Mission Statement
Relevant Radio® – Bringing Christ to the world through the media.
Guiding Principles
- Faithful to the Magisterium and Catechism of the Catholic Church
- United to the Bishops
- Under the protective intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Story of Relevant Radio
One day, when the history of the Church in the 21st century is written, there will be a chapter about ordinary Christians who took the initiative to evangelize through the mass media. Relevant Radio is part of that story.
The origins of Relevant Radio can be traced to the epic pontificate of St. John Paul II (1978-2005) who called all the faithful to a “New Evangelization” and set the pace by leaving the safe confines of the Vatican to travel the world and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone.
By the late 1990s Mother Angelica of EWTN was telling her nightly audience, “If you buy a radio station, I will give you our programming for free.” Across the country, ordinary faithful responded to the call, including John Cavil of Green Bay, whose mother Janice called him in from the kitchen while watching EWTN and said, “John, can you buy a radio station so we can broadcast Mother Angelica’s programs here in Green Bay?” John spent many hours in front of our Eucharistic Lord at the “Christ the King Perpetual Adoration Chapel” and became determined to fulfill his mother’s request. So he cashed in on his investment in his company and bought a radio station. That caused quite a sensation in Green Bay!
In no time, other Catholic businessmen, including Mark Follett of Anchor Foods, and Bob Atwell of Nicolet Bank, joined forces with John Cavil. During the year of the Great Jubilee, on August 15, 2000, “Christ the King Communications” filed for 501 c 3 not for profit status with the IRS, and on November 26, 2000, the first broadcast took place on WJOK 1050 AM from the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier. It was the Sunday Mass of the Solemnity of Christ the King. A few weeks later, on December 12, 2000, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization, “Christ the King Communications” (later to be known as Relevant Radio) received its first license from the FCC. All those prayers to our Eucharistic King began bearing fruit!
Searching for the right formula to evangelize through the media, “Christ the King Communications” changed its name to “Starboard Media” and then to “Relevant Radio” in 2003. Realizing that broadcasting EWTN television programs on radio was not the same as doing “live and interactive talk radio”, Relevant Radio set out to produce its own programming and purchase radio stations across the country.
From 2000 to 2006, the Follett family of Appleton, Wisconsin, led by Mark Follett serving as CEO, with great faith and generosity, poured much of their lifetime savings into building the Relevant Radio network. By 2006, Relevant Radio was broadcasting in six states, reaching 20MM persons.
In 2003 Fr. Francis Joseph Hoffman “Fr. Rocky”, made his debut on Morning Air, and since 2009 he has led the organization, becoming Chairman of the Board in 2021. In 2006 Tom Vorpahl of Green Bay joined the organization and became the Chairman of the Board in 2009.
From 2009 to 2019 Fr. Hoffman and Mr. Vorpahl worked closely together building Relevant Radio into the largest Catholic radio network in the USA. They found outstanding and competent support from Mike Kendall, Executive Vice President of Programming, and Amy VandenLangenberg, Executive Vice President of Finance and Accounting. Working together as a team, Hoffman, Vorpahl, Kendall and VandenLangenberg acquired Immaculate Heart Radio from California, founded by Doug Sherman, and supported by Gene Zurlo, founder of the Catholic Radio Association, and entrepreneur Chuck Haas of Silicon Valley; Presence Radio in Maine, Baraga Radio in Michigan, Queen of Peace Radio in Jacksonville, and Bread of Life Radio in Lexington, Ky, as well as scores of other stations around the country. Today, Relevant Radio owns and operates radio stations in all top twenty-four markets in the USA.
Relevant Radio owes its growth and success to the powerful and tangible intercession of the Blessed Mother and to St. Joseph, notably the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal, and to the extraordinary hard work and talent of our dedicated and professional associates, as well as the prayer and support of hundreds of thousands of listeners and donors across the world, especially those who spend time in Eucharistic Adoration praying for our mission, including cloistered religious around the country.
The Mission Statement of Relevant Radio is “To Bring Christ to the world through the media”, and Relevant Radio operates under three guiding principles: 1) Faithful to the Magisterium and the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2) United to the Bishops; 3) Under the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Relevant Radio audience has experienced that prayer is powerful, and between 2010 and 2022, close to 500MM Memorares have been prayed by our audience for the peaceful end to legal abortion in the United States, as well as a 405-day rosary novena for the same intention from May 18, 2021, to June 26, 2022. Experts in the history of Mass Communications have noted the impact Relevant Radio had on the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.
Today Relevant Radio broadcasts 24/7 on over 210 AM and FM stations across the USA reaching 270MM souls, including all top ten markets, and around the world through the internet on Relevantradio.com, and the FREE Relevant Radio App.
Annually, 4 million people tune in to listen to Relevant Radio shows in the USA, and an additional 4 million souls engage in the Relevant Radio digital and social media offerings around the globe. Audience favorites include the Family Rosary Across America, the Patrick Madrid Show, and the daily Chaplet of Divine Mercy on The Drew Mariani Show.
September 5, 2023