Diversified Communications

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.

History

Diversified was founded as Community Broadcasting Service in 1949 when Horace A. Hildreth, 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.

Properties

Today, Diversified operates trade fairs 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/Market	Station	Channel	Owned Since	Affiliation
Bangor, Maine	WABI-TV **	5 (13)	1953	CBS The CW (on DT2)
Gainesville, Florida	WCJB-TV	20 (16)	1976	ABC The CW (on DT2)

Stations formerly owned by Community Broadcasting Service/Diversified Communications

Television stations

City of license/Market	Station	Channel	Years Owned	Current affiliation/owner
Florence - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina	WPDE-TV	15 (16)	1985–2006	ABC affiliate owned by Barrington Broadcasting
New Bern - Greenville - Washington, North Carolina	WCTI-TV	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	8	1957–1984	CBS affiliate owned by NEPSK, Inc.
Scranton - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania	WYOU	22 (13)	1986–1996	CBS affiliate owned by Mission Broadcasting (operated by Nexstar Broadcasting Group)

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	WABI-910 (now WAEI)	1949–1993	owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
	WABI-FM/WBGW/WYOU-FM-97.1 ** (now WBFB)	1961–1993	owned by Blueberry Broadcasting
Houlton, Maine	WABM-1340 (later WHGS)	1957–1959	defunct, went silent by 1994
Mount Washington, New Hampshire	WMTW-FM-94.9 ** 1 (now WHOM)	1958–1964	owned by Citadel Broadcasting Corporation
Portland, Maine	WPOR-1490 (now WBAE)	1958–1971	owned by Saga Communications
	WPOR-FM-101.9 **	1967–1971	owned by Saga Communications
Presque Isle, Maine	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..

External links

• Diversified Communications
• Diversified Business Communications

References

1. (12 July 2000), "Diversified Business Communications Acquires Australian Exhibition Services," TradeshowWeek. 2. (February 2009), "Nancy Hasselback, Steady Leadership ad Diversified Communications," Tradeshow Executive. 2. (27 April 2009), "Diversified Heads for Hong Kong," TradeshowWeek.