City Islesboro, Maine Branding 105.5 The Wolf First air date February 1999 | Broadcast area Mid Coast Frequency 105.5 MHz Format Country music | |
WBYA (105.5 FM; "The Wolf") is a radio station licensed to Islesboro, Maine, United States. The station serves the Mid Coast area with a country music format. The station is owned by Binnie Media, and broadcasts from a transmitter on U.S. 1 south of Northport.
History
The station went on the air as WAYD in February 1999, programming an adult standards format branded as "The Bay." It was owned by Gopher Hill Communications, who also owned WQSS in Camden and WABI and WWBX in Bangor; the station was based out of the WQSS studios in Camden. On April 16, 2001, the station changed its call sign to the current WBYA, which had just been dropped by WFZX in Searsport. Gopher Hill sold WBYA to Mariner Broadcasting in 2003; this came after the other three Gopher Hill stations were sold to Clear Channel Communications. Mariner kept the standards format, but dropped locally-produced programming in favor of the Music of Your Life service.
Nassau Broadcasting Partners acquired Mariner in 2004; under Nassau, the station switched to the "Frank FM" classic hits format on April 1, 2005. WBYA simulcast the morning show of Portland sister WFNK, and in addition to the classic hits format broadcast local high school basketball games and Boston Red Sox baseball.
WBYA, along with 16 other Nassau stations in northern New England, was purchased at bankruptcy auction by WBIN Media Company, a company controlled by Bill Binnie, on May 22, 2012. Binnie already owned WBIN-TV in Derry, New Hampshire. The deal was completed on November 30, 2012.
On February 18, 2017, Binnie Media moved the classic hits format to WBQX (106.9 FM), replacing the classical music programming of WBACH; WBYA then began stunting with a loop directing listeners to WBQX. On February 24, 2017, WBYA changed to a country music format, branded as "105.5 The Wolf"; the new format includes a simulcast of Portland sister station WTHT's morning show. Following the format changes, WBYA retained Boston Red Sox broadcasts, while its high school basketball coverage was transferred to WBQX.