Maine Radio: Listener-Supported WLAM-AM Goes Silent

WLAM Becomes Second Maine Oldies Station to Sign Off Within Three WeeksWLAM (1470 AM), a long-standing radio station in Lewiston, Maine, known for its adult standards and oldies format, ceased broadcasting on August 14, 2025, after nearly 78 years on the air, marking it the second Maine oldies station to go silent within three weeks. 

The station, which first aired on September 4, 1947, was a significant part of the Lewiston-Auburn community, offering a mix of music, sports, and local programming over the decades. 

Its closure followed closely on the heels of sister station WJTO 750 AM in Bath, Maine, which signed off permanently on July 27, 2025.

WLAM, owned by the estate of Bob Bittner through Blue Jey Broadcasting Co., had been a listener-supported station known as “The Memories Station,” playing a mix of soft oldies and adult standards from the 1930s to the 1980s. The station was automated, operating from its transmitter site rather than a traditional studio, a setup implemented by Bittner after he purchased WLAM and its sister station WLVP 870 AM in 2016 for $135,000. 

Bittner, a veteran broadcaster who passed away on May 26, 2023, was known for his eclectic playlists and commercial-free model, relying on listener donations to sustain operations. After his death, the stations were managed by Bob Perry on behalf of Bittner’s estate.

On March 31, 2025, Perry announced that WLAM and WJTO would cease broadcasting on April 13, 2025, due to insufficient donations to cover operating costs, particularly the high cost of power and utilities. WLVP had already gone silent in October 2024. However, days before the planned April shutdown, Perry decided to keep WLAM and WJTO on the air during negotiations with potential buyers, stating it was better to maintain operations in the interim. Despite this reprieve, WJTO went off the air on July 27, 2025, and WLAM followed on August 14, 2025, as announced by Perry on August 11, 2025.