History
On July 18, 1982, WPEI signed on as WPIG with a country format and the slogan "Southern Maine's Country: FM-96 WPIG". In 1984, it became hot adult contemporary WHYR with slogans "Your Stereo", and then "R-96". In July 1990, WHYR flipped to contemporary hit radio as "96-HYR". In 1995, WHYR changed calls to WRED, but kept the same format and was known on air as "Red Hot 95" with the slogan "Portland's Hot Hits". Some time later, WRED went rhythmic top 40 as "Red Hot 95.9" with the slogan "Maine's #1 for Blazin' Hot Hits".
On August 31, 2008, at 6 PM, WRED dropped its rhythmic top 40 format after a farewell from station DJs (airstaff and listeners had been notified a week in advance). WRED and WJJB-FM (which was simulcasting The Big JAB) then flipped to programming provided by Boston's WEEI, with the simulcast of The Big JAB moving to 96.3 FM. (WGEI had initially planned to use the WTEI call sign, and for a week in September 2008 used the WUEI call letters.) The shift left the market with no hip-hop-based station..
Up until April 1, 2009, WEEI's programming was also heard on sister station WGEI (95.5 FM), and the stations were known as WEEI on the 95's. As of April 2009, WGEI is now simulcasting AM sister station WLOB, as WLOB-FM; that station eventually returned to simulcasting with WPEI in August 2011, and is now WPPI.
Programming
WPEI does not carry Boston College football. It does carry Boston Celtics basketball, as well as Boston Red Sox baseball in tandem with The Big JAB. WPEI carries ESPN Radio when not airing WEEI; it had previously carried Fox Sports Radio (now on The Big JAB) and Sporting News Radio (simulcast from The Big JAB, before WZAN dropped the FSR affiliation). WPEI is currently the flagship station of the Portland Pirates and, in 2012, the Portland Sea Dogs, replacing WBAE/WVAE.