The Big JAB

Infobox Radio station
name = WRED/WJJB-FM


area = Southern Maine
branding = SportsRadio WJAB
The Big JAB
slogan =
frequency = WRED: 1440 (kHz)
WJJB: 96.3 (MHz)
translator =
repeater =
airdate = WRED: 1960s
WJJB: 1975
format = Sports radio
power = "see table in article"
erp = "see table in article"
haat = "see table in article"
class = "see table in article"
facility_id = "see table in article"
coordinates = "see table in article"
callsign_meaning = WRED: The color RED (call letters previously assigned to WPEI when it aired a rhythmic top 40 format
WJJB: similar to WJAB
former_callsigns = "see table in article"
affiliations = Sporting News Radio
owner = Atlantic Coast Radio
sister_stations = WLOB, WPEI/WGEI
webcast =
website = http://www.thebigjab.com/

The Big JAB is a network of sports radio stations in southern Maine, owned by Atlantic Coast Radio. It is on 1440 AM (WRED, licensed to Westbrook) and 96.3 FM (WJJB-FM, licensed to Gray). It is located on 779 Warren Avenue in Portland, Maine.

History

The Big JAB (as WJAB, the 1440 frequency) first came into prominence in the early 1960s, when it signed on as a (daytime-only) top 40 music station, giving major competition to cross-town WLOB. WJAB immediately became the top rated station in Portland, a position it held throughout the 1960s.

The 96.3 frequency debuted in 1975 as WRUM-FM from its former city of license, Rumford; the call letters were changed in 1981 to WWMR. In 1997, WWMR became WLOB-FM, and started simulcasting WLOB, which at that time broadcast a religious format. In 2000, WLOB and WLOB-FM were sold to Atlantic Coast Radio by Carter Broadcasting. The stations subsequently dropped their religious programming and picked up a news-talk format. In 2006, WLOB-FM relocated its transmitter from western Maine to South Paris to provide a clearer signal to the Portland area. Following the transmitter move, in 2008 WLOB-FM changed its city of license from Rumford to Gray. On August 25, 2008, WLOB-FM converted from the WLOB simulcast to a simulcast of The Big JAB.

From 1999cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-990206.html|title=WKOX, WLLH Sold|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=1999-02-06|work=North East RadioWatch|accessdate=2008-08-28] to 2008, The Big JAB's programming was also heard on 900 AM (WJJB, licensed to Brunswick; at that time). On April 25, 2008, that frequency (which became WWBK on March 18, 2008; the WJJB calls subsequently moved to 1440, previously WJAEcite web|url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=3140&Callsign=WRED|title=Call Sign History|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=2008-09-23] ) was sold to Bob Bittner (owner of WJIB and WJTO) for $27,000.cite news|url=http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/080428/nerw.html|title=Philly Loses "Big Ron"|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=2008-04-28|work=NorthEast Radio Watch|accessdate=2008-08-28] Additionally, from 2000cite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-001002.html|title=Spinning the Dial in Connecticut|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=2000-10-02|work=North East RadioWatch|accessdate=2008-09-11] to September 1, 2008, The Big JAB's programming was also heard on 95.5 FM (WJJB-FM, licensed to Topsham; initially, the station continued to broadcast under its previous WCLZ call letterscite news|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-010903.html|title=Labor Day Update|last=Fybush|first=Scott|date=2001-09-03|work=North East RadioWatch|accessdate=2008-09-11] ); on that date, it began airing programming from Boston's WEEI in a simulcast with WPEIcite news |first=Ray |last=Routhier |title=WEEI to air in Maine Sept. 1 |url=http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031753.html |work=Portland Press Herald |date=2008-08-19 |accessdate=2008-08-19 ] under the call letters WGEI.cite web|url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=12160&Callsign=WGEI|title=Call Sign History|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=2008-09-13]

tations

Programming

*"The Morning JAB with David "Shoe" Schumacher and Joe Palmieri"
*"The PM JAB with Chris Sedenka"
*Boston Red Sox baseball, from the Red Sox Radio Network
*Jim Rome
*Sporting News Radio
*Portland Pirates
*Boston College Eagles football
*Saturday mornings include "The Weekend JAB" with Kyle Violette and DJ Abisalih.

Former hosts

*Bill Bodwell (original host of "The Morning JAB" along with Shoe.)
*Frank Fixaris

Co-owned stations

*WLOB 1310AM, Licensed to Portland, Maine, currently a talk radio format.
*WPEI 95.9 FM, Licensed to Saco, Maine, part of the WEEI Radio Network

References

External links

* [http://www.thebigjab.com WJAB's Website]
*AM station data|WRED
*FM station data|WJJB