WHTP (AM)

WHTP (1280 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Gardiner, Maine, United States. It serves the Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta metropolitan areas. The station is owned by MaineInvests LLC. It airs a contemporary hit radio format with a heavy rhythmic slant, branded as "Hot Radio Maine", simulcast with WHTP-FM (104.7) in Kennebunkport and WHZP (1400 AM) in Veazie.
WHTP is powered in the daytime at 5,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna. But at night, to avoid interfering with other stations on AM 1280, it reduces power to 400 watts. The transmitter is located off Northern Avenue in Farmingdale, Maine, near the Maine Turnpike. WHTP is also simulcast on an FM translator station, 100.3 W262DP in Gardiner.
History.
Early years as WABK.
The station first signed on the air on September 1, 1968. Its original call sign was WABK, owned by Abenaki Company. The station had a middle of the road format by 1971. It later moved to a full service adult contemporary sound. An FM sister station, WKME 104.3 FM, was added in 1974.
Two years later, WABK shifted to a talk/MOR format. In 1977, the station was sold to Tryon Communications, and talk programming was dropped. WABK became a network affiliate of ABC Radio. WABK began simulcasting with WABK-FM, which previously aired the Drake-Chenault syndicated format known as "Hit Parade." WABK returned to its own programming by 1984.
WQZN and WFAU.
The station's call letters were changed to WQZN on January 1, 1987. The WABK call sign returned one year later, on January 31, 1988. WABK switched to an adult contemporary format that was largely simulcast with WABK-FM, although the AM station incorporated some of its own news programming.
On September 8, 1994, the station took the WFAU call sign and adult standards format, moved over from 1340 AM, which then became WMDR. WFAU had broadcast at 1340 AM since October 2, 1946.
Cumulus and Clear Channel ownership.
Tryon sold its Central Maine stations to Cumulus Media in 1998. Cumulus, in turn, sold the stations to Clear Channel Communications in 2000. Clear Channel dropped the standards format in 2001 in favor of a simulcast of Skowhegan-based sports radio station WSKW 1160 AM.
A local marketing agreement between Clear Channel and WSKW owner Mountain Wireless ended in 2003. The simulcast was ended. WFAU, along with WIGY 97.5 FM in Madison (now WQSK), dropped ESPN Radio in favor of Fox Sports Radio. WSKW kept its ESPN Radio affiliation. The programming of WFAU and WIGY were eventually be combined with WRKD 1450 AM in Rockland (now WVOM) to form Fox Sports Maine.
Blueberry Broadcasting.
Clear Channel announced on November 16, 2006 that it would sell its Central Maine stations after being bought by private equity firms. The stations were sold to Blueberry Broadcasting in 2008.
Blueberry took WFAU off the air on July 1, 2013 to facilitate repairs to its antenna switching system.
Bob Bittner and MaineInvests ownership.
Shortly afterward, the station was purchased for $16,200 by Blue Jey Broadcasting, owned by Bob Bittner. Bittner assumed control on September 27, 2013. The station returned to the air on October 16.
It began airing an adult standards/oldies format similar to Bittner's other stations, AM 730 WJTO in Bath and AM 740 WJIB in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The call letters were changed to WJYE on October 22, 2014.
On February 9, 2015, WJYE changed its format to classic country, branded as "Country Memories 1280." On July 29, 2019, MaineInvests LLC completed its purchase of WJYE from Blue Jey Broadcasting and switched the station to a 1960s-1970s oldies format as "Fun Oldies 1280".
On January 9, 2020, WJYE dropped its oldies format and began stunting as "207 Hotline Bling Radio", with a loop of Drake's "Hotline Bling". The stunt was also being simulcast on WCYR in Veazie, which dropped its classic country format. It was announced that a new format would launch on the morning of January 13. On that day, WJYE and WCYR began a trimulcast branded as "Hot Radio Maine" with sister station WHTP from Kennebunkport, which serves York County, southern Cumberland County (including Portland), and WCYR, which serves Bangor. The call sign was changed to WHTP on March 6, 2020.