Author Stephen King announced on Monday that three radio stations he owns in Bangor, Maine, will cease operations at the close of the year.
Stephen King’s Radio Stations
The renowned author said in a statement on Monday that his three radio stations will be closing, adding that he has enjoyed being a local independent owner.
“While radio across the country has been overtaken by giant corporate broadcasting groups, I’ve loved being a local, independent owner all these years,” King said in a statement.
The stations—long beloved for their dedication to rock ‘n’ roll and independent broadcasting—also mark the end of an era for the 77-year-old literary giant and his wife, Tabitha King.
Stephen King’s journey into radio ownership began in 1983 at the age of 36, when he purchased a station he later renamed WZON, inspired by his hit novel The Dead Zone. That station had previously gone through a few permutations before closing, before being reacquired by King in 1990.
Over the years, his ZONE Corporation expanded to include three distinct stations: WKIT-FM, dubbed “Stephen King’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Station”; WZON-AM, a Retro Radio outlet; and WZLO-FM, an adult alternative station. Together, they catered to diverse musical tastes and became fixtures of the local community.
The stations will officially go silent on December 31, marking an end to one of King’s passion projects.
Challenges to Maintain Radio Stations
The closure of the radio stations comes as independent radio stations face several challenges in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape such as financial sustainability, advertising revenue, the rise in streaming platforms and large media conglomerates.
For King’s radio stations, despite their popularity, maintaining the stations has become financially untenable. King and his wife have kept them running at a loss for decades but acknowledged that the time has come to step away.
“I’ve loved the people who’ve gone to these stations every day and entertained folks, kept the equipment running, and given local advertisers a way to connect with their customers,” King added.
Ken Wood, the stations’ general manager, reflected on the legacy they leave behind, stating that he’s sad that the era is ending but happy that it happened.
“Independent, locally owned radio stations used to be the norm,” Wood said in the statement announcing the closing of the stations. “There are only a few left in Maine, and we’re lucky we had these three as long as we did.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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