WMEG, named for the cities of Melbourne and Eau Gallie,
was co-founded by Victoria
Raymond and A.V.
"Chick" Catterton, the former general manager at WMMB-AM
1240. The station's call letters later became WMEL-AM
920. Ms. Raymond, whose maiden name was Martin, was a pioneer in
Brevard's radio history. She and her
parents, John and Anne Martin, were winter residents who
began coming to Melbourne from their home in Amityville, N.Y. in 1923. In 1940,
Victoria moved to Melbourne after graduating from Cornell University and
landed her first job at the Melbourne Naval Air Station in 1941. In 1948,
Raymond became acquainted with John
Turner and others who were involved in starting Melbourne's first radio
station, WMMB-AM 1240. Victoria was hired to answer the telephones, among
other small tasks. By the end of the year, she had become the advertising
director for the station and, in time, became program manager. By 1955, Raymond
and Catterton decided to start their own radio station, and in 1956, WMEG
was on the air. In those days, announcers faced rattlesnakes in the studio and
the early astronauts came in for interviews. The station sits at 1800 Turtle
Mound Road. In a 2003 interview with Florida Today John Harper told
the reporter; "We've modified the station over the years, but the original
building is still at the same location". "In the 1956, there were far
fewer people in Brevard." At the time, WMEG played hits from Tony
Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Benny Goodman. Radio shows included "The Lone
Ranger." The call letters were changed in January of 1961 to WMEL to
give it a broader appeal in Brevard, Harper said. Victoria Raymond
retired from radio in the late 1960s and died at the age of 100 in 1993. What's New Biographies Misc. Sounds Links Chronology What's News?