Stephen King will shut down his three Maine radio stations - WKIT 100.3 FM, WZLO 620 AM, and WZON 103.1 FM - on December 31, 2025, after decades of operating them at a financial loss.

King, who first purchased and rebranded WZON as a reference to his novel 'The Dead Zone,' has personally covered the stations' consistent financial losses over the years. The 77-year-old author cited a need to "get his business affairs in better order" as one reason for the closure.

"While radio across the country has been overtaken by giant corporate broadcasting groups, I've loved being a local independent owner all these years," King stated. He expressed pride in the stations' staff who entertained listeners and supported local advertisers.

Ken Wood, the stations' general manager for the past decade, noted the rarity of independent, locally-owned radio stations in Maine. "There's only a few left in Maine, and we're lucky we had these three as long as we did."

The closure comes amid broader challenges in the radio industry, with major players like iHeartMedia recently announcing restructuring efforts affecting hundreds of jobs nationwide.

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