After 40 years, Stephen King’s impartial radio stations are going darkish. On Monday, the beloved writer introduced that each one three of his Maine-based radio stations — WZON, WZLO, and WKIT — might be shutting down after December thirty first.
The choice was made as King is making an attempt to “get his enterprise affairs in higher order,” based on a information launch from The Zone Company, the corporate that ran the stations. The discharge additionally explains that the three stations “persistently have misplaced cash” over the previous 4 a long time, with King personally protecting the losses.
Nonetheless, the closures don’t come flippantly, with King himself saying, “Whereas radio throughout the nation has been overtaken by big company broadcasting teams, I’ve cherished being a neighborhood, impartial proprietor all these years.”
Persevering with, he expressed the gratitude that he and his spouse, Tabitha King, have felt supporting the stations. “I’ve cherished the individuals who’ve gone to those stations daily and entertained people, stored the tools working, and given native advertisers a technique to join with their prospects,” he stated. “Tabby and I are proud to have been part of that for greater than 4 a long time.”
King first acquired WZON in 1983 when it was named WLBZ, and adjusted the title as a nod to his 1979 novel The Lifeless Zone. He’s owned the station ever since (apart from a quick interval within the early ‘90s), and it has grow to be a house for “Retro Radio” in Maine.
WKIT was bought after WZON, and has operated as a traditional rock channel, referring to itself as “Stephen King’s Rock ’n’ Roll Station.” WZLO was bought in 2001, and has broadcasted grownup various music. The ultimate broadcast of all three stations might be held on New 12 months’s Eve (December thirty first), after which they may go darkish. It’s unclear at the moment if a brand new proprietor might be discovered for the stations.
“Unbiased, domestically owned radio stations was once the norm,” common supervisor Ken Wooden stated in an announcement. “There’re only some left in Maine, and we’re fortunate we had these three so long as we did.”
In different Stephen King information, the movie adaptation of ‘Salem’s Lot premiered on Max this previous October, whereas new variations The Lengthy Stroll and Carrie are within the works. His newest novel, Holly, revealed in 2023.