The Maine Public Broadcasting Network is adding a Portland station to its classical music radio service, launched less than two weeks ago.

The new station will be heard on 104.1 FM in Greater Portland and should be on the air by Wednesday, said Mark Vogelzang, chief executive of MPBN. He said the signal will reach about 150,000 people in an area that stretches to parts of Yarmouth in the north, Westbrook and Windham to the west, and Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough to the south.

Maine Public Classical launched on May 9 and features classical music and programming aired 24 hours a day. The new Portland station will be the fourth in the radio network so far, along with stations in Bangor (106.1 FM), Waterville (99.7 FM) and Fryeburg (91.5 FM).

Launching the network allowed MPBN to take classical music off of its main network, Maine Public Radio, and to meet the demand of listeners who wanted more news and information programming, including live versions of national call-in shows. While Maine Public Classical gives classical music fans more of what they want, some have complained that the network is not statewide.

Listeners can get Maine Public Classical using an HD radio anywhere that Maine Public Radio is now heard. But people without HD radios, which cost about $50, have to tune in to one of Maine Public Classical’s four radio stations or stream the programming online.

Vogelzang said MPBN officials want to add more stations to the classical network, but how fast that happens depends on radio licenses becoming available for sale.

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“This is a significant addition for us, because there are so many classical fans and performing arts organizations in the Portland area,” said Vogelzang. “Getting this station answers a real need.”

The 104.1 FM signal was being used as secondary signal for WMPG, the community radio station at the University of Southern Maine, before MPBN reached an agreement to buy it. Vogelzang wouldn’t say how much the network paid for the signal.

The signal is transmitted from the top of a building on Munjoy Hill and was first put in use more than 10 years ago so that WMPG could reach listeners in Portland and South Portland not reached by its 90.9 FM signal, said Jim Rand, WMPG’s station manager.

But WMPG has since moved its main tower to Falmouth and increased its power, so 90.9 FM now reaches all the areas 104.1 FM does, making 104.1 FM redundant.

For more information on Maine Public Classical, including how to listen to it, go to mpbn.net.

 


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