The early 1950s were the era of AM radio, as FM’s outstanding sound quality wouldn’t arrive for another decade. Several surrounding cities and towns had their local stations. Ware had WRMS (now WARE), which signed on in 1948; Chicopee, WACE, in 1946; and Northampton, WHMP, on the airwaves during the late 1950s.
Planning began for a new radio station in Holyoke in 1947. On August 14, 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted permission to Valley Broadcasting Corp. to construct a radio station in Holyoke. Obtaining FCC approval to build was equivalent to soon receiving the formal license to broadcast.
The station was licensed for daytime broadcasting, and I recall the term “sunup-sundown station” as descriptive of its operating license. WREB transmitted with 500 watts of power from a tower constructed on Reed Street in Fairview. The station was unaffiliated with major national networks. The plans were to deliver local news and sports, Associated Press news, have a church segment, and play recorded music.
Valley Broadcasting’s officers were Russell E. Bassett, an electrical engineer who worked at F. W. Sickles in Chicopee, Anthony DeMarco, a distributor of office supplies and novelties, and Henry Giroux. Mr. Bassett was the President, Mr. DeMarco was the Treasurer, and Mr. Giroux was the Vice-President. John DeMarco, son of Anthony DeMarco, was slated to be an announcer. The station’s first General Manager was Harry Robator, who had 32 years of experience working in the industry across several New England states.
Station executives found a studio location at 323 High Street, on the second floor above the P & Q Clothing Store. The initial plan was for the newly named station, WREB, located at 930 on the AM dial, to broadcast on September 1, 1950. The station first went on the air on Wednesday, September 13, 1950, at 7 AM.
Holyoke’s Cyril Levy and Francis Hamel were announcers at its inception, and Chicopee’s Jerry Loughman delivered the weather.
In 1951, the station introduced the Yankee Auction program, hosted by Northampton’s George Bean, in which prizes were awarded to the highest bidders. Auction programming would continue in on-air fundraising programs for organizations such as the Kiwanis and the Leukemia Society.
The station continued to add local programming, including a weekly show with the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, a food show hosted by Doris Hathaway, and rebroadcasts of taped Aldermatic meetings. The station also broadcast remotely at various city events and concerts at local venues. One such musical event in 1951 was the live broadcast of Chris Tabb and his Emerald Isle Orchestra from the Shea Avodire on High Street.
In 1954, several members of the Wakelin family acquired the stock of the Valley Broadcasting Corporation. James H. Wakelin was named corporate President. Other members of the Wakelin family involved in the transaction included Edmund H. Wakelin, Treasurer of McAuslan & Wakelin Company and William B Wakelin. The radio station moved to 225 High Street, Room 412, in the Holyoke National Bank building in that year.
In 1956, Girl Scout leaders held an on-air fundraiser for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. A radio program aimed at children’s reading and books was aired.
Also, in 1956, WREB became a part of the 18-station Brooklyn Dodgers baseball network, the first time games were broadcast outside of New York City.
An event that would shape the station’s newscasting occurred in 1956, when WREB hired Richard Lavigne (Lah-vig-nay). He spent the next 27 years gathering news throughout the community and inside City Hall. He would deliver his broadcasts and commentaries early mornings and at noon.
A very young Dick Robinson was a disc jockey at the station in 1960. He went on to a very successful career at WDRC in Hartford and later founded a broadcasting school there.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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