New Catholic Radio Station Goes Live in Los Angeles
November 13, 2014  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

Archbishop of Los Angeles Most Reverend José H. Gomez Celebrates Launch

of Immaculate Heart Radio Station (KHJ AM 930) with Mass and “flipping the switch” at Kick-Off Event Monday, Nov. 17th at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

Los Angeles, CA – (November 13, 2014) – Immaculate Heart Radio, a leading Catholic radio network reaching a population of 35 million people in 32 markets on the west coast, will begin broadcasting in Los Angeles to more than 15 million people, 4.6 million of which are Catholic, on November 17, 2014 at KHJ AM 930. Immaculate Heart Radio will host a kick-off event on Monday, November 17th at 12:10pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The celebration will feature Mass and a blessing of Immaculate Heart Radio by the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Immaculate Heart Radio provides current event and talk show programming designed to inform and educate listeners on the beauty of the Catholic faith, its rich history and spiritual insight, plus family topics from a Catholic perspective. Immaculate Heart Radio’s San Diego radio station, KCEO AM 1000, matches perfectly with KHJ AM 930’s coverage in Los Angeles, with an overlap in Orange County which results in continuous signal coverage from Oxnard to the Mexican border.

 Details of Launch Event Immediately following Mass at approximately 1:00pm, in the Ballroom on the 2nd floor of The Center at Cathedral Plaza, Archbishop Gomez will “flip the switch” that will bring full-time Catholic programming to Los Angeles. The launch celebration will be broadcast live and a reception will follow with music and refreshments. Admission is free and this event is open to the public. Due to space limitations, attendees are asked to RSVP online at www.ihradio.com/khj-invite or by calling (888) 887-7120.

“We are blessed to have a Catholic radio station that will serve our English-speaking Catholics in a coverage area that serves the entire 9,000 square-mile territory of the Archdiocese,” said Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles. “Catholic radio in Los Angeles will offer our Church great potential to inspire and educate people and strengthen their faith and Catholic identity. In addition, it offers unique opportunities to evangelize and share the Gospel with those who have left the Church or given up on God.”​​

Honorary Chairpersons Include Catholic Celebrities & Athletes

“Los Angeles now has the best in Catholic radio,” said Vin Scully, Honorary Chairperson and Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “KHJ AM 930 is Immaculate Heart Radio’s powerhouse station that covers all of the southland.”

“Immaculate Heart Radio will be a blessing for Los Angeles,” said Eduardo Verástegui, Honorary Chairperson, Actor, Producer & Singer whose recent works include Bella, For Greater Glory, Son of God.

 “I’ve played all over the country and loved keeping up with the Faith by listening to Catholic radio to and from the ballpark,” said Jeff Suppan, Honorary Chairperson and former MLB Pitcher, World Series Champion & NLCS MVP (2006). “When I returned home to LA, it wasn’t available. I’m so pleased that Los Angeles now has Immaculate Heart Radio!”

“My car radio is always tuned to Immaculate Heart Radio,” said Mike Sweeney, Honorary Chairperson and 5-Time MLB All-Star. “Whether it be a short drive to drop off the kids at school or sitting in freeway traffic, it’s a joy to be in the car being fed the Truth of the Catholic Faith on Immaculate Heart Radio.”

The Power of Radio

Broadcast radio is one of the most powerful forms of electronic media, reaching more than 92% of people ages 12 year and older each week. Radio reaches people at home, work, in the car, behind prison walls – nearly everywhere.

In a recent survey of 2,200 Immaculate Heart Radio listeners, results overwhelmingly reflected a positive impact of IHHR:

  • 30% said IHR brought them back to their Faith
  • 50% said they now attend church services more frequently
  • 60% said they are more involved with their church community
  • 70% said IHR has helped them teach their children about their Faith
  • 80% said they have learned more about their Catholic Faith from IHR than any other source
  • 95% said they have grown spiritually as a result of listening to IHR

Immaculate Heart Radio will provide one hour daily to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to air special programming discussing local issues of the day from a Catholic leadership perspective in an effort to serve families and young people.

“This is a huge milestone for Immaculate Heart Radio and for our family,” said Doug Sherman, President and Founder of Immaculate Heart Radio. “My wife and I were high-school sweethearts in Pasadena 50 years ago. We entered into the world of Catholic Radio broadcasting nearly 20 years ago and have made a full circle with this newest endeavor in Los Angeles. Catholic radio makes a difference. Lives and communities are changed; families and parishes are strengthened. We are proud of the thousands of listeners who have shared stories of saved marriages, new vocations, babies saved, averted suicides, ended addictions and transformed lives over the past couple decades. Catholic radio is one of the best means for ‘New Evangelization’ which we are all being called to embrace.”

Immaculate Heart Radio (www.ihradio.com), a 501c3 non-profit organization, launched KIHM in Reno, CA in 1997. At the time, there were only seven full-time Catholic radio stations in the country, compared to over 1,600 Protestant stations and 15,000 secular stations. Since the founding of KIHM, Immaculate Heart Radio has grown to consist of 32 of the nation’s 300 full-power Catholic radio stations and translators.

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Contact: Kim Britz, Immaculate Heart Radio, (916) 415-6640, kbritz@ihradio.org

John Sperrazzo, Eye-To-Eye Communications, Inc., (858) 361-4495, john@eyetoeyepr.com