Posts Categorized: News

Join WMPG at Local Breweries All Summer! WMPG’s Freaky Fridaze rolls on with a brand-new lineup of live broadcasts from some of our favorite local spots. This happy hour series takes your favorite community DJs out of the studio and into the wild, spinning records and soaking up the vibes with listeners, music lovers, and beer drinkers alike. We kicked off July at Modestman Brewing in South Portland, where a crisp pint and sunshine set…

Declutter Your Space and Support WMPG! Are those old vinyl LPs and CDs collecting dust and taking up space in your home? WMPG has a solution that helps you and your favorite community radio station at the same time! We’re gearing up for our highly anticipated Fall WMPG Record Sale and are currently accepting donations. Whether you’re a longtime music lover ready to part with your collection, or just looking to tidy up, your donations…

Bobby Shaddox joined WMPG as a volunteer in 2014 after relocating from San Diego, CA to Portland. During his time at the station, he has hosted the weekly show Left of the Dial and served on WMPG’s Board of Directors. Bobby was prominently featured in the recent documentary An Extraordinary Place, where he delivered his signature karaoke weather report. As the new coordinator of Blunt Youth Radio, Bobby aims to boost youth participation at WMPG…

    WMPG is seeking to “contract ” a Radio Audio Engineer for 10 hours a week. The qualified person will have a couple years experience repairing broadcast equipment and comfortable with computer networks. We need someone to make our radio signal sound great! If interested email stationmanager@wmpg.org or phone (207) 780-4424 for more details. Will stay posted until filled. This is a “contract” position and not a USM position. This person will be responsible for…

This June, WMPG is turning up the volume on love, identity, and community. Join us for a month-long celebration featuring queer-themed music, powerful storytelling, and special programming that honors LGBTQ+ voices past and present. From thought-provoking podcasts to live shows spotlighting queer artists and activists, we’re proud to stand with the community and share stories that inspire, uplift, and unite. Tune in and celebrate Pride with WMPG all month long! Programs featuring Pride segments include:…

Percussionist and composer Shamou lived in Portland from the early 2000’s to 2016 and had a profound impact on the local music scene. He settled in Maine after getting involved with the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, ME, where he was a musician in residence from 1998-2017. He passed away in September 2024. This single episode program, created and hosted by longtime WMPG DJ Barb Truex, is a remembrance of his musical life from his…

This past Tuesday night was electric at WMPG’s annual Battle of the Bands, where 11 incredibly talented acts lit up the stage in an unforgettable evening of music, community, and pure passion. Taking home first place was none other than Graham Ganter, who wowed the crowd (and judges!) with his soulful voice, masterful guitar work, he was accompanied by an impressive fiddle player. Graham’s talent earned him a full-day recording session at Monaco Studios — a state-of-the-art,…

Tune in to WMPG every other Friday morning from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM for Both Sides Now, the radio program hosted by Merrill, who takes listeners on a deep dive into the lives and music of legendary bands and musicians. Whether you’re a die-hard music enthusiast or just looking to expand your musical horizons, this show is for you. Check out the recent episodes below to get a glimpse of the fascinating artists and bands that Merrill has…

WMPG celebrated the New Bill Dufris Memorial Voiceover Studio at USM  Hello Bill-tastic Friends and Family, It’s hard to believe it’s been almost five years since we lost our beloved Bill Dufris – an effervescently energetic, inspiring, multi-talented individual with a heart of gold. While we’re sure Bill would find today’s world puzzling, there’s no doubt he’d be incredibly proud of the creative work that continues to radiate from the people whose lives he touched….

For over a decade, International Jazz Day has been celebrated every April 30th to identify jazz as a universal language. This Wednesday, WMPG joins this celebration with Herbie Hancock, UNESCO, and the global community with JUKE JIVE N’ JAZE, a program featuring jazz musicians from around the world including from Japan, Brazil, France, So, Africa, Canada, India, Panama, Sweden, Argentina, Hungary, England, Holland, Italy & many more!

Our Jazz at the Movies team presents a film screening of Bill Frisell: A Portrait A character portrait of anti-archetype guitar hero, Bill Frisell, this nuanced film traces the ideas and processes that shaped Frisell’s music, and provides rare insight into the mind and personality of one of the significant musicians of recent decades. Full of live music, revealing stories, and intimate access to the normally reclusive Frisell, various collaborations are followed from development to fruition,…

Record Store Day at Bull Moose with WMPG – Listen to the full broadcast Sat – April 12th 8am – 12 midday Record Store Day is like Christmas for some music lovers, I know…big labels have muscled in, making it harder for indie shops and smaller artists to shine. Still, there’s no better place to celebrate than our local record stores in Maine.  WMPG will be at Bull Moose in Mill Creek. As the birthplace of RSD (seriously, the idea…

UPDATE: We reached our goal! What a week – culminating in the screening of the WMPG movie last night, with our founder, Howard Allen, in the audience! It was a perfect way to celebrate everything this station stands for. I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for making this Begathon such a success. Thank you listener supporters, first time donors, sustaining donors, business supporters and volunteers! Our goal was $50,000,…

WMPG Presents: A Double Feature of Community & Belonging April 1st 2025 Talbot Hall, Luther Bonney, University of Southern Maine 6pm An Extraordinary Place directed by Tom Bell 34 minutes While many documentaries focus on societal challenges, this film highlights a solution: the transformative power of volunteerism in creating joy, meaning, and belonging. It celebrates diversity’s role in fostering strong, connected communities and offers a behind-the-scenes look at WMPG’s inclusive ethos, where shared purpose connects…

We’re excited to welcome Helen Crimmins as our new Volunteer Coordinator! Helen brings incredible enthusiasm and dedication to the role. Many of you may already recognize her voice from her show, The Crate Escape , which airs Sunday mornings from 1:00 to 2:30 a.m. She also lends her talents as an engineer for Local Motives on Wednesday nights from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Helen is eager to connect with and help manage our incredible team of volunteers, helping to support…

WMPG is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month with special programming that highlights the incredible contributions of women in music, media, and activism. As a station dedicated to diverse voices and community storytelling, we’re showcasing female artists, leaders, and changemakers who have shaped history and continue to inspire. Tune in all month long for curated shows, interviews, and features that amplify the stories, struggles, and triumphs of women past and present. Some programming highlights include:…

WMPG’s Annual Cajun Cookin’ Challenge Returns for a Flavorful Fat Tuesday Feast WMPG Cajun Cook Off!  UPDATE: Congrats to Sodexo for 1st place, Bayou for 2nd place and Bayside American Cafe for 3rd place. Details for 2025 Fat Tuesday, March 4th 2025 from 11 am to 2 pm McGoldrick Student Success Center on the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine. Parking – parking at USM garage now requires payment. Read more >> The Cajun Cookin’ Challenge…

We are thrilled to announce that  An Extraordinary Place  has won an award at the Barcelona Indie Awards!  Congrats Tom. Tom has been in Barcelona all week for the festival and proudly accepted the award yesterday. This incredible journey continues, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the recognition this film is receiving around the world. Putting WMPG and USM on the map. The film is currently being admitted to Maine Public but may be 4 months away for…

Spinatronics brings you delightful data and stupendous stats on WMPG  — music played in 2024. We’ve downloaded the data, crunched the numbers, sorted the stats, and filtered the facts—get ready for some eye-popping insights! Ever wonder how many songs WMPG plays in a year? Last year, WMPG played an incredible grand total of 101,290 songs.  That is over 100,000 songs! Genres played range from country and folk, hip-hop and rap, electronic and dance, rock and…

WMPG Community Radio station is seeking a Youth Radio Assistant.  Part time – 10 hours per week Blunt Youth Radio has been a cornerstone of our station for 20 years, winning 13 awards in the process. If you find yourself passionate about this show, working with teens, and community-centric media, we’d love to have you join the team! Blunt Youth Radio is looking for a coordinator– if this raises any interest for you, read the job description and…