Mermel & McLain Management LLC will purchase The Radio Vermont Group from the estate of Ken Squire for an undisclosed amount.
Buyers Myers Mermel and Scott Milne are involved in the Vermont Republican party. Mermel recently ran for US Senate abnd president and director of the Ethan Allen Institute and Scott Milne was a former candidate for governor and lieutenant governor and is president of Milne Travel.
The sale ends the ownership of the company by the Squire family since 1935 with Ashley Jane Squire and General Manager Steve Cormier making the announcement with the buyers on-air this afternoon. The sale follows the death of Ken Squire in November.
Radio Vermont Group owns Variety 550 WDEV/96.1 WDEV-FM Warren, Country “93.9 Vermont Country” WLVB Morrisville, and Classic Hits 101.7 WCVT Stowe/102.5 W273AM Montpelier. The company also owns WDEV translators 96.5 W243AT Barre and 98.3 W252CU Montpelier.
The Radio Vermont Group has announced the sale of its radio assets WDEV AM 550 and FM 96.1; WLVB FM 93.9; WCVT FM 101.7; W243AT-FM 96.5; W252CU-FM 98.3; and W273AM-FM 102.5 to Mermel & McLain Management LLC of Manchester, Vermont. The radio stations broadcast to Central Vermont, Burlington, and most of the NEK.
The sale was announced to employees this morning. Ashley Jane Squier joined GM Steve Cormier, Myers Mermel, and Scott Milne to publicly announce the transition live on WDEV at 12:35PM today.
Ashley Jane Squier of the Radio Vermont Group said, “While these past couple months have been a sad time for our family, we are gratified to have found Vermonters to step up and continue the rich tradition of our treasured radio stations. During the last months of his life, my father Ken Squier was involved in our search for a buyer who would continue the independent radio legacy our family has built at WDEV and its sister stations for over 92 years. Beginning with my grandfather Lloyd Squier in 1931, the Squier family has been honored to serve Vermonters’ families and communities. We now feel confident that the stations will be in good hands to hold true to their legacy.”
Myers Mermel of Mermel & McLain Management LLC said, “We are thankful to the Squier family for their years of dedication to Vermont and to community radio. WDEV is the leading News/Talk/Sports station, and its community format builds social trust across our community. It keeps Vermont, and all its people, knit together. We look forward to continuing and enhancing community radio at WDEV with the same emphasis on even-handed reporting and commentary — as well as humor — which has been its hallmark.”
Mermel most recently was president of the conservative think tank Ethan Allen Institute and previously was a Republican candidate for US Senate. Scott Milne is the president of Milne Travel and has been a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor and governor.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com