Signage and stickers for the newly rebranded 104.3 FM The Goat. Photo: www.1043thegoat.com
By Brian Boisvert
If you tuned your dial to 104.3 FM or 1220 AM over the Independence Day weekend, you might have experienced a bit of musical whiplash. Sitting alongside the familiar guitar riffs of 1970s and ’80s rock, a legendary 1995 hip-hop track suddenly blasted through the speakers.
“Right away, we played Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’” laughs Andy Austin, the incoming owner of WWSF. “It might have shocked a few people. But it was a sample of exactly where we are going.”
On July 1, Port Broadcasting officially retired the long-standing “Seacoast Oldies” moniker, rebranding the Sanford-based station as “104.3 The Goat.” While the station maintains its core classic hits identity, the change represents a bold effort to redefine what nostalgia radio sounds like in the modern age.
The format flip comes at a momentous time of transition behind the scenes. Last week, Austin and current ownership finalized an agreement for him to complete the full purchase of the station. The culmination of a two-year process where Austin originally entered as an equity partner, the sale ensures the station’s future stays right here in Sanford.
“It was important for ownership to keep the station local, and we’ve worked together to make this a lasting product,” Austin says. Pending formal FCC approval, he will become the sole owner of the station.
Redefining the Oldies
The decision to pivot to “The Goat”—an acronym for the internet-era slang “Greatest of All Time”—was driven by a simple realization about the passage of time.
“The definition of oldies is now 1996,” Austin explains. “We needed to find a new way to say ‘oldies’ that allows us to open things up to include the 1990s and 2000s.”
Austin notes that smartphones fundamentally altered how the public interacts with music. Because younger generations carry the entire history of recorded music in their pockets, songs do not “age out” the way they used to. A great track is simply a great track. To celebrate this expanded catalog, the station launched the new format with a weekend-long Top 250 Countdown, blending genres and eras to show off the new boundaries of their playlist.
According to Austin, the initial response has been incredibly reassuring. “People generally resist change,” he admits, “but the feedback so far has been fantastic. We wanted to do something that’s just a little different compared to other radio stations.”
A Deeply Personal History
For Austin, a self-described history enthusiast, the evolution of WWSF is intertwined with his own family tree. The station originally signed on the air in 1957 as WSME, operating out of lower School Street. One of the men on the team who helped establish that original station was a Sanford police officer who dabbled in radio on the side: Ed Austin, Andy’s grandfather.
“It’s important to me personally,” Austin says, reflecting on his deep roots in the community and the industry. That personal connection directly influenced how the station approached its striking new visual identity.
Rather than hiring a distant corporate design firm, Austin turned to the Sanford Regional Technical Center (SRTC). Having spent more than 30 years in broadcasting, Austin credits vocational media technology programs at the Sanford High School for giving him his own start.
Austin says. “It was important to me to provide an opportunity to a younger version of myself.”
The station partnered with SRTC student Destiny Phengdara, working together for a couple of months to develop the new logo. The finished design made its grand public debut this past Saturday, plastered on the station’s vehicle during the 4th of July parade.
Keeping it Local
While the music has been modernized, the station’s operational philosophy remains unshakeable. At a time when corporate radio conglomerates rely on automated playlists and out-of-market broadcasts, The Goat is staying fiercely local.
“We don’t try to be Portland. We don’t try to be Portsmouth,” Austin emphasizes. “We have local ownership and local personalities. If radio is going to have any long-term success, our place is being hyper-local.”
The station’s commitment to York County sports remains unchanged, with full broadcast coverage continuing for both high school football and the Sanford Mainers baseball games.
Looking forward, The Goat is expanding its community presence through new multimedia collaborations, including a podcast partnership with the Sanford Springvale Chamber of Commerce.
“I love radio,” Austin says. “I believe it still has a place in the public consciousness. If you want to hear about your neighbors, we’re able to offer that. Our competition is increasingly distant from the audience, but we get to talk to people and be local. There are a lot of great stories in Sanford and Springvale, and we want to remind people how great this place is by highlighting the people who continue to succeed here.”
For everyone at WWSF, the message to the community is clear: “We’re the hometown team,” says Austin.
The post Sanford Radio Station Flips the Switch to ‘The Goat’ appeared first on Sanford Springvale News.
