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,

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.

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.