By Sam Lucero
Catholic Herald Staff

MILWAUKEE — A Catholic radio network launched two years ago in Green Bay is making airwaves in southeastern Wisconsin.

Starboard Network recently launched WZRK-AM (1550) in Lake Geneva and is purchasing another station in Port Washington. If that deal is completed, Starboard will claim a network of eight stations (six AM and two FM) in two states.

With a motto of “Relevant Radio,” Starboard sees its niche as serving the local communities in which it operates, according to Sherry Brownrigg, Starboard’s president. That means offering local dioceses several hours of air time each day. “We’ve gotten the blessing from Archbishop (Timothy M. ) Dolan,” said Brownrigg, who visited the Cousins Center late last year and met with Jerry Topczewski the archdiocesan communications director.

“It’s such a wonderful opportunity to partner with the archdiocese and with the priests and parishes in the archdiocese and help in their educational efforts,” Brownrigg told the Catholic Herald. “The evangelization opportunity that radio presents is incredible.”

Topczewski said the archdiocese is receptive to the idea of providing local programming “that is positive, informative, inspiring, catechetical and evangelizing in nature.”

“Our position has been, with the archbishop granting his approval, to support the idea of Catholic radio programming throughout the archdiocese in a way that can create a partnership with Starboard,” added Topczewski. “How that’s going to happen, we’ll see, as this new venture progresses. It’s too early to tell.”

Starboard’s mission is twofold, Brownrigg said. “Getting Catholic radio where it’s needed, and our philosophy is that (the need is) there. Our second mission is to produce a network with local programming.”

Starboard Network stations currently feature Catholic radio programming from various sources, including EWTN radio. When Starboard officially launches its network broadcast this spring, it will offer some of its own programs.

The first locally produced program is called “Morning Air,” to be hosted by Jeff Cavins, the network’s executive director of programming and production.

“Jeff has a wealth of experience in Catholic media, both in radio and television,” said Brownrigg. “He’s one of the foremost apologists and speakers in the country.” Cavins is former host of EWTN radio’s “Life on the Rock” and director of adult formation at St. Paul Parish in Ham Lake, Minn.

“We’ll be producing other shows like a noon news magazine, sort of like NPR,” said Brownrigg. “But we’ll also be pulling the best Catholic programming that is out there and putting it on our network.”

Starboard’s history dates to 2000, when Mark Follett, president and CEO of Anchor Foods, a manufacturer and food service supplier based in Appleton, founded Christ the King Communications and launched WJOK-AM (1050) in Kaukauna. In January 2001, Christ the King Communications was renamed Starboard Network. Follett still serves as chairman and CEO of Starboard Network.

According to the Catholic Radio Association, there are approximately 60 stations across the country broadcasting full- or part-time Catholic programming. “This is up from only a handful five years ago,” CRA states on its Web site.

John Pepe, marketing manager for EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network, said the proliferation of Catholic radio stations can be traced back to a challenge issued by Mother Angelica, founder of the Eternal World Television Network.

“Back in 1996, when (Mother Angelica) realized through our satellite capabilities that we could provide AM and FM stations with radio feeds, she went on her TV program and said anybody with a radio property that would like to broadcast our signal, we would give it away free of charge,” said Pepe.

Since that time Catholic radio stations across the country have sprouted up, “and that’s really because of Mother Angelica giving away EWTN’s radio feed,” added Pepe. “It continues to grow. There are grassroots folks all over the country constantly contacting us.”

Starboard Network is among EWTN’s customers. According to Pepe, Starboard is the largest and fastest growing Catholic network in the country.

“We’re in various stages of development,” stated Brownrigg. “By the end of summer we will have 15 stations.”

According to Brownrigg, Starboard will target “the average Catholic.”

“Catholic radio that’s been out there, until now, has focused on 1 to 2 percent of Catholics who are very devout, and it’s very important to have Catholic programming for that group,” she said. “Where we’re going now, we recognize we need to do a new style of Catholic radio that would reach the average Catholic. That’s really what our particular charism is. We’re doing great radio with Catholic content.”

As for the Lake Geneva and Port Washington stations, Brownrigg said the Lake Geneva station, WZRK, “is in its testing phase. It’s not in the final form that it will be when we launch Relevant Radio.” WZRK operates 24 hours a day, at 1,000 watts daytime and 100 watts at night.

Starboard’s purchase of WGLB-FM (100.1), a ’70s music station in Port Washington, was announced in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last October. The Journal Sentinel reported that Starboard was paying $900,000 for the station.

Since that time, however, a petition signed by about 500 area residents opposing the sale was presented to the Federal Communications Commission. “We should expect to hear (from the FCC) on that soon,” said Brownrigg.

She said residents are worried about losing their only source of local radio news and information.

“It is one of the few stations in that area and the residents depend on the local content,” especially news and weather bulletins, she said. “I would certainly agree they need to have that local content and we would be providing that.”

Brownrigg said WGLB operates at 6,000 watts, enough power to carry its signal into greater Milwaukee.

Starboard’s entry into the local radio market comes two years after the failed venture of Catholic Family Radio, which owned a network of eight AM radio stations around the country, including WZER-AM (540) in Milwaukee.

Brownrigg said Catholic Family Radio used a different business model. “It was a for-profit venture. They were not able to sell the programming,” she said. Starboard is a nonprofit, listener-supported network.

“We will be funded by donations, planned giving, and by underwriting” from local and national businesses, added Brownrigg. “Starboard is here to serve. We’re not in this to make money. We’re nonprofit. Anything donated to us stays in the community. We just really want to serve the individual Catholic community and the Catholic Church as a whole. That’s the whole purpose of our mission.”

Brownrigg, who has been with Starboard for five months, was previously founder of a Catholic radio station in Omaha. She said Starboard Network has about 33 employees.

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