WKZS-WJBQ-WMME – Portland/Augusta, Maine – 2/8 & 2/14/97

Recorded 18 years ago this month, this is a sample of three CHR/CHR-leaning stations serving the state of Maine in early 1997:

• WKZS, Auburn/Portland — “99.9 Kiss-FM” (also heard on 96.9 FM), 2/8/97 – recorded during the high-energy “Kiss Club Night” mixshow programming. The station sounded much better in this era than it did a couple of years later, when it had rebranded as “Mix 96.9 & 99.9”.  (I have not been able to locate a logo for this station.)

• WJBQ, Portland — “Q 97 Dot 9”, 2/14/97 — Absolutely one of the best small market CHRs I’ve ever heard. J.J. Jeffries was both the voice and (I think) the owner of the station.

• WMME, Augusta/Brunswick/Bangor — “92 Moose”, 2/8/97. Another solid-sounding small market station that played more Rhythmic/Dance music than one might expect. Even at this point, it used jingles that were more commonplace in the early 90’s.