Townsquare Media will flip AC 92.9 WEZQ Bangor to Sports “92.9 The Ticket” on January 1.
Affiliated with ESPN Radio, WEZQ will feature a local morning show hosted by Dale Duff and Clem LaBree. The station will be the local affiliate for Boston Bruins hockey and New England Patriots football.
The Bangor cluster was one of the markets acquired by Townsquare as part of the 65 station swap made by it and Cumulus earlier this year. In addition to WEZQ, Townsquare Media operates Standards 1370 WDEA, Classic Hits “I95” 95.7 WWMJ, Country “Q106.5” WQCB, and CHR “Z107.3” WBZN
From their site:
http://wezq-fm.com/new-bangor-sports-radio-station-website-to-launch-jan-1/
“Sports radio is the fastest growing format in the nation. 92.9 The Ticket will reach many eastern Maine fans with 50,000 watts on the FM dial,”
I believe that the theory is that an all-sports format will generate more revenue-per-ratings-point than other formats that achieve the same number. That may work if you’re the only all-sports outlet in town or the second in a major market that has four major-league teams (to the limited extent that the NHL can be considered “Major League”). So that self-serving statement may be true for Bangor. But if you’re the third, or as is the case in Boston, the FOURTH all-sports signal in town, then what?
Bangor already has one all sports station (WAEI). I find it hard to believe that it can support two.
The Fox Sports format is at times not very east coast or even New England. How the station is programmed will determine its success. Give it a chance.