Posts Categorized: News
Begathon Shenanigans
There has been fun and drama at WMPG HQ during our Spring fundraising! DJ Perky ( Perky’s Auditory Canal ) came up with a song for Begathon to the tune of Help! by the Beatles. Have a watch! DJ Perky singing Help! In other news, it was big drama with Bat-a-thon. WMPG had a resident bat which had DJ Shaxx crawling across the floor in horror to escape the cute little winged mammal. From being sighted in our basement vinyl vault to thinking we trapped…

WMPG Media Sponsor for Portland Ovations “somewhere/elsewhere”
We are excited to be a media sponsor for somewhere/elsewhere Commissioned Maine Artist by Portland Ovations Thursday, March 23, 2023, 7 PM Westbrook Performing Arts Center somewhere/elsewhere is a one-night-only concert reading of a new pop-rock musical that immerses us in the migration, losses, and triumphs of a contemporary Turkish immigrant to the U.S. Weaving together Turkish poetry and legend with the original sounds of major label rock band Thanks to Gravity, somewhere/elsewhere is a…

WMPG working to qualify for a CPB Community Service Grant again
You may have noticed that we no longer have CPB underwriting announcements read after some of our programs. This is due to WMPG no longer receiving this funding. For more than 20 years WMPG has received this funding but last year we lost the funding due to no longer meeting their qualifications. Radio stations like ours need to meet certain criteria to be funded including the number of listeners as measured by a ratings agency,…

USM President shares her playlist on WMPG’s USM, Music & ME
University of Southern Maine (USM) President Dr Jacqueline Edmondson dropped in to WMPG to be a guest on USM, Music & ME on Wednesday. Dr Edmondson is a music fan who has authored many books, including two on musicians Gerry Garcia and John Lennon. We were unsure what musical choices to expect. Here is what she shared with us: DAYS LIKE THIS by Van Morrison“I picked the song ‘Days Like This’ for a number of reasons. Most importantly, this song…

WMPG’s annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Cajun Cookin’ Contest winner – Sodexo!
WMPG’s annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras and the Cajun Cookin’ Contest. On Tuesday February 21st in the USM Abromson building on the Portland campus, WMPG presented our 27th annual Mardi Gras Cajun Cookin’ Contest! The room was filled with amazing food, music and people as we celebrated Mardi Gras! After taking a break due to the pandemic, it was exiting to be celebrating again with our USM community along with people from all parts of…

Dave Wade interviews Delfeayo Marsalis
If anybody knows about Mardi Gras, it’s trombonist and bandleader Delfeayo Marsalis , who will be Dave’s special guest on Juke Jive N’ Jazz this afternoon, (Feb.15th) New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, is alive and happening, and Delfeayo will be here to tell you about it and his brand new album, “Uptown on Mardi Gras Day” Marsalis talks about race, Mardi Gras, film scores and more.. Tune in at 1 PM, Wednesday, for Delfeayo Marsalis and some great New…

Leroy Jones- A Man and His Trumpet – free screening
Our Jazz at the Movies team are back with another free screening. “Leroy Jones- A Man and His Trumpet” celebrating New Orleans shining heritage as the Birthplace of Jazz. The screening is at the Portland Conservatory of Music, on Saturday, February 18th, 7 PM. Tix are FREE but reservations recommended: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/wmpg-jazz-at-the-movies-a… …

Black History Month at WMPG with daily audio features
Our University of Southern Maine (USM) students and DJ’s are honoring Black History Month at WMPG. This year’s theme is Black Resistance. You will hear specially curated playlists from DJ’s. Our students are producing audio which will highlight achievements and contributions, including pre-colonial history plus profiles of contemporary figures recognizing people from politics, education, pop culture, sports and other areas. Shows honoring Black History Month (this list will be updated) Lagniappe (Mon 10am) Mind Fuzz…

WMPG schedule refresh
Beginning Tuesday January 17th, you will hear new shows alongside your favorites – some have moved into different times and days. Why are we mixing things up? WMPG is turning 50 this year, and we wanted to return to our roots, offering radio that is surprising, eclectic, and truly local. We are radio made by community and University of Southern Maine members. Thanks for being the world’s best listeners! Take a peek at our new schedule.

WMPG Year in Review 2022
WMPG Wrapped 2022 by Caroline Davis (USM Theatre Student and Work Study) As 2022 comes to a close, we here at WMPG would like to thank our volunteers, business supporters, listeners, and the community of the University of Southern Maine (USM) for their support. It’s been a very successful year for us, and we could not have achieved everything we have without your support. We’ve been very lucky to have had such a successful year for fundraising here at WMPG….

Celebrate Community Change Makers
During this fundraising drive, we want to celebrate Mainers who are doing great things in the community FRIEND-RAISING Who are the change-makers in Southern Maine? Join WMPG to celebrate, and to connect to, Mainers who are transforming our world. Do you know someone who works tirelessly for the benefit of our community? We want to recognize them by sharing their story. Let’s give them their time in the sun! WMPG invites you to partner with…

USM’s Osher School of Music- concert
WMPG featured a live remote broadcast of the Dr. Alfred and D. Suzi Osher school of Music’s Joyous Sounds for a Festive Season. The concert took place on Tuesday November 29th at the Cathedral of St Luke in Portland. Directed by Dr. Nicolas Dosman and featuring the Osher School of Music Choral Union singers listen to the concert

Music Commentary
Hi my name is Jon McKenney with the latest version of Beyond The Hook . A hook is: a musical or lyrical passage, or a riff, that is repeated and designed to catch the ears of listeners and reel them in, and this song has a world class hook. I chose today’s song because it is a perfect example of what a hook is. I guarantee that once I tell you what it is you’ll say, “OMG of…

Fall Fundraiser (Begathon) – Oct 18-24
UPDATE: THANKS SO MUCH – WE HIT OUR GOAL OF $60,000! Thank you for donating during our fall fundraising. Mail is still trickling in from the post office so we don’t have a final figure yet but we are currently sitting at $63,000! Big shout out to all of you donors including our sustaining donors. Hip hip hooray! (repeat 3 times) WMPG’s Fall fundraiser takes place from Tuesday, Oct 18 through Monday 24th. The WMPG…

Music Commentary
Hi my name is Jon McKenney and welcome to the first installment of “ Beyond The Hook .” A hook, sometimes called a riff, is a repeatable phrase or melody that draws you in and hooks you. I am an English major, and I am working as an intern, here at WMPG, that requires a writing component and my first assignment is to hit the ground running and produce a colucast or a (column /podcast). The beauty of…
