WLBZ Radio Station Records

Collection

Identifier: SpC MS 0608

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection includes photographs, administrative, and marketing related documents stemming from station activities from 1926 through the 1970s. Several publications and documents were added, ranging in date through 2015, and reflect on the history of the station. These include a publication by the Maine Association of Broadcasters, summaries written by Edward E. Guernsey and Barry Darling, and a draft of a doctoral dissertation written by Erica Risberg, "We broadcast what people wanted to hear" : networks and local programming, WLBZ, Bangor, Maine, 1931 to 1945.

A bulk of the records are station logs for the years 1931-1957. Logs typically indicate the time slot during which each program aired. Many also include technical statistics, including voltage, current amps, and radion frequency checks.

Audio in several formats was included. Many recordings have been digitized and are available online at https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/wlbz_station_records/

Dates

1926-2015

Creator

WLBZ (Radio station : Bangor, Me.) (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Information on literary rights available in the repository.

Historical Note

WLBZ began as a "hobby" radio station in 1921. Regular broadcasting began in 1922. The first official licensed broadcast was made from a chicken coop on December 30, 1926 in Dover-Foxcroft. WLBZ, Bangor, was bought by Acton Communications in 1978 and became WACZ. In 1983, the station was bought by Stephen and Tabitha King and became WZON.