Diversified Communications
Encyclopedia
Diversified Communications is a broadcasting company, headquartered in Portland, Maine
. Among the various publications and broadcast outlets, the company organizes trade shows, publishes magazines, produces digital business and operates broadcast stations.
Under the name, Community Broadcasting Service, it founded and still owns Maine
's first TV station, WABI-TV
.
, the former governor of Maine
, president of Bucknell University
and U.S. ambassador to Pakistan
, purchased the license for Maine's first radio station, WABI-AM. In 1953, he launched Maine's first TV station, WABI-TV
in Bangor, Maine
.
In 1970, Diversified entered the publishing and trade show business with the acquisition of National Fisherman and FISH EXPO Boston. In 1972, it formed New England Cablevision which it sold in 2000.
Throughout the 1980s, Diversified expanded its publishing and trade show business with products in the commercial marine and seafood industries. In 1993, it expanded internationally with the European Seafood Exposition. Diversified continued its international growth with the acquisition of Australia Exhibition Services in 2000, the formation of DBC Canada and the acquisition of UK-based Full Moon Communications in 2002. In 2009, Diversified expanded into Hong Kong with the acquisition of Asia Business Events and established a presence in India with the acquisition of Infocast.
s on four continents, produces trade publications, owns several digital businesses and operates two U.S. broadcast stations.
Footnote:
Footnote:
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. Among the various publications and broadcast outlets, the company organizes trade shows, publishes magazines, produces digital business and operates broadcast stations.
Under the name, Community Broadcasting Service, it founded and still owns Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
's first TV station, WABI-TV
WABI-TV
WABI-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central and Eastern Maine licensed to Bangor. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Peaked Mountain in Dixmont. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 6 and in high definition...
.
History
Diversified was founded as Community Broadcasting Service in 1949 when Horace A. HildrethHorace A. Hildreth
Horace Augustus Hildreth was born on December 2, 1902 in Gardiner, Maine, the son of an attorney. Hildreth attended local schools before graduating from Bowdoin College in the class of 1925 and receiving his LL.B...
, the former governor of Maine
Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
, president of Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
and U.S. ambassador to Pakistan
United States Ambassador to Pakistan
The U.S. embassy in Karachi was established August 15, 1947 with Edward W. Holmes as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Paul H. Alling, was appointed on September 20, 1947. Anne W. Patterson was nominated as United States Ambassador to...
, purchased the license for Maine's first radio station, WABI-AM. In 1953, he launched Maine's first TV station, WABI-TV
WABI-TV
WABI-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central and Eastern Maine licensed to Bangor. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Peaked Mountain in Dixmont. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 6 and in high definition...
in Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
.
In 1970, Diversified entered the publishing and trade show business with the acquisition of National Fisherman and FISH EXPO Boston. In 1972, it formed New England Cablevision which it sold in 2000.
Throughout the 1980s, Diversified expanded its publishing and trade show business with products in the commercial marine and seafood industries. In 1993, it expanded internationally with the European Seafood Exposition. Diversified continued its international growth with the acquisition of Australia Exhibition Services in 2000, the formation of DBC Canada and the acquisition of UK-based Full Moon Communications in 2002. In 2009, Diversified expanded into Hong Kong with the acquisition of Asia Business Events and established a presence in India with the acquisition of Infocast.
Properties
Today, Diversified operates trade fairTrade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
s on four continents, produces trade publications, owns several digital businesses and operates two U.S. broadcast stations.
Television stations
-
** -- indicates a station built and signed on by Community Broadcasting Service/Diversified Communications.
| City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... /Market |
Station | Channel | Owned Since | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, Maine | WABI-TV WABI-TV WABI-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central and Eastern Maine licensed to Bangor. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Peaked Mountain in Dixmont. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 6 and in high definition... ** |
5 (13) | 1953 | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... The CW The CW Television Network The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB... (on DT2) |
| Gainesville, Florida | WCJB-TV WCJB-TV WCJB-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for North Central Florida licensed to Gainesville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter in Wacahoota. The station can also be seen on CommuniComm Services channel 3, Cox channel 7, and Bright House... |
20 (16) | 1976 | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... The CW (on DT2 WCJB-DT2 WCJB-DT2 is the CW-affiliated television station for Gainesville, Florida. The station is part of The CW Plus, a special CW feed that broadcasts on cable and/or over-the-air on a digital signal. It is a second digital subchannel of ABC affiliate WCJB-TV that is owned by Diversified Communications... ) |
Television stations
| City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... /Market |
Station | Channel | Years Owned | Current affiliation/owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | WPDE-TV WPDE-TV WPDE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas licensed to Florence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter on Pee Dee Church Road in Dillon... |
15 (16) | 1985–2006 | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... affiliate owned by Barrington Broadcasting Barrington Broadcasting Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC , headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is an entity wholly focused on broadcast television. The company's assets mainly consist of television stations in middle and small sized markets... |
| New Bern - Greenville - Washington, North Carolina | WCTI-TV WCTI-TV WCTI-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Inner Banks area of Eastern North Carolina that is licensed to New Bern. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Trenton along NC 58... |
12 | 1986–1993 | ABC affiliate owned by Bonten Media Group |
| Poland Spring - Portland, Maine | WMTW ** 1 | 8 | 1954–1964 | ABC affiliate owned by Hearst Television |
| Presque Isle, Maine | WAGM-TV WAGM-TV WAGM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northern Maine, United States and Western New Brunswick, Canada. Licensed to Presque Isle, Maine, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on the northern section of Mars Hill Mountain among the wind... |
8 | 1958–1984 | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... affiliate owned by NEPSK, Inc. |
| Scranton - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | WYOU WYOU WYOU is the CBS-affiliated television station for Northeastern Pennsylvania that is licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter at the Penobscot Knob tower farm near Mountain Top... |
22 (13) | 1986–1996 | CBS affiliate owned by Mission Broadcasting Mission Broadcasting Mission Broadcasting, Inc. is a television station group that owns 15 television stations operated by Nexstar Broadcasting. The group's president is David S. Smith, who founded the company in 1998. In most areas where Mission owns a station, its arrangements allow Nexstar to control two of the top... (operated by Nexstar Broadcasting Group Nexstar Broadcasting Group Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., is an entity of broadcast television stations headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company consists of 50 television stations across the U.S., ranging from market sizes 9 to 201 . 43 of the stations are broadcasting at full power, with the other 4 broadcasting at... ) |
Footnote:
- 1 This station was owned by Mount Washington Television, whose ownership partially overlapped with Community Broadcasting Service..
Radio stations
| AM Stations | FM Stations |
| Market | Station | Years owned | Current ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, Maine Bangor, Maine Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine... |
WABI-910 (now WAEI) |
1949–1993 | owned by Blueberry Broadcasting Blueberry Broadcasting Bluberry Broadcasting is a Kennebunkport, Maine based media company owning 17 radio stations throughout the state of Maine. The company is headed by Bruce Biette, vice president and CEO, and Louis Vitali, President. Studios are located in Augusta and Bangor.... |
| WABI-FM/WBGW/WYOU-FM-97.1 ** (now WAEI-FM) |
1961–1993 | owned by Blueberry Broadcasting | |
| Houlton, Maine Houlton, Maine Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith... |
WABM-1340 (later WHGS) |
1957–1959 | defunct, went silent by 1994 |
| Mount Washington, New Hampshire Mount Washington (New Hampshire) Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934... |
WMTW-FM-94.9 ** 1 (now WHOM WHOM WHOM is an American radio station which airs an adult contemporary format. It transmits from atop Mount Washington in New Hampshire and has a broadcast area of five states and Quebec. While the signal can be heard all over northern New England, the station broadcasts from and considers itself part... ) |
1958–1964 | owned by Citadel Broadcasting Corporation |
| Portland, Maine Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000... |
WPOR-1490 (now WBAE WBAE (AM) WBAE and WVAE are radio stations that serve southern Maine with an advice talk format. WBAE is licensed in Portland, Maine, while WVAE is licensed in Biddeford, Maine. Both stations are owned by Portland Radio Group, itself owned by Saga Communications.... ) |
1958–1971 | owned by Saga Communications Saga Communications Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations Saga Communications is a broadcasting... |
| WPOR-FM WPOR WPOR is a radio station in Portland, Maine that broadcasts a country music radio format. It is currently owned by Saga Communications. It broadcasts at 101.9 on the FM dial.... -101.9 ** |
1967–1971 | owned by Saga Communications | |
| Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census... |
WAGM-950 (later WKZX) |
1957–1981 | defunct, went silent by 1991 |
Footnote:
- 1 This station was owned by Mount Washington Television, whose ownership partially overlapped with Community Broadcasting Service..