Re: WCVT - WCRB (and WDEV)

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

>it was written--
>
> > I figured WDEV to be an old dog station from way back at
> > perhaps a kilowatt.

Umm, in its day, WDEV was very respected as a good community-oriented 
station which gave plenty of exposure to local talent.  I believe it went 
on the air in July 1931, with about 250 watts, owned by the Waterbury (VT) 
Times; Harry Whitehill was president.  By 1934, it was expanding its 
broadcast day and  increasing its power.  WDEV was frequently written up in 
Variety as an example of a good local station.   In 1935 it was sold to two 
local businessmen (Lloyd Squier and William Ricker), and it continued to 
grow; Squier and Ricker also bought WQDM in St. Albans VT in 1938, and then 
I think they bought at least one other station.  Years later, Squier's son 
Ken took over and operated WDEV well into the late 90s.

WDEV had 500 watts in 1938, at 550 Khz.  Of interest to me is that Bertha 
Bannan worked there as a sales manager (unusual for a woman in the 30s) 
around 1937-8, and she then went on to become the only woman in Boston to 
own a rep firm.  In the 40s and into the early 50s, her company represented 
a large number of New England radio stations, in fact.