Stephen King has written dire endings for dozens of characters. His next one, however, is rooted in a grim reality. The verbose author is closing the three Maine radio stations he co-owns with his wife Tabitha at the end of the year,

The author, who owns the small independent stations in Bangor, said that the decision was prompted by a desire to get his business affairs in order.

Stephen King is taking a big old ax to his Maine radio empire. The prolific author bought Bangor-based station WLBZ in 1983, renaming it WZON in honor of his 1979 novel, The Dead Zone, per Billboard.