Jon StojanRadio is not dead, and it serves as a valuable tool in spreading knowledge of the Catholic faith and messages of joy and hope. This is being demonstrated by EWTN affiliate Real Presence Radio Network (RPR), a lay apostolate Catholic talk radio network that is marking its 20th broadcasting anniversary this year. From its humble beginnings airing from a closet in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Real Presence Radio now has 27 signals, reaching 10 dioceses across five states – North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Real Presence Radio broadcasts distinctly Catholic programming, including devotionals, prayers, call-in programs, the daily Mass, and both local and national programs concerning the Catholic Faith. Its stated mission is to assist the Roman Catholic Church in drawing all people to the knowledge and love of Jesus and His Church through radio and other mediums, in full accord with the Church’s Magisterium.
The inspiration for establishing Real Presence Radio came in the early 2000s when Steve Loegering was listening to a Christian radio station during Reformation Sunday, a major Protestant observance. He noticed a strong anti-Catholic sentiment in the programming, and he realized that there needed to be a local station that advanced the Catholic point of view and cleared up misconceptions people may have of the Church. Around a year later, Loegering, along with John Kerian and Paul MacLeod, established Real Presence Radio, with broadcast commencing on November 6, 2004, under the signal KWTL 1370 AM. It initially aired content from EWTN, an international Catholic media network, later adding original programming.
According to Loegering, one of the reasons he felt compelled to establish Real Presence Radio was to help Catholics gain a deeper understanding of their faith rather than bring non-Catholics into the Church.
Over the years, Real Presence Radio expanded rapidly, adding an average of more than one signal per year, receiving the permission of the local Bishop before expanding into a new diocese. Today, Real Presence Radio dedicates at least six hours of local content each week, providing news updates and discussing issues regarding the various parishes and dioceses it reaches. It also airs call-in programs where local people can submit prayer requests or ask questions about the Catholic faith, which the show’s hosts and guests answer in an understanding and non-adversarial manner.
Lynne Devitt, Executive Director of Real Presence Radio, says that she found the radio network more than a decade ago while station surfing. She had grown tired of the political polarization and antagonism dominating the regular talk radio channels, and she wanted to listen to something positive. She was one of the many listeners who found the station by chance and was later inspired to join the organization.
“I found Catholic radio at a time when I wanted to separate my religion and politics,” Devitt says. “I wanted to be centered in something that is more eternal, and I realized that my ups and downs should not be based on whether or not my candidate wins or loses because this life is very short. This is how RPR changed my life and why it is so important to me.”
Today, amid the changing media landscape, Real Presence Radio is adapting by bringing its broadcast online. Listeners can also tune in via its streaming app. It also hosts past episodes of its radio content as podcasts, allowing people to listen on demand. Additionally, the network is hoping to join online radio subscription services to reach a wider audience. However, Devitt says that broadcasting via terrestrial radio is still important, especially for people who are scanning through the airwaves.
“I would not have found Catholic radio if I wasn’t going through the radio dial,” Devitt says. “It’s important that we’re there for people to accidentally find us because a lot of people didn’t know they wanted to listen to us until they happened to tune in. Prior to finding RPR, I was a regular churchgoer, and I was totally fine. But when I found RPR, it opened a door to a world that was joyful, and I was missing out on it the entire time. We want to help people find that joy as well. The Catholic Church is not just a bunch of rules to follow. Rather, it’s a series of gifts that show how to live a more fulfilled life. If we can slow down and appreciate those gifts as opposed to putting up walls, I believe that it can lead to a more content existence focused on something greater that’s beyond this realm.”