WDEV

WDEV (550 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Waterbury, Vermont, United States. Programming is simulcast on WDEV-FM (96.1 MHz) licensed to Warren, Vermont. The stations' studios and offices are located near U.S. Route 2 in Waterbury. WDEV also operates two translator stations, W243AT (96.5 FM), licensed to Barre, Vermont, and W252CU (98.3 FM), licensed to Montpelier, Vermont. WDEV can also be heard on a privately owned translator, W270BR (101.9 FM), licensed to Island Pond, Vermont. The stations are owned by WDEV LLC, and air a full service radio format, including news, talk, sports and different genres of music.

WDEV (550 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Waterbury, Vermont, United States. Programming is simulcast on WDEV-FM (96.1 MHz) licensed to Warren, Vermont. The stations' studios and offices are located near U.S. Route 2 in Waterbury. WDEV also operates two translator stations, W243AT (96.5 FM), licensed to Barre, Vermont, and W252CU (98.3 FM), licensed to Montpelier, Vermont. WDEV can also be heard on a privately owned translator, W270BR (101.9 FM), licensed to Island Pond, Vermont. The stations are owned by WDEV LLC, and air a full service radio format, including news, talk, sports and different genres of music. ==Programming== ===News and talk=== WDEV's news programming consists of several talk shows along with three major newscasts per day. The station's morning drive time program is called The Morning News Service, and the afternoon drive-time show is called The Afternoon News Service, with an additional newscast that airs at noon called The Midday News Service. The morning and afternoon news consist of local, state, and national news, in addition to interviews with reporters from WCAX-TV, Vermont's CBS affiliate, and VTDigger.org, an investigative news site. All newscasts feature a weather update from Roger Hill, the station's meteorologist. WDEV also carries WCAX-TV's 11 p.m. newscast. Weekday programming features several local talk shows that span the political spectrum. Vermont radio veteran Ric Cengeri hosts “Vermont Viewpoint”, followed by Bill Sayer's “Common Sense Radio”, a conservative talk show. Early afternoons include “Equal Time Radio” with Traven and “The Vermont Conversation” with David Goodman. Most of the talk programming, including Democracy Now!, are brokered. On weekends, a three-hour newscast starts Saturday mornings, along with a half-hour newscast at noon. On Sundays, CBS News Sunday Morning, Face The Nation, 60 Minutes, Jill on Money and the CBS News Weekend Roundup are heard. ===Music=== WDEV's music programming consists of several different genres that air throughout the week. On weekday afternoons, “The Getaway” is heard, a country/rock music program hosted by Greg Hooker. WDEV also airs a nightly jazz program, hosted by James Atherlay, unless the station is airing a sports game during that time. WDEV's weekend programming is made up almost entirely of music. Vermont broadcasting veteran Joel Najman hosts “The Great American Music Hall” on weekend middays. ===Sports=== WDEV features sports updates during all three of its newscasts. During the Morning News Service, Mal "The Sammie" Boright has sports updates, and during the Midday and Afternoon News Services James Atherlay delivers the sports report. Atherlay then goes on to host Score, Sports Talk and Rock. On Tuesday afternoons, Ken Squier is joined by Jasper Goodman, who goes on to talk about local, regional, and national sports, including the Red Sox during the MLB season. WDEV is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots Radio Networks. WDEV carries all regular-season and postseason Red Sox games. The station also broadcasts Norwich University men's ice hockey and select Vermont high school basketball and football games. WDEV also airs auto racing from Thunder Road International SpeedBowl in Barre, Vermont, when there is no other programming conflict. Appropriately given its long ownership by Ken Squier, WDEV also airs NASCAR Cup Series events when there is no conflict. Part of Sunday and each overnight, WDEV carries ESPN Radio. ===The Trading Post=== The Trading Post is hosted Monday through Saturday by Lee Kittell after the Morning News Service. People call in or write in with three items or less (and only one car, unless the others are free or a parts car) to advertise them to the listening public. ===Music to Go to the Dump By=== "Music to Go to the Dump By" is a roughly one-hour radio comedy program that airs each Saturday morning on WDEV, hosted by Joel Najman, with regular contributions from Farmer Dave, who has run since 2002 on the "Undecided Cow Party" ticket for governor of the state, among other guest hosts. It consists of odd songs, jokes the readers send in, banter between Najman and Farmer Dave (along with whoever else might be in the studio), and running gags involving cows. The songs tend to be weird, and are an eclectic mix of rare recordings, novelty songs, home recordings sent in, dog music (and obligatory equal-time cat music), cow music from Mylo Hatzenbuhler, and a selection of country comedy songs along with outsider and parody/cover selections from artists such as Mrs. Miller and Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Each episode ends with a closing hymn, a farcical number loosely related to religion and to whatever sport is in season (such as Bobby Bare's "Drop Kick Me Jesus" during football season or Randy Brooks's "Will You Be Ready at the Plate When Jesus Throws the Ball?"—or the cover version by Brooks's collaborator Dr. Elmo—during baseball season), with a closing dedication to the memory of Squier, Marie (the local stage proprietor whom Squier credited with creating the show's name and concept), and Buster the Wonder Dog, Squier's pet border collie and nominal co-host who died in 2008¹. In November 2020, Squier—who had hosted the show since the 1960s —was diagnosed with a severe case of COVID-19, forcing him into retirement; he only made sporadic appearances after his recovery. ==References== ==External links==

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