Vermont Public Radio's 50-Year Rise to State's Largest News Org

Vermont Public Radio, now known as Vermont Public, began as a doubtful venture in the 1970s but has since become the leading news source in Vermont. In 1976, a group in Brownsville sought an $82,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to purchase equipment. The original plan included two transmitters on Mount Mansfield and Mount Ascutney. The first station, WVPR, went live on August 13, 1977, after securing a lease and an FCC license for 89.5 FM. Station manager Raymond Dilly successfully raised $125,000 in funding. Betty Smith Mastaler, initially a project assistant, became known as the "Founding Mother of Vermont Public Radio." By 1980, the Mount Mansfield transmitter reached 92% of the state's audience. Over the years, news coverage grew, and in 2004, classical music shifted to WNCH 88.1, leaving the original station focused on news. In 2022, Vermont Public Radio merged with Vermont Public Television, creating a larger organization with 99 employees and $90 million in assets. Cuts in federal funding by 2025 prompted increased local donations, and the network now attracts listeners from Quebec, New York, and New Hampshire.