Diversified Communications

Diversified Communications is a multimedia company, headquartered in Portland, Maine. The company provides market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products and publications.

History

Diversified was founded in 1949 when Horace A. Hildreth, the former governor of Maine, president of Bucknell University and U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, purchased Community Broadcasting Service, owner of Maine's oldest radio station, WABI in Bangor. In 1953, he launched Maine's first TV station, WABI-TV in Bangor.

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. The company was also the original owner of Home Theater Network, until Westinghouse Broadcasting bought out a majority stake in the company in 1980.[1]

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 2004 it began to co-produce Kosherfest, a two-day trade show for the kosher-certified[2] until it was discontinued after its last show in 2022.[3] 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.

On July 15, 2014, the contracts that Diversified Communications had with Dish Network expired. Among the issues Diversified cited included financial terms, customer service issues between the station and Dish Network, and, in Bangor, viewership changes on Dish's part in several counties to another CBS station on account of DMA location (including WGME in the Portland area). After a breakdown on contract talks, which picked up slowly, an agreement was reached on October 8, 2014, allowing both stations to return to Dish Network later that day.[4]

On February 16, 2017, it was announced that WABI-TV and sister station WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida would be sold to Gray Television for $85 million, pending FCC approval.[5] It will make WCJB a sister station to WCTV (Gray Television's then-flagship station) in Tallahassee and WJHG-TV and WECP-LD in Panama City, while reuniting WABI-TV with WAGM-TV (which Gray acquired two years prior) in Presque Isle, Maine. The sale was completed on May 1, 2017.[6]

Properties

Today, Diversified operates trade fairs on four continents, produces trade publications, and owns several digital businesses. SPAR Point Group, which focuses on the 3D imaging technologies sector, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Diversified.[7]

Former stations

Stations arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.

  • (**) – Indicates a station built and signed on by Community Broadcasting Service/Diversified Communications.

Television
City of license / Market Station Channel Years owned Current status
Gainesville, FL WCJB-TV 201976–2017ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Bangor, ME WABI-TV ** 51953–2017CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Poland Spring–Portland, ME WMTW ** 81954–1964[lower-alpha 1]ABC affiliate owned by Hearst Television
Presque Isle, ME WAGM-TV 81957–1984CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
New Bern–Greenville–Washington, NC WCTI-TV 121986–1993ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA WYOU 221986–1996CBS affiliate owned by Mission Broadcasting[lower-alpha 2]
Florence–Myrtle Beach, SC WPDE-TV 151985–2006ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
WWMB 21[lower-alpha 3]The CW affiliate owned by Howard Stirk Holdings[lower-alpha 4]

Radio
AM Station FM Station
Market Station Years owned Current status
Bangor, ME WABI 910 1949–1993WTOS, owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
WABI-FM/WBGW/
WYOU-FM 97.1 **		 1961–1993WBFB, owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
Houlton, ME WABM 1340 1957–1959Defunct, ceased operations in 1994 as WHGS
Portland, ME WPOR 1490 1958–1971WBAE, owned by Saga Communications
WPOR-FM 101.9 ** 1967–1971owned by Saga Communications
Presque Isle, ME WAGM 950 1957–1981Defunct, ceased operations in 1991
Mount Washington, NH WMTW-FM 94.9 ** 1958–1964[lower-alpha 1]WHOM, owned by Townsquare Media

Notes
  1. Owned by Mount Washington Television, whose ownership partially overlapped with Community Broadcasting Service.
  2. Operated by Nexstar Media Group.
  3. Owned by Atlantic Media Group, but operated by Diversified from its sign on in 1994 until 2006.
  4. Operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

References
  1. "In Brief" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 24, 1980. p. 30. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  2. "Diversified Celebrates Kosherfest's 25th Anniversary". Diversified Business Communications. 2015. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  3. "Kosherfest No More: Popular Food Show Says It is Discontinuing | Matzav.com". May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  4. "DISH Negotiations Notices | WABI TV5". Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  5. Diana Marszalek, Gray Buys Diversified's Stations in Bangor, Gainesville Broadcasting & Cable, February 16, 2017
  6. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  7. "About". SPAR Point Group. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
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