Bernard E. and Edith B. Waterman devoted 67 years to serving communities and their listeners and viewers in Florida, Massachusetts and Texas as FCC licensees and owners of 6 broadcasting stations.  They both led Waterman Broadcasting as President through transformative times, Bernie from 1956-2017 and Edith from 2017-2023.

Bernie was born August 26, 1921 in Strasburg, VA. He served in the Navy during World War II and in 1949 graduated from the University of Missouri with his degree in journalism.  Edith was born September 10, 1923 in Equality, AL and attended the University of Alabama. Bernie and Edith met in Mobile, AL when his ship was in dry dock.  They married after the war in Mobile on April 24, 1946.

Bernie worked as a newspaper sports editor, local television news and special events director, president of the Midwest Sports Network and as a sports announcer for the National Network.  The desire to own their own company drew them to Worcester, MA.  Bernie and Edith purchased WAAB-AM in July 1956 and built WAAB-FM in July 1961.  In 1965, they purchased KTSA-AM in San Antonio, Texas and then built KTFM-FM.  In 1979, the Watermans purchased WBBH-TV in Fort Myers, FL and in 1986 WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, VA became part of the Waterman family.  Bernie had a pioneering spirit and continually liked to break new ground.  In 1994, Waterman Broadcasting entered into a time brokerage agreement with Ellis Communications (the first between NBC and ABC affiliated stations), and then with  Montclair Communications providing services to WZVN-TV until June 30, 2023.

The success of the Waterman stations was built on a strong foundation of community service, journalism and an unwavering commitment to local news.

Bernie passed away November 12, 2017.  Edith took over as President at the age of 94 and decided to sell WVIR-TV to Gray Media Group in 2019.  Believing it would be a good idea to retire from broadcasting before turning 100, Edith selected Hearst Television as Waterman’s successor in Fort Myers.  The sale of WBBH-TV and its assets was the single largest broadcast deal in 2023.

Bernie and Edith spent decades nurturing their passion for medicine and philanthropy. The Watermans have supported several transformational initiatives at Mayo Clinic, providing leadership support for cancer genetics research, individualized medicine research, and campus expansion in Rochester, Minn.  They formed the Bernard and Edith Waterman Center for Cancer Genetics in 2004 and were recognized as Mayo Clinic Philanthropic Partners in 2017.