VCY America

Last updated
VCY America
VCY America.jpg
Type Radio network
Country
United States
Headquarters Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ownership
OwnerVCY America, Inc.
History
Founded1954
by Vic Eliason
Launch date1954;70 years ago (1954)
Former names
Milwaukee Youth for Christ
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website https://www.vcy.org/

VCY America, Inc. is a traditional, evangelical, conservative Christian ministry based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The VCY America Radio Network maintains a format of Christian talk and teaching, as well as traditional Christian music through its broadcast outlets.

Contents

History

Originally known as "Milwaukee Youth For Christ", and later, "Greater Milwaukee Youth For Christ", it left the national YFC organization in 1973 and became known as the Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth (WVCY) until 1995, when it changed to its present name. Its flagship stations in Milwaukee, WVCY-FM and WVCY-TV, share a call sign which refers to the ministry's original name.

Radio network

VCY America's operation center, studios and headquarters in the Miller Valley neighborhood of Milwaukee, which contains the call signs for the stations managed out of the facility purchased before 1998 upon its facade. VCY America Studios.jpg
VCY America's operation center, studios and headquarters in the Miller Valley neighborhood of Milwaukee, which contains the call signs for the stations managed out of the facility purchased before 1998 upon its facade.

The ministry operates 39 VCY America-owned radio stations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It also broadcasts over 25 low-power FM translators. [1] VCY America radio also provides programming such as Crosstalk, Worldview Weekend, and Music 'til Dawn to stations throughout the country via satellite. Additionally, VCY has a Christian bookstore in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin which is promoted on air and ships throughout the United States as an additional source of revenue.

VCY has attempted to expand into the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, and the Coachella Valley through the lease and attempted purchase of a group of three stations in a bankruptcy action: KFRH, KREV and KRCK-FM. In early 2022, the original owner sued successfully to nullify the bankruptcy action against them, and the bankruptcy debtor in possession and trustee was forced to return to the stations to them and nullify the VCY America leases. In October 2023, VCY America participated in a bankruptcy auction for these stations and was the winning bidder for KFRH, KRCK-FM, and two translators in the Palm Springs area for $2,445,952.88. [2] KFRH in North Las Vegas, Nevada's call sign was changed to KVPH and it began airing VCY America's programming on March 18, 2024. [3]

In December 2022 VCY America announced it would purchase WFAS-FM in the New York City area from Cumulus Media, pending final approval from the Federal Communications Commission. [4] [5] Renamed WVBN, the acquisition, completed on February 6, 2023, gave VCY America its first broadcast outlet on the East Coast. [6] VCY America added to its Northeastern expansion in August 2023 with its purchase of WJBR-FM in Wilmington, Delaware, from Beasley Broadcast Group. [7] VCY took control of the station October 6, changing its call sign to WVCW; the move brings its programming into the Philadelphia market.

Programming

VCY America's radio programming includes Christian talk and teaching programming, among them:

VCY America also airs a variety of vocal and instrumental traditional Christian music, as well as children's programming such as Ranger Bill . [8] Notably, the network (including WVCY-TV) eschews any programs featuring Contemporary Christian music, and has dropped programming which has switched to it in any form, including as theme music.

Television

The ministry also owns WVCY-TV (Channel 30) in Milwaukee, which holds a commercial license but is completely viewer supported. As of January 2018, it is carried under a channel share agreement with commercial station WITI, owned by Fox Television Stations. It vacated its former independent frequency in the FCC's spectrum repack auction, the proceeds of which ($76.3 million, [9] plus donations and bookstore purchases since) have been utilized to expand VCY's radio network. WVCY-TV is also carried in the Wausau television market via translator W26EE-D, licensed to Wittenburg.

In 1994, WVCY-TV rejected an offer to be purchased by CBS and become the network's new Milwaukee affiliate, following WITI's defection to Fox as part of the 1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment.

Other efforts

The ministry also operates a summer camp, near Hillsboro, Wisconsin, called, "Trail Ridge Camp" [10] as well as its religious bookstore, with a physical location in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, and its online presence.

Leadership

The ministry is run by a team formerly headed by the late Vic Eliason, a former Youth for Christ worker, ordained Christian minister and a recipient of an honorary doctorate from Bob Jones University, in 2001. [11] Jim Schneider is the current Executive Director. [12]

List of stations

Call sign Frequency City of license State Class Power
(W)		 ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		FCC info
KVCP 88.3 FM Phoenix Arizona C1—22,500304 m (997 ft) FCC
KVCC88.5 FM Tucson Arizona A—1,500115 m (377 ft) FCC
KVPW 97.7 FM Mecca California A—1,600197 m (646 ft) FCC
WVCW 99.5 FM Wilmington Delaware B—50,000152 m (499 ft) FCC
WLUV 1520 AM Loves Park Illinois D500 (day)
13 (night)		—— FCC
WPTH 88.1 FM Olney Illinois A—2,90061 m (200 ft) FCC
WVSB 106.3 FM Indiana Indiana A—1,400134.8 m (442 ft) FCC
KVDI 99.3 FM Huxley Iowa A—5,30095 m (312 ft) FCC
KVCI 89.7 FM Montezuma Iowa C1—100,000151 m (495 ft) FCC
KVCY104.7 FM Fort Scott Kansas C3—16,000125 m (410 ft) FCC
KCVS 91.7 FM Salina Kansas C2—11,500228 m (748 ft) FCC
WVCN 104.3 FM Baraga Michigan C1—100,000262 m (860 ft) FCC
WVCM91.5 FM Iron Mountain Michigan A—500183 m (600 ft) FCC
WQRN88.9 FM Cook Minnesota C3—16,00070 m (230 ft) FCC
WQRM 850 AM Duluth Minnesota B50,000 (day)
14,000 (c.h.)		—— FCC
KVCS89.1 FM Spring Valley Minnesota C3—12,000138 m (453 ft) FCC
WRVX91.7 FM Cameron Missouri C2—27,500116 m (381 ft) FCC
KIRS 107.7 FM Stockton Missouri C3—11,700146 m (479 ft) FCC
KVPH 104.3 FM North Las Vegas Nevada C—24,5001,128 m (3,701 ft) FCC
KVCN 106.7 FM Los Alamos New Mexico C0—44,000592 m (1,942 ft) FCC
WVBN 103.9 FM Bronxville New York A—980162.1 m (532 ft) FCC
WJIC 91.7 FM Zanesville Ohio A—6,00097 m (318 ft) FCC
KVCF90.5 FM Freeman South Dakota C2—9,000246 m (807 ft) FCC
KVCX 101.5 FM Gregory South Dakota C1—100,000195 m (640 ft) FCC
KVCH88.7 FM Huron South Dakota C1—60,000161 m (528 ft) FCC
KVFL89.1 FM Pierre South Dakota A—400113 m (371 ft) FCC
KVPC 97.7 FM Rapid City South Dakota C—100,000579 m (1,900 ft) FCC
KVDT 103.3 FM Allen Texas C—98,000606 m (1,988 ft) FCC
KVLM 104.7 FM Tarzan Texas C1—100,000224 m (735 ft) FCC
KVCE 92.7 FM Slaton Texas C1—100,000182 m (597 ft) FCC
WVIW 104.1 FM Bridgeport West Virginia A—2,450158 m (518 ft) FCC
WVCF90.5 FM Eau Claire Wisconsin A—1,600112 m (367 ft) FCC
WVFL89.9 FM Fond du Lac Wisconsin A—1,000117 m (384 ft) FCC
WVCY-FM [lower-alpha 1] 107.7 FM Milwaukee Wisconsin B—43,000161 m (528 ft) FCC
WVCY 690 AM Oshkosh Wisconsin B250 (day)
77 (night)		—— FCC
WVCS90.1 FM Owen Wisconsin C3—1,900153 m (502 ft) FCC
WVCX 98.9 FM Tomah Wisconsin C0—100,000300 m (980 ft) FCC
WEGZ 105.9 FM Washburn Wisconsin C1—100,000226 m (741 ft) FCC
WVRN88.9 FM Wittenberg Wisconsin C2—25,000147 m (482 ft) FCC

Notes:

 Broadcast translators of VCY America
Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license State ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class FCC info
K251BX98.1 Palm Desert California 158193 m (633 ft)D FCC
K293AO106.5 Alamosa Colorado 25034.8 m (114 ft)D FCC
K214DE90.7 Antonito Colorado 10731 m (2,398 ft)D FCC
W213AW90.5 Charleston Illinois 5546 m (151 ft)D FCC
W287BY105.3 Rockford Illinois 13590 m (300 ft)D FCC
W249CX97.7 Duluth Minnesota 250164 m (538 ft)D FCC
K292FX106.3 Joplin Missouri 25060.7 m (199 ft)D FCC
K203EZ88.5 Alamogordo New Mexico 10509.1 m (1,670 ft)D FCC
K218AK91.5 Artesia New Mexico 6318 m (59 ft)D FCC
K207CQ89.3 Gallup New Mexico 10012 m (39 ft)D FCC
K211CW90.1 Hobbs New Mexico 5799 m (325 ft)D FCC
K250AB97.9 Roswell New Mexico 20542.5 m (139 ft)D FCC
K220CE91.9 Ruidoso New Mexico 82918 m (3,012 ft)D FCC
K212EH90.3 Silver City New Mexico 2461 m (1,512 ft)D FCC
W232CQ94.3 Cambridge Ohio 13108 m (354 ft)D FCC
K206EQ89.1 Brookings South Dakota 25041 m (135 ft)D FCC
K258AG99.5 Mitchell South Dakota 25086 m (282 ft)D FCC
K293BQ106.5 Sioux Falls South Dakota 25022.8 m (75 ft)D FCC
K278BK103.5 Watertown South Dakota 25078.2 m (257 ft)D FCC
W286DS105.1 Appleton Wisconsin 12068 m (223 ft)D FCC
W216BL91.1 McFarland Wisconsin 12030 m (98 ft)D FCC
W211AU90.1 Monroe Wisconsin 13105 m (344 ft)D FCC
W260DL99.9 Oshkosh Wisconsin 15583 m (272 ft)D FCC
K208FO89.5 Prairie du Chien Wisconsin 20519.6 m (64 ft)D FCC
W275CH102.9 Ripon Wisconsin 1396 m (315 ft)D FCC
W235AG94.9 Sheboygan Wisconsin 1895 m (312 ft)D FCC

Related Research Articles

KVCX is a Christian radio station licensed to Gregory, South Dakota, broadcasting on 101.5 MHz FM, and serving southern South Dakota and northern Nebraska. The station is owned by VCY America, Inc.

WVCY-TV is a religious independent television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, owned by locally based VCY America, Inc. The station's studios are located on West Vliet Street in Milwaukee. Through a channel sharing agreement with Fox owned-and-operated station WITI, WVCY-TV transmits using WITI's spectrum from an antenna on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WITI (TV)</span> Fox TV station in Milwaukee

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WVCW is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware. Owned by VCY America, the station serves the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia. The WVCW transmitter is located 8 miles north of downtown Wilmington on Bellows Drive, less than 1/4 mile from the Pennsylvania state line. Besides a standard analog transmission, WVCW broadcasts over HD Radio. The station is best known for its 67-year legacy as WJBR and WJBR-FM, a Delaware-targeted adult contemporary station, which was consistently rated as one of the top stations in the Wilmington area, even amidst competition from Philadelphia stations.

KVPH is a non-commercial radio station licensed to North Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcasting to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It is owned by VCY America and airs a Christian radio format. It carries a mix of Christian talk and teaching programs with soft Christian worship music. The station asks for donations on the air and on line.

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Victor Carl "Vic" Eliason was an American evangelical clergyman who founded the VCY America Radio Network, a conservative Christian broadcasting ministry, based in Milwaukee, along with Milwaukee television station WVCY-TV.

KVDT is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Allen, Texas, and serving the greater Dallas-Fort Worth radio market. It is owned by VCY America, Inc., and it airs a Christian radio format. Most programming comes from studios at VCY America's headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. KVDT schedules Christian talk and teaching shows in the daytime, while Christian music is heard at night. SRN News provides hourly news updates.

WJBR is an AM radio station licensed to Seffner, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay market with an all-podcast format known as "Podcast Radio US". Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, the station's studios are located on Executive Center Drive in St. Petersburg.

WVCY-FM is a non-commercial listener-supported radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is owned by VCY America, founded by Vic Eliason, with studios on West Kilbourn Avenue. WVCY-FM is the flagship station of the VCY America Christian radio network, airing a mix of talk and teaching programs and traditional Christian music. The station has multiple FM translators in Wisconsin and other Midwest states and is simulcast on WVCY 690 AM in Oshkosh.

KVPW is a radio station licensed to serve Mecca, California, broadcasting to the Coachella Valley area. The transmitter is in a mountain range north of Bermuda Dunes. It is an owned and operated affiliate VCY America, airing a Christian format.

KPHF was a radio station broadcasting a religious radio format. It was licensed to Phoenix, Arizona. The station was owned by Family Radio and aired several Christian ministry broadcasts from noted teachers such as RC Sproul, Alistair Begg, Ken Ham, John F. MacArthur, Adriel Sanchez, Dennis Rainey, John Piper, and others as well as traditional and modern hymns and songs by Keith & Kristyn Getty, The Master's Chorale, Fernando Ortega, Chris Rice, Shane & Shane, Sovereign Grace Music, Sara Groves, and multiple other Christian and Gospel music artists.

WVBN is a radio station licensed to Bronxville, New York. The station is owned by VCY America and features a Christian radio format, consisting of teaching and traditional Christian music. WVBN's transmitter and tower are located on the campus of Montefiore Medical Center in the New York City borough of the Bronx.

WFAS is a commercial digital-only radio station licensed to serve White Plains, New York. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts with 1,000 watts from its transmitter site on Secor Road, in Hartsdale, New York. WFAS airs a conservative talk radio format with programming from Westwood One, which is itself owned by Cumulus Media. News updates are supplied by USA Radio News.

WJIC is a Christian radio station licensed to Zanesville, Ohio, broadcasting on 91.7 MHz FM. The station is owned by VCY America. WJIC is also heard in the Cambridge, Ohio area on 94.3 FM, through translator station W233AL.

WEGZ is a Christian radio station licensed to Washburn, Wisconsin, broadcasting on 105.9 MHz FM. The station is owned by VCY America.

WVCY is a listener-supported AM radio station licensed to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is owned by VCY America based in Milwaukee and it broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. Nearly all of WVCY's schedule is from the national network.

WPTH is a Christian radio station licensed to Olney, Illinois, broadcasting on 88.1 MHz FM. The station is owned by VCY America.

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References

  1. ↑ Radio, VCY America. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  2. ↑ "KEXP, VCY America & AutoPilot FM To Acquire Stations From Ed Stolz Auction", RadioInsight. December 12, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ "KVPH 104.3 FM Las Vegas on the air!", VCY America. March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  4. ↑ InsideRadio.com "Cumulus Media to Exit from New York Market with Sale to VCY America" Dec. 8, 2022
  5. ↑ RadioInsight.com "VCY America Enters New York City with WFAS-FM Purchase Dec. 8, 2022
  6. ↑ Venta, Lance (February 6, 2023). "VCY America Debuts In New York - RadioInsight". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Venta, Lance (August 15, 2023). "VCY America Acquires WJBR". RadioInsight. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "VCY America Central Time Schedule" VCY America. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  9. ↑ "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF). April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Trail Ridge Camp" Trail Ridge Camp. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  11. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; May 22, 2001
  12. ↑ "Jim Schneider, Executive Director", VCY America. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
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