Posts Categorized: News

WMPG is on the air, but we’ve sent our wonderful volunteers home to be socially distant and safe. To keep the great sounds coming to you, we are broadcasting programs from our archives, and trying to sync these programs with the DJs who would be on the air if we were broadcasting live. And you know what? This programming is SO good… We are often reminded that WMPG has some of the best programming in radio, and hearing these shows again really brings it home.

Welcome all to WMPG’s celebration of women’s history month by taking you on a small journey to explore the women’s suffrage movement. This week we be covering this part of our shared history, since this year, 2020 marks the 100 year centennial of women’s access to the democratic practice of voting – the single largest extension of democratic voting rights in American history. How did suffrage activist’s actually win? Who was left out? What did the suffragist look like? And where are we now? This week beginning March 16th tune in Monday-Friday at 8am and 6pm to hear a short audio documentary about the history behind the Suffrage Movement. Thanks to student intern Allegra Shortill and WMPG volunteer Ruby Simkoff for their work on this project.

The Harp & Bard Irish Radio Program w/Jim Ward is returning to 90.9 WMPG-FM on Sunday, March 15th from 10:30am to 3:30pm (est) for a Pre-St. Patrick’s Day Radio Celebration!

This one-time special is in celebration of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday on March 17th and will feature great Irish music and legends of the Irish music scene from Greater Boston and Ireland!

1st Place: SMCC Culinary Arts Program Students! Jambalaya Fritters
2nd Place: Lenny’s Pub, Kori Reece, head chef: Hush Puppy Poutine
3rd Place: Ruski’s, Greg Arnold & Aiden McKenna :Chicken, Shrimp, Hamhock and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya.

Great article in the USM Free Press by Max Lorber
The Origin of WMPG

The WMPG radio station was founded with a private collection of records, a set of turntables and a small pirate-radio transmitter in a dorm room on Gorham campus. Howard Allen, the pioneer who created what would become one of Maine’s major public radio platforms, was an 18-year-old freshman when he first stuck an antenna out of his window at Anderson Hall and began broadcasting music to his fellow students in 1970.

To celebrate Black History month, we will air daily audio portraits of many important people who have made an impact in the world. We celebrate scientists, radicals, teachers, preachers, musicians, athletes, and those who fought to followed their dreams.

Sadly, weather has caused the cancellation of Friday’s True Blues show with Corey Harris and Cedric Watson at Stone Mountain Arts Center. Carol Noonan and her crew express regrets, and are planning to select anther show to benefit WMPG in the near future. Happy Snow Day, all!

On WMPG’s Monday night program Let’s Talk, Abdi Iftin, a Somali refugee, USM student Abdi and the author of the riveting memoir “Call Me American” was a guest and spoke with Dave Wade about his escape to the US from worn torn Mogadishu and his lengthy journey to become an American citizen. Gain insight into what Abdi went through. Click here to listen.

Monday, December 9  at One Longfellow Square~~  update – Audio Link of full show!

Full recording of entire show linked here! Bluegrass! It was not so long ago in Portland that live Bluegrass shows were not easy to find. Volunteers at WMPG started the WMPG Bluegrass Spectacular, an annual event to showcase the bluegrass scene, small but mighty, in and around Portland.