WPME
 |
|
|
Lewiston/Portland, Maine United States |
|
|---|---|
| Branding | WPME |
| Slogan | TV For ME |
| Channels | Digital: 35 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 35.1 MyNetworkTV 35.2 Movies! 35.3 Laff |
| Owner | Ironwood Communications, LLC (Ironwood Communications Portland, LLC) |
| Founded | October 2, 1989 |
| First air date | August 13, 1997 |
| Sister station(s) | WPXT |
| Former callsigns | Portland, MainE |
| Former channel number(s) | 35 (UHF analog, 1997–2008) 28 (UHF digital) |
| Former affiliations |
UPN (1997–2006) The WB (secondary, 1997–2001) |
| Transmitter power | 14.35 kW |
| Height | 278 m |
| Facility ID | 48408 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 43°51′6.4″N 70°19′38.4″W / 43.851778°N 70.327333°W |
| Website | www |
WPME is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire licensed to Lewiston, Maine. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from a transmitter in South Gray along I-95/Maine Turnpike/Gold Star Memorial Highway. Owned by Ironwood Communications, LLC, it is the sister station to CW affiliate WPXT and the two share studios on Ledgeview Drive in Westbrook.
The Federal Communications Commission granted a construction permit to original station owner Kennebec Valley Television in 1987. After ten years of delays related to difficulties in obtaining financing to construct the station and commence broadcasting, Kennebec Valley Television's corporate successor New England Broadcasting was granted an unbuilt station waiver and WPME signed on August 13, 1997 under a time brokerage agreement with WPXT owner Pegasus Communications Corporation. Prior to WPME's sign-on, Portland, Maine, viewers that wanted to watch UPN had to view it on cable via WSBK-TV. In February 2001 New England Broadcasting sold WPME to KB Prime Media LLC, which inherited the previous agreement with Pegasus. Pegasus Communications was permitted by the FCC to purchase WPME outright in February 2005 under the previously-granted unbuilt station waiver. The station maintained primary affiliation with UPN and secondary affiliation with The WB. It aired WB prime time on a tape delay starting at 10. When WPXT switched its affiliation from Fox to The WB, this secondary affiliation was dropped. WPME aired Boston Celtics and Bruins games in the late 1990s and Red Sox baseball until 2002. The Red Sox, owning half of cable sports network NESN, moved the games to that network.
...
Wikipedia