70th Anniversary Moments - Gertrude "Gert" Trobe.

This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of when Beaver County’s first radio station, WBVP, was heard over the airwaves for the the first time on May 25, 1948. To mark the historical event, each week, another “70th Anniversary Moment” will be showcased on the airwaves and published on the station’s online feeds.

In 1948, WBVP was making history on many different fronts. Aside from being the first radio station in Beaver County, WBVP was on the cutting edge of another historical event, that of having a woman talk show host. Gertude, or “Gert” Trobe was one of the first women, anywhere, to be involved with broadcasting when she began her show as part of the original staff that station owners Frank Smith, Tom Price and Charles Onderka had assembled together in Beaver Falls. The following is an except from the forthcoming book “Behind The Microphone – The History Of Radio in Beaver County”, which is being published in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of WBVP in May.

Gert and Max Trobe at a radio station party in 1954. Courtesy of Owen Simon.

“Following the news, one of the most beloved announcers in the Beaver County Area, of all time, Gertrude Trobe, would take control of the airwaves. (Beaver County historian and local author) Ken Britten summed up the significance of Ms. Trobe’s contributions. ‘Shortly after going on the air, Mr (Frank) Smith hired Gertrude Trobe to become the first woman’s director thus making WBVP the first radio station in history to have a full time Woman’s Director in charge of special programming aimed directly at the female market. You must remember radio was only 28 years old when WBVP went on the air and was still in its infancy. The hiring of a Woman’s Director made news throughout the industry.

Mrs Trobe was already well established on the faculty of Geneva College where she taught English, Drama and Communications. After being hired at WBVP she would become one of the leaders in female broadcasting within the industry, winning and receiving many awards, honors and certificates. She would become one of the founding members of the New York based “American Women In Radio and Television”, become recognized for introducing many radio firsts and be listed in “Who’s Who”.

Initially beginning by broadcasting daily 15 minute programs, she would eventually do a daily 45 minute show called “You and Your Home” that ran for thirty years and two shorter programs entitled “Market Place” and the “Shoppers Guide”. She would also be fondly remembered for her annual “Christmas Tea Party” and her many travel cruises.’

Gert Tobe on the cover of a promotional booklet published in the 1960’s. Photo taken inside the Grand ballroom at The General Brodhead Hotel. in Beaver Falls.

The Cookie Teas hosted by Gert Trobe over at the Brodhead Hotel on 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls were some of the the biggest events staged by WBVP every year. the Cookie Teas were held up in the Grand Ballroom around Christmas time. The events were for ladies only, were free of charge to attend and usually featured a buffet and guest speaker and sometimes a singing group or two. Women who wanted to attend had to call WBVP and make a reservation. The Cookie Teas were so popular that they needed to be held twice in the same day to accommodate the crowd of 500 to 600 ladies that would attend each year, given the 250 person seating capacity of the Brodhead Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. (WBVP Engineer) Jim Roush also added in a December, 2017 discussion, that once the Cookie Teas were advertised on WBVP, the phones in the office would receive a deluge of calls and all of the available reservations would be gone in a day. Gert would get dress shops and other sponsors to donate supplies, prizes and other things that were needed to pull off the Cookie Teas each year.”

Gert and her husband, Max were fixtures in the local community. Max Trobe was a popular dentist in Beaver Falls and was involved with and attended many radio station social events through the years.

“70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican Food, Laughlin Insurance Agency and Rochester Manor and Villa.