Legendary Rock N Roll Station To Sign Off For Good At Year’s End

The radio community in Bangor is small. Everyone either knows or has worked with everyone else in this market. While we may be employed by different "competing" stations, most of us are friendly, if not friends, with one another.

There's a lot of talent on the airwaves up here in this little corner of the world. Maine listeners are both very habitual and loyal to the personalities and the music that they love.

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One such listener, who became the owner of a handful of local radio stations, just happens to be one of Bangor's most famous residents, Stephen King.

Back in the 80s, King purchased his first station, and over the years, he would ultimately create "The ZONE Corporation," consisting of AM giant AM 620 WZON , Rock N Roll powerhouse 100.3 WKIT, and the Adult Alternative station, 103.1 WZLO.

Those stations have always had a great reputation in the community as independently owned and locally staffed.

That's what made the news that they'll be signing off the airwaves at the end of the year particularly shocking to everyone.

In the wake of Nationwide radio layoffs by big corporations like Cumulus Broadcasting and IHeart Radio, many didn't expect independent and locally owned stations to follow suit. But it seems that these days, no one is immune to just how much the world has changed since radio's heyday.

In a press release sent out early Monday morning, King explained that after decades of running these legendary radio stations, he'd be taking them off the air on December 31st.

He said that the stations have been losing money over the years, and while he and his wife Tabitha have personally kept the doors open and the lights on, it's time to relinquish that part of his life, as he's not 36 anymore.

"Now, in good health but feeling his 77 years, King says it’s time to 'get his business affairs in better order,' and that means saying good-bye to the radio stations that he personally has kept afloat and on the air all these years."

"I’ve loved being a local, independent owner all these years. I’ve loved the people who’ve gone to these stations every day and entertained folks, kept the equipment running, and given local advertisers a way to connect with their customers. Tabby and I are proud to have been a part of that for more than four decades.”

Notorious for taking good care of his employees, with many of them sharing personal stories of handwritten notes, bonuses, and positive working conditions, many in the industry were surprised by the timing of the announcement, as it comes just weeks before the Christmas holiday.

To the on-air staff and those who have worked behind the scenes for the past four decades at Zone Corporation, we send out our best wishes to our radio colleagues in whatever comes next for them. The airwaves are going to sound a little thinner without those guys and gals doing what they've done for decades.

Best of luck, friends.