WPEI


WPEI is a WEEI Sports Radio Network station serving the Portland, Maine area. The station is owned by Atlantic Coast Radio.

History

On July 18, 1982, WPEI signed on as WPIG with a country format and the slogan "Southern Maine's Country: FM-96 WPIG". In 1984, it became hot adult contemporary WHYR with slogans "Your Stereo", and then "R-96". In July 1990, WHYR flipped to contemporary hit radio as "96-HYR". In 1995, WHYR changed calls to WRED, but kept the same format and was known on air as "Red Hot 95" with the slogan "Portland's Hot Hits". Some time later, WRED went rhythmic top 40 as "Red Hot 95.9" with the slogan "Maine's #1 for Blazin' Hot Hits".
On August 31, 2008, at 6 PM, WRED dropped its rhythmic top 40 format after a farewell from station DJs. WRED and WJJB-FM then flipped to programming provided by Boston's WEEI, with the simulcast of The Big JAB moving to 96.3 FM. The shift left the market with no hip-hop-based station.
Up until April 1, 2009, WEEI's programming was also heard on sister station WGEI, and the stations were known as WEEI on the 95's. As of April 2009, WGEI is now simulcasting AM sister station WLOB, as WLOB-FM; that station eventually returned to simulcasting with WPEI in August 2011, and is now WPPI.

Programming

WPEI does not carry Boston College football. It does carry Boston Celtics basketball, as well as Boston Red Sox baseball in tandem with The Big JAB. WPEI carries ESPN Radio when not airing WEEI; it had previously carried Fox Sports Radio and Sporting News Radio. WPEI has been the flagship station of the Portland Sea Dogs since 2012, taking over for WBAE/WVAE that year.