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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Business-to-business communications |
| Predecessors |
|
| Founded | 1949; 77 years ago (1949) inPortland, Maine |
| Founder | Horace Hildreth |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine ,United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ted Wirth (President and CEO) |
| Products |
|
| Owner | Hildreth family |
| Website | divcom |
Diversified Communications (doing business asDiversified) is a multimedia company, headquartered inPortland, Maine. The company provides market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products and publications.
Diversified was founded asHildreth Broadcasting in 1949 whenHorace Hildreth, the formergovernor of Maine, president ofBucknell University, and futureU.S. ambassador to Pakistan, purchased Community Broadcasting Service, owner of Maine's oldest radio station,WABI inBangor. In 1953, he launched Maine's first TV station,WABI-TV in Bangor.[1][2][3]
In 1970, Hildreth Broadcasting entered the publishing and trade show business by merger withJournal Publications, the owner of National Fisherman and FISH EXPO Boston.[1] The merged company became Diversified Communications. In 1972, it formed New England Cablevision which it sold in 2000. The company was also the original owner ofHome Theater Network, untilWestinghouse Broadcasting bought out a majority stake in the company in 1980.[4]
Throughout the 1980s, Diversified Communications 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-produceKosherfest, a two-day trade show for thekosher-certified[5] until it was discontinued after its last show in 2022.[6] In 2009, Diversified Communications 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 withDish 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 (includingWGME 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.[7]
On February 16, 2017, it was announced that WABI-TV and sister stationWCJB-TV inGainesville, Florida would be sold toGray Television for $85 million, pending FCC approval.[8] It will make WCJB a sister station toWCTV (Gray Television's then-flagship station) in Tallahassee andWJHG-TV andWECP-LD inPanama City, while reuniting WABI-TV withWAGM-TV (which Gray acquired two years prior) inPresque Isle, Maine. The sale was completed on May 1, 2017.[9]
In 2024, Diversified Communications updated its branding to operate under the name "Diversified" as its officialdoing business as name, introducing a new logo and visual identity. This rebranding coincided with the company's 75th anniversary, celebrating its legacy while positioning the organization for future growth and innovation.
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Today, Diversified operatestrade 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.[10]
| Media market | State | Station | Purchased | Sold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | Florida | WCJB-TV | 1976 | 2017 | |
| Bangor | Maine | WABI | 1949 | 1993 | |
| WABI-TV ** | 1953 | 2017 | |||
| WYOU-FM ** | 1961 | 1993 | [a] | ||
| Houlton | WABM | 1957 | 1959 | ||
| Portland | WMTW ** | 1954 | 1964 | [b] | |
| WPOR | 1958 | 1971 | |||
| WPOR-FM ** | 1967 | 1971 | |||
| Presque Isle | WAGM | 1957 | 1981 | ||
| WAGM-TV | 1957 | 1984 | |||
| Mount Washington | New Hampshire | WMTW-FM ** | 1958 | 1964 | [b] |
| New Bern–Greenville–Washington | North Carolina | WCTI-TV | 1986 | 1993 | |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | WYOU | 1986 | 1996 | |
| Florence–Myrtle Beach | South Carolina | WPDE-TV | 1985 | 2006 | |
| WWMB | 1994 | 2006 | [c] |