AUGUSTA – It’s not going to give the talking heads on WLOB any competition and it certainly won’t steal ratings from the music stations that dominate the FM dial, but there’s a new, niche radio station broadcasting in Maine.
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife began broadcasting Nov. 1 on a low-power AM station along the Maine Turnpike in Kittery.
Heard on 1640 AM, the station broadcasts information about outdoor activities in the state. A sign along the northbound lanes of the turnpike tells tourists about the station.
“We view this as an exciting new tool to better serve and inform our customers,” said Roland Martin, commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
The station will broadcast up-to-date information on hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, hiking and other outdoor activities. The message, which can be changed according to the time of year, will also include safety information.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the department to share important and timely outdoor information with folks as they just arrive in Maine,” Martin said.
It cost about $26,000 to install the transmitter, which is located across the turnpike at a state police weigh station, said Bill Pierce, a marketing specialist with IF&W. Pierce estimated that it will cost about $90 a month to operate the station.
The money for the project comes from the sale of fish and wildlife merchandise sold by the IF&W, which the Legislature earmarked specifically for promotions, Pierce said.
The sign directing travelers to the station was paid for by the Maine Turnpike Authority, Martin said.
The station has a range of about 15 miles and a typical broadcast would be about seven minutes long, with several shorter segments of information, Pierce said. Individual parts of the broadcast can be changed to provide listeners with current information.
In talking about the station, Gov. John Baldacci said that the state’s rich natural resources and tradition of outdoor recreation make it a top destination in the Eastern United States and contributes to the more than $1 billion-a-year tourism industry.
“These pursuits are important, not only for their recreational value, but because they provide significant positive economic impact for Maine’s economy,” Baldacci said.
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