UNIVERSITY OF MAINE-ORONO - WMEB 91.9 FM

WMEB-FM started in the early 1960’s as WORO, a carrier current radio station, which could only be heard in buildings on campus. In January 1964, the Federal Communications Commission allowed the campus radio station to sign on and broadcast over the airwaves at 91.9 megahertz. With its studios in 275 Stevens Hall and it’s tower on the top of the building, the brand new WMEB-FM broadcast from 4:00 to 11:00 pm of music news and informational programming. It was the second FM station on the air in the Bangor market, the first one being WABI-FM (now WWBX, B97) The 380 watt signal was spotty after you got off campus, but the station could be heard in Old Town, Orono, Bangor and Brewer.

It was affiliated with the educational television station WMEB-TV, Channel 12, which is now part of Maine Public Broadcasting. The call letters stood for Maine Educational Broadcasting. At the time, the FM band was split in two: All stations that were between 88.1 and 91.9 fm were designated educational stations. Later this ruling changed to include religious, public and community radio. In 1970, Maine Public Broadcasting signed on a high powered FM station in Bangor, WMEH-FM 90.9, the first of several stations in what was to become MPBN. WMEB-FM was left to the University of Maine campus, while MPBN became the area's National Public Radio affiliate, featuring mostly news, public affairs and classical music.

WMEB-FM has always had ties to academics at the University of Maine. It has been used throughout the years as a teaching laboratory for journalists and communications majors interested in furthering their careers in broadcasting. The advisors were usually professors in Speech or the Journalism/Broadcasting programs.

The station’s studios were comprised of several large rooms in the center of Stevens Hall. There were live drama shows produced, news and public affairs talk shows, sports and diverse musical programming. WMEB-FM's first program director, Jim Goff, is well known in the Bangor broadcasting community. After he graduated, he went on to start WPBC-FM, in Bangor, now known as WEZQ 92.9fm.

Good music, reasonable commentary but no ads is what the "radio voice of the University of Maine was touting in the late 60’s. As the times were changing, so was the sound of the radio station. Music programming became more progressive rock based in the ‘70’s as the number of groups released on vinyl exploded. News programming still held a steady place in the schedule, with newscasts every hour, on the hour throughout the work week. Public service announcements were liberally sprinkled throughout the schedule to keep people informed of events on campus. Prominent alumni of the WMEB news department of the 70’s include: Don Carrigan former news director at WLBZ-TV in Bangor and Maine Public Broadcasting, Brian Naylor currently of National Public Radio, and Gary Thorne of ESPN and ABC.

In 1974 the station went FM Stereo, again one of the first stations in the market to do so. It also went 24 hours a day with live djs doing three hour shifts throughout the schedule. To accommodate this change, a new studio board was purchased and the on-air studio moved to another smaller room in the Stevens Hall complex. WMEB-FM was affiliated with the Speech Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. It’s advisors were professors Saul Scheer and Greg Bowler. Both taught courses in radio and tv broadcasting, and used WMEB’s studios extensively in their course work.

Sports broadcasting also took off with basketball games broadcast over phone lines from "The Pit". The old men’s basketball court at Memorial Gym gained national attention, written up by Sports Illustrated as one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play. The article referred to the fans being right on top of the players and the noise deafening.

In 1980, a decision was made to move WMEB-FM's studios to a temporary home in East Annex. While the radio station certainly had more space than previously allocated in Stevens Hall, the building was actually an old army barracks that had been moved from the Bangor Community College campus in the 60’s. This location was originally meant to house the student radio station for a year or so, while a more suitable permanent home was found. The radio station was located there until January of 2003.

Throughout the ‘80’s the station’s reputation of being one of the top college radio stations in the country grew. WMEB-FM was always a leader in "breaking" new bands onto the charts. Groups like R.E.M., Talking Heads, Dire Straits and U2, considered alternative at the time, became mainstream as a result of college radio stations like WMEB-FM playing their music first. WMEB Programming consisted of alternative and album oriented rock and jazz throughout the ‘80’s including programs such as the Rolling Stone Magazine rock review, Stardate, an astronomy radio series, Wavebreaker, a new wave countdown show and Retro rock. Station slogans included "Radio Free Orono" Maine’s progressive rock station" and "Redefining Alternative".