WPPI

WPPI (95.5 FM) is a sports radio station in the Portland, Maine, area. The station is owned by Atlantic Coast Radio.

WPPI serves as a simulcast of WPEI (95.9 FM) in Saco. Both stations, in turn, mostly carry the same programs as WEEI-FM from Boston. Some local commercials take the place of Boston commercials, and some WEEI-FM game broadcasts are substituted with Fox Sports Radio. WPPI also carries University of Maine Black Bear football and ice hockey,^[2] and Portland Pirates ice hockey.^[3]

History

The 95.5 frequency began operations in 1993 as WPME, simulcasting a country music format with 96.7 WCME from Boothbay Harbor (now WBQA).^[4] A year later, the station converted to an oldies format as WXGL-FM.^[4] Atlantic Coast Radio purchased the station in 1999,^[5] and in January 2000, the station switched to an adult album alternative format as WCLZ.^[6] A few months later, WCLZ adopted a sports talk format, initially as a simulcast of WJAE;^[7] the next year, the station took the call letters WJJB-FM.^[8]

On August 25, 2008, 96.3 WLOB-FM was converted to a simulcast of WJJB (which WJAE had become by that time), resulting in WLOB's programming being heard only on the AM signal. This was part of a shuffle of Atlantic Coast Radio's FM stations as a result of the conversion of two of its stations, including WJJB-FM, on September 1, 2008 to simulcasts of WEEI.^[9] Shortly after the completion of these format changes, 95.5's call letters were changed to WGEI (it had initially planned to use the WTEI call sign,^[10] and for a week in September 2008 used the WUEI call letters^[11]).

On April 1, 2009, WGEI converted to a simulcast of WLOB; it became WLOB-FM a few days later.^[11] In August 2011, WLOB-FM returned to simulcasting WEEI. On September 7, 2011, WLOB-FM changed its call letters to WPPI.

References

External links

• WEEI official website
• ‹The template FMQ is being considered for deletion.› WPPI in the FCC FM station database
• WPPI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database