Northern Maine

[Dib9@aol.com]

I am on business in northern Maine and have had a chance to listen to some
stations that I don't usually hear.  I am typing this tonight in Greenville,
on the shores of Moosehead lake.

Local radio still exists!  94.5 WKSQ Ellsworth has been one of the top rated
stations in the Bangor market for years and they still do a good job.  They
do an AC format, have good jocks and do local news during drive time.  They
do an "80's at 8" show that is really good.  They place 80's Top 40 stuff
that you don't hear much anymore.  Someone obviously puts some work into the
show, unless it is a syndicated package that the local jock uses. They have
well produced bumpers for different years, including audio bits from the
period.  The jock was using relatable material from the time as well.  Plus,
they played requests.  I know they do because they played mine.  (That's what
car phones are for, right?)  Most stations, even the ones with live jocks,
don't put as much effort into an evening show.

103.1 WDME Dover-Foxcroft is also interesting.  They are best know for
broadcasting from an old railroad car.  They also do local news and at 6pm I
heard an old time radio show.  Syndicated show, hosted by Stan Freeberg.
 They also run the Sox and seem to being some kind of AC the rest of the
time.  So-So station, but it is local, with a lot of local spots in a poor,
rural area.  (Probably at $5 per spot.)

Heard a great liner on B-98.5 Wayerville.  It went:  "Not just another carbon
copy radio station... We have a fax machine."  Pretty funny, but the station
actually is just a carbon copy country station.

It's odd to drive around up here and have only a few stations scan in.  A few
stations are listenable, but only a couple scan in.  Nothing scans in on AM,
and only WZON Bangor and WSKW Skowhegan are at all listenable on AM.  WDME-AM
Dover-Foxcroft was shut down about ten years ago.

Does anyone know if there is an industry standard for scan functions on car
radios?
It seems that the scan function on one of my vehicles scans in more stations
that the other. 

Dan Billings
Bowdoinham, Maine
 

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