WSYY-FM (94.9
FM) is a
radio station broadcasting a
full-service adult hits format. Licensed to
Millinocket, Maine, United States, the station's broadcast signal serves
Central Penobscot County,
Eastern Piscataquis County, and
Southern Aroostook County, from its
tower site
The Tower Site (or 33-Bl-15) is a prehistoric village site dating from 1000 to 1499 AD and is closely associated with the Monongahela culture. Located around north-west of Barnesville, Ohio, United States, the site was placed on the National ...
in Millinocket. The station is owned by Katahdin Communications, Inc.
WSYY-FM plays a mix of
oldies/
classic hits,
adult contemporary,
rock music, and some
country crossovers. The station also features programming from
CBS News Radio (and has been an affiliate of that network for many decades). WSYY-FM also airs ''
When Radio Was''.
History
In 1978, WSYY-FM was founded on 97.7 FM as WKTR, upgrading to its current facilities in 1984 on 94.9. Prior to their ''The Mountain 94.9'' branding, WSYY-FM used to be referred to as ''North Country 95'', airing
country music full-time. The current format, branding, and slogan was probably adopted around March 1, 2004, when Katahdin Communications, Inc. assumed control of WSYY-FM & AM from Katahdin Timberlands, LLC as a result of the radio station facing increasing land disputes, initially as a short term lease agreement, but the transfer of ownership became permanent. Those land disputes would lead to a loss of WSYY-FM's 23,500-
watt transmitter location (featuring an antenna
HAAT of 211 meters). WSYY-FM may have been operating under a
Special Temporary Authority
Special Temporary Authority (STA) in U.S. broadcast law is a type of broadcast license which temporarily allows a broadcast station to operate outside of its normal technical or legal parameters. In the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stat ...
License (a 12,000-
watt facility with an antenna HAAT of 68 meters via Hammond Ridge on Lake Road), ever since as long ago as late 2007, pending a planned permanent move to a 22,000-
watt facility with an antenna HAAT of 198.4 meters (from just off Nicatou Road in
Medway
Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...
, well east of WSYY-FM's old or current
transmitter tower location). On November 23, 2016, the
construction permit
Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...
for this proposed move was modified to a 45,000-
watt facility with an antenna HAAT of 146.7 meters, the first time this proposed move has ever received official approval from the
FCC.
Former sports offerings
''The Mountain 94.9'' carried local high school sports in season until fall 2017. ''The Mountain 94.9'' also carried the schedule of
Red Sox Baseball from 1997 through 2015, when
Millinocket
Millinocket is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,114 at the 2020 census.
Millinocket's economy has historically been centered on forest products and recreation, but the paper company closed in 2008.
History ...
's affiliation with the
Boston Red Sox Radio Network transferred to co-owned
WSYY, concluding the interruptions to the music during
Major League Baseball. The transfer was completed on April 2, 2021, when 1240 WSYY returned to the air with translator 102.5 W273DJ debuting with the opening game of the
Boston Red Sox.
Syndicated programming
WSYY-FM is one of two Maine affiliates (the other being
WLOB in
Portland) of ''
When Radio Was'', is one of the two Maine affiliates (the other being
WWMJ) of The Acoustic Storm, is Maine's only affiliate of the
Crook & Chase syndicated
country music countdown programming, and is an affiliate of the Blues Deluxe radio show.
References
External links
{{Northern and Downeast Maine Radio
SYY-FM
Mass media in Penobscot County, Maine
Radio stations established in 1978
Millinocket, Maine
1978 establishments in Maine
Full service radio stations in the United States
Adult hits radio stations in the United States