Catholic radio

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Why the lack of Catholic radio stations in this country?
I’m guessing there are probably 10,000 “Christian” stations in the U.S.
I’d be willing to bet that there are less than 40 Catholic radio stations across the country.
Even here in San Diego, home of Catholic Answers, we have to use the internet to hear Mr. Keating etc.
Later in the evening I can sometimes hear a Catholic station out of Sacramento ( ! ) but there isn’t another one in Los Angeles, Orange, or San Diego counties–one of the most populated regions in the country. :confused:
Anyone else have thoughts on this?
 
I am in Sacramento and we have 2 radio stations. I think I heard somewhere on the radio that there are over 900 Catholic radio stations in the US.
 
Apparently,it’s more than my diocese----(there are something like 75 million Catholics in the U.S.)----

From Catholic Radio Update:

SCOREBOARD of U.S. CATHOLIC RADIO ~ February 21, 2005

Catholic radio stations in the United States, grand total† **137 **

Change since last report* +1 KLFB restore

Catholic radio stations in the United States, on the air† **102 **

Change since last report* +1 KLFB restore

Number of low-power FM stations (LPFM) ever authorized 78

Change since last report* 0

Number of LPFM stations on the air 24

Number of LPFM stations not on the air 25

Number of LPFM station construction permits expired 29

Number of Latin Rite dioceses with Catholic radio service† 80

Change since last report* 0

Number of FM translators 86

Number of FM translators on air 13

*February 21, 2005 †does not include shortwave, translator, booster, or Internet-only stations.
 
Because running a radio station and providing high-quality programming is expensive. Different dioceses choose to spend their money in different ways. And I think it would be hard to keep a station afloat simply on listener contributions. Especially since the audience of regular listeners is not usually that big in any given market.
 
I wouldn’t expect a diocese to have to run one. I would think there is a market for Catholic radio, but I also suspect that most Catholics in the U.S. are more of just Sunday-only type people.

How many people *even on this forum * watch EWTN or listen to Catholic apologetic tapes or read Catholic books?

Why is there a market for “Christian” radio stations, but not Catholic ones? How do all these Christian stations make it financially?
 
I have been fortunate to live in areas where there has been Catholic radio.

Relevant Radio, which runs the station in Scranton, just had a fund drive. According to them, it take approximately $24 per hour to run a station. I am assuming this is with a good bit of volunteer help. Even ther it costs over $210,000 a year to run a station (even at low power).

All of the Catholic radio stations I have listened to have not been run by the Diocese. Saying that, I believe the Diocese of Scranton does run a broadcast TV station.

PF
 
When I was living in the St. Pete diocese, I was able to get the feed from WBVM, through their translator station WLMS in Lecanto. This was in the early 90’s, and I really enjoyed the station. They played some good music, and had great shows on. Good Catholic prayers were common, and I grew used to saying the Angelus daily.

Now that I’ve moved, I can’t get that station anymore, and haven’t found any other Catholic stations here. St. Augustine diocese floated the idea of a station but I think the money dried up. So when in my car, I listen to CDs, or occasionally the local Christian station.

The sad thing is that WBVM underwent some sort of change, from what I can tell. They dropped Catholic Answers, started playing all kinds of ultra-contemporary music, including “Christian dance music” :ehh: , and seems to have cut or limited some of their more orthodox shows. I can get it on the internet, and not once in the two years since I found it there have I heard the Angelus said. :nope:
 
EWTN Catholic Radio, in addition to being broadcast on many AM or FM Radio stations throughout the U.S., is also available on Shortwave Radio and on Sirius Satellite Radio, as well as live on the Internet.
 
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bordertown:
Why is there a market for “Christian” radio stations, but not Catholic ones? How do all these Christian stations make it financially?
Click to expand...
Many of these stations are actually brokering their time out to various local churches which pay to get their shows on the air. Of course, they also cater to their target audiences and depend upon traditional fundraising drives and such. Realize that many of these ownerships began many years ago when FM signals, in particular, were more experimental in nature and easy to get. They’ve had about a 40 year jump on us. Nowadays, things are so expensive just to start up that it is extremely difficult to nearly impossible to even effectively break into some markets and sustain the stations.
 
Todd Easton said:
EWTN Catholic Radio, in addition to being broadcast on many AM or FM Radio stations throughout the U.S., is also available on Shortwave Radio and on Sirius Satellite Radio, as well as live on the Internet.
Click to expand...

This is how I get my ETWN, through the Internet.

Apparently IMO most 'Sunday Catholics or C&E Catholics (Christmas & Easter) think it’s the Diocese’s decision if they want a radio station or not…that is NOT the case.
We have a group of dedicated in Cleveland who WANT BADLY a radio station for Catholics here. We HAD one from 1994-1998 (WMIH 1260AM) and it was PRIVATELY Run. Unless you have $$$ coming from a grant or contributions, a privately run station will rarely happen.

This is what we are doing in Cleveland about Catholic Radio coming to Cleveland, someday:
hailholyqueen.org/
 
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WanderAimlessly:
All of the Catholic radio stations I have listened to have not been run by the Diocese. Saying that, I believe the Diocese of Scranton does run a broadcast TV station.
Click to expand...
Welcome to Detroit!

We are blessed to have two radio stations: 990 WDEO (Ann Arbor) and 1090 WCAR (Detroit area). I think both are run independently of their respective Dioceses, Lansing and Detroit.

Some of their programming overlaps (Catholic Answers Live, for example) and I think it might serve everybody better if they joined forces, but that is just my opinion.
 
Thank you for this thread! So many people contact us at Catholic Answers radio dept. and ask us to broadcast our show in their city, yet there is no station available or no one willing to pay the programming fee.
Many do not realize that we simply are a program provider. We own no stations and could not afford them if any came available. Just providing the program and getting it distributed takes an enormous amount of money.
For those of you who get Catholic Answers Live in your city, please do four things to the extent that you are able:
  1. Thank God!
  2. Pray for all involved in Catholic radio that they will be able to continue their ministry. We are all struggling–EWTN, Ave Maria, Immaculate Heart Radio, Relevant, Covenant radio, and many others
  3. Financially support all involved in Catholic radio that they will be able to continue their ministry
  4. If possible, join the Catholic Answers Radio Club to keep our show on the air
    Even if you do not get Catholic radio right now yourself, Catholic radio is a great evangelization tool. With your contribution, souls are reached daily. Maybe it will be a member of your family that has left the Church or someone you don’t know who suddenly comes to know Christ and his Church. We get amazing stories from people whose lives have changed because they happened to tune into our show.
Appeal is over! Thanks again for this thread!

Jan Wakelin
Manager of Radio and TV
Catholic Answers
 
I live close enough to Sacramento to pick up their Catholic Radio Station. Also, I pray for and give what I can to my local Catholic radio station. Since I gave up TV (I do not even own one anymore), I figure I am investing the money I would be spending on cable or satellite TV services for the radio station.

Now that I have internet access, I usually listen to the station via internet. I can hear it fairly well and I have dial up!! While I encourage you to keep striving for a Catholic radio station in your area if you do not have one, listening over the internet also would be an option. EWTN also has an internet audio option that I can also pick up.

Not only do I have dial up, but my computer is over 5 years old, so if my machine can handle it, I know most others have computers that can as well.
 
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