From 1961 to 1976 WRVR-FM broadcast a progressive slate of social justice and jazz programming from the Riverside Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Beginning in 2018 those archives are being digitized and transcribed by the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, and on June 17 they’re asking volunteers to help correct those transcriptions in a […]
Tag Archives | Religious Radio
Podcast #250 – Aimee Semple McPherson and the Early History of Radio Evangelists
One of the biggest celebrities in Los Angeles in the early part of the 20th century was Aimee Semple McPherson. She inspired scandalous headlines and fictional depictions, including the character Sister Molly on the current Showtime series, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Yet the story that is less frequently told is McPherson’s embrace of radio. […]
LPFM Watch: Olympia All Ages Project, WRVU Friends and Family, and City of Boston in Latest Batch of New Grants
It’s been a busy few weeks for low power FM radio, with 30 applications granted in the last two weeks, bringing the total to 1,506 new grants as a result of the fall 2013 filing window. Today is also the deadline for groups in the second settlement window to file certain types of amendments and […]
Jones College Sells WKTZ-FM and WJAX-AM Licenses to Religious Broadcaster EMF
The FCC has granted the assignment of two radio licenses held by Jones College to religious broadcaster Educational Media Foundation (EMF). Licenses for WKTZ-FM and WJAX-AM in Jacksonville, Florida were sold to EMF for the purchase price of $3,375,000. This ends a 50-year legacy of radio at Jones College, with has up until recently broadcast […]
Family Radio Founder Harold Camping Dead at 92
I was saddened to hear the news that Family Radio founder Harold Camping died on Sunday in his home in Alameda, California after complications from a fall that he suffered on November 30. The Christian radio mogul and long-time talk show host achieved worldwide attention in 2011 when he embarked on a massive media blitz […]
Family Radio to Cease Shortwave Operations from Historic WYFR
Shortwave Central is reporting that Christian broadcasting network Family Radio will cease operations from its Florida-based shortwave radio station WYFR at the end of June. According to a message posted from WYFR Station Manager Dan Elyea, “We regretfully inform you that the final day of operation for WYFR will be June 30, 2013.” No reason […]
Delving into Family Radio’s Finances Two Years after Judgment Day
Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Family Radio‘s failed Judgment Day/Rapture. It was a surreal few weeks leading up to May 21, 2011, with the Christian radio network’s founder Harold Camping doing daily call-in talk radio shows in order to spread the word about the impending rapture. After the non-events on May 21 (Camping had […]
FCC Approves WXLV-FM License Assignment to Religious Broadcaster
FM broadcasts for Lehigh Carbon Community College radio station WXLV will cease by early April, following the consummation of the sale of the FM license to Four Rivers Community Broadcasting. On January 28, the FCC approved the assignment of the 90.3 FM license to the religious broadcaster. An article in the Express-Times states that, “On-the-air […]
FCC Grants License Assignment for WFTI from Family Radio to Radio Training Network
Family Stations, which owns and operates a network of Christian radio stations under the branding Family Radio, is in the midst of completing another sale of a station in its network. Last week the FCC granted the assignment of WFTI 91.7 FM in St. Petersburg, Florida to another religious broadcaster, Radio Training Network. Family Radio […]
As May 21 Anniversary Approaches, Family Radio Avoids End of World Talk
A year ago I was growing increasingly fascinated with Family Radio as they became the center of a media frenzy over their President Harold Camping’s predictions of global catastrophe on May 21, 2011. Billboards promoting their Judgment Day pronouncements were present all over the world and Camping’s live call-in talk program, “Open Forum,” ratcheted up […]