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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

New radio station hits Cook airwaves

Tom Klein
Posted 10/31/09

Radio listeners in the Cook region can now tune into a new station devoted to inspirational and religious programming.

WQRN, which broadcasts at 88.9 mhz on the FM band, went on the air at 3:33 …

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New radio station hits Cook airwaves

Posted

Radio listeners in the Cook region can now tune into a new station devoted to inspirational and religious programming.

WQRN, which broadcasts at 88.9 mhz on the FM band, went on the air at 3:33 p.m. on Oct. 21. The station, which reaches much of the Iron Range area, is the latest in a string of radio stations operated by the VCY (Voice of Christian Youth) America Network.

Vic Eliason, founder of VCY America, has roots in Cook. He grew up in the area and its where his interest in broadcasting and electronics was formed. He recalled how he once built a primitive transmitter that he connected to a phone line. His first broadcast included selections from Swedish records in his family’s collection.

“Don Simonson (who is serving as a local coordinator for WQRN) was one of my first listeners,” said Eliason. “He parked his car under the phone line and could pick up my broadcast on his radio.”

Eliason has come a long way since then with more than two dozen radio stations and a television station spread across the Midwest. In addition, he has stations at international locations including one in the Caribbean and another under construction in the African Soudan.

His headquarters are in Milwaukee, Wis., where he maintains a 47,000-square-foot suite of studies and offices in a three-story building.

VCY has its origins in a group of youth, who wanted to create religious programming to air over their local radio station, according to Eliason. That ultimately led to the network of radio and TV stations now operated under the VCY America banner.

As with his other stations, the new 16,000-watt station at Cook offers inspirational and religious programming. Weekday morning programs are devoted to Christian and inspirational programming and teaching, according to Eliason. The station offers talk radio programs from about 11 a.m. to 3:30 or 4 p.m. followed by kids’ programming, included dramatized stories and the popular “Oydessy” series, until the supper hour. More talk radio follows with “Music Til Dawn” starting at about 11 p.m. and continuing until 5 a.m. On weekends, the mornings are devoted to kids’ programming.

The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A noncommercial station, WQRN will rely on listeners’ support. But Eliason said fundraising efforts are limited to two or three times a year. “We want to avoid heavy fund drives,” he said. “We think the quality of our programming sells itself.”

Nonetheless, operating a string of radio and TV stations isn’t cheap. Eliason said the network’s daily light bill alone runs $1,000 per day.

Programming guides are available at some local businesses. Those interested in carrying the guides can contact Simonson at 666-5449.

For more information about WQRN, you can call 1-800-729-9829 during office hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or write WQRN-FM, VCY America, 3434 West Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53214, or e-mail wqrn@vcyamerica.org. You can also visit the website at vcyamerica.org.

Eliason said response to the new station thus far has been positive with the signal reaching as far as Ely. He said he is interested in learning where the station is being received and invites listeners to call or write WQRN with a reception report.

radio station, Christian, Cook, Vic Eliason