ARTICLES

Nationwide Catholic Radio Launched

BASED IN SAN DIEGO, WILL BROADCAST 24 HRS. A DAY

By Carlos Bey

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported it on Saturday, April 18: Catholic Radio Network, led by Rancho Santa Fe resident and former head of Nobel broadcasting, John Lynch, has signed a purchase agreement for ten radio stations, including six in the top seven U.S. markets. These markets include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadephia, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis.

The network, whose Golden Triangle headquarters lie in the shadow of the soaring Mormon temple, will carry live call-in programming for most of its 24-hours-a-day broadcasts, "consistent with the tradition and doctrine of the Roman Catholic church."

Catholic Radio Network was born out of discussions held by Father Joseph Fessio, S.J. of Ignatius Press and Nicholas Healy of Franciscan University at Steubenville, Ohio in the fall of 1997. Archbishop Charles Chaput is the episcopal moderator of CRN.

John Lynch, the chief executive officer of the new network, co-founded the Noble radio network in 1978, a chain of up to 20 stations, which he sold to Jacor Communications in February, 1996.

Catholic Radio Network's ten-station purchase -- from Children's Broadcasting Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- is expected to be complete in September of this year. The total purchase price is $57 million. Board members are busy soliciting invesments to complete the deal. On April 20, Business Wire reported that the new owners have already made a $3 million down payment.

Over 1800 radio stations in the United States feature religious programming, a number which jumped 58 percent between 1989 and 1996. But few feature Catholic programs. Coincidentally, Catholic Answers, the ten-year-old Catholic apologetics group in Kearny Mesa, initiated a daily live call-in show in February on Mother Angelica's WEWN, a shortwave network. Callers from the shortwave network over the last ten weeks have asked mostly friendly questions of the show's guests -- Karl Keating (Catholic Answers president), Father Fessio, Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., historian James Hitchcock. If this show and shows like it are broadcast by the new network, callers would not be so friendly. But network documents anticipate the combativeness of commercial talk radio: "It is expected that program hosts will take aggressive stances on issues."

Though no San Diego station is included in the network now, it plans to acquire stations in all 20 of the top U.S. markets. The station in Los Angeles (KPLS-AM) is on a strong frequency (830) that can be picked up in parts of San Diego County during the day.

Other stations in the new network: New York (WJDM-AM, 1660), Chicago (WAUR-AM, 930), Philadelphia (WPWA-AM,1590), Dallas/Fort Worth (KAHZ-AM, 1360), Phoenix (KIDR-AM, 740), Denver (KKYD-AM,1340), Kansas City (KCNW-AM, 1380), Milwaukee (WZER-AM, 540), and Minneapolis (WWTC-AM, 1280).

Catholic Radio Network's offices are located at 8910 University Center Lane, Suite 130, San Diego, CA 92121. Phone is 619-784-6900.