WHTP

City of license	Kennebunkport, Maine
Broadcast area	Southern Maine Coast, Portland, Maine
Branding	Hot 104.7
Slogan	Southern Maine's Hit Music Channel
Frequency	104.7 MHz
First air date	December 1, 1994 (1994-12-01) (as WQEZ)[1]
Format	Top 40 (Rhythmic)
ERP	6,000 watts
HAAT	87 meters
Class	A
Facility ID	69855
Transmitter coordinates	43°24′16.00″N 70°26′15″W / 43.40444°N 70.4375°W / 43.40444; -70.4375{{#coordinates:43|24|16.00|N|70|26|15|W|region:US-ME_type:landmark | |name= }}
Callsign meaning	HoT Portland
Former callsigns	WQEZ (1994–2004) WHXQ (2004–2008) WBQW (2008–2012)
Owner	Mainestream Media, LLC
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	hot1047maine.com

WHTP (104.7 FM; "Hot 104.7") is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Kennebunkport, Maine. Established in 1994, WHTP is owned by Mainestream Media. The station broadcasts a top 40 format with a rhythmic approach.^[2]

History [link]

WHTP began broadcasting December 1, 1994 as WQEZ, an easy listening/adult contemporary station owned by Vega Corporation, which also owned WBQQ (99.3 FM).^[1][3] Vega sold the stations to Mariner Broadcasting on June 16, 1997.^[4] Mariner sold its stations to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2004.^[5] That April, Nassau relaunched the station as WHXQ, a classic rock station branded as The Bone and simulcasting with WHXR (106.7 FM, now WXTP).^[6] During summer 2006, WHXQ/WHXR expanded their playlist to become an active rock station. WHXQ and WHXR had planned to switch to sports talk provided by Boston's WEEI in January 2008,^[7] but the deal between Nassau and WEEI owner Entercom ended up collapsing.^[8]

WHXQ swapped formats and call signs with WBQW (106.3 FM, now the current WHXR) on October 6, 2008 and began to carry WBACH's classical music programming (which had originated on WBQQ in 1991; concurrent with the WHXQ/WBQW swap, WBQQ became a simulcast of WTHT).^[9] Nassau Broadcasting entered bankruptcy in 2011, which culminated in an auction of its stations. Prior to the conclusion of the auction, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network expressed interest in running the WBACH stations.^[10] As part of the bankruptcy proceeding, WBQW was auctioned in May 2012 to local owner Mainestream Media for $150,000, while the other WBACH stations (WBQX in Thomaston and WBQI in Bar Harbor) went to Bill Binnie's WBIN Media Company.^[11][12] Mainestream Media dropped WBACH's programming on September 13, 2012^[13][14] and began stunting with Christmas music, making the claim of being the first station to switch to Christmas music in 2012.^[15] Though it promoted "104 days of Christmas music,"^[15] the next day at 5 PM, the station adopted its permanent top 40 format, branded as "Hot 104.7".^[2] WHTP currently competes with longtime Top 40 station WJBQ, owned by Cumulus Media, which has a more mainstream feel to it as compared to WHTP's Rhythmic approach (similar to the former WRED). On October 1, the call letters were changed to WHTP, fitting the "HOT" branding style.

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WHTP
• Radio-Locator information on WHTP
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WHTP