East RadioWatch.
  24. Fybush, Scott. (January 29, 2001). "Andy Moes, 1950-2001". North East RadioWatch.
  25. Fybush, Scott. (April 16, 2001). "Clear Channel Buys Two in Maine". North East RadioWatch.
  26. Fybush, Scott. (April 30, 2001). "Quebec Tower Comes Down". North East RadioWatch.
  27. (December 12, 2003). "Stations sold". [[Sun Journal (Lewiston).
  28. [http://www.downeast.com/media-mutt/2012/april/maine-broadcasting-commercial MPBN Going Commercial?] Al Diamon, Downeast.com, April 23, 2012
  29. [http://www.downeast.com/media-mutt/2012/may/nassau-maine-stations Nassau’s Maine Stations Split Up] Al Diamon, Downeast.com, May 4, 2012
  30. (May 22, 2012). "Carlisle Capital Corp. Wins Bidding For Rest Of Nassau Stations". All Access.
  31. Venta, Lance. (May 22, 2012). "Nassau Broadcasting Auction Results". RadioInsight.
  32. (September 6, 2012). "Sold: Maine FM, Massachusetts Noncomm". All Access.
  33. "Northern New England Change Rundown".

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radio-stations-in-bangor,-maineclassic-hits-radio-stations-in-the-united-statesradio-stations-established-in-19861986-establishments-in-mainebelfast,-maineblueberry-broadcasting-radio-stations