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Radio listeners in the Albany Diocese are tuning into a new Catholic station, WOPG, 89.9 FM, and many like what they are hearing.

The station, whose call letters stand for "Words of Peace and Goodness," went on the air Nov. 3 and runs at 50 percent power, said general manager Tom Threlkeld, who is also the president of the station's board of directors.

"We've had a lot of bumpy roads and blessings on the way," noted Mr. Threlkeld, a parishioner of St. Edward's Church in Clifton Park; but "people are listening and enjoying it very much. We want to make it as local as possible and hope the community joins in and takes on a sense of ownership."

Most of the station's current programming is from EWTN Radio, which transmits via satellite to the station at the former St. Stanislaus School in Amsterdam. The WOPG transmitter in Cherry Valley sends it out through the Mohawk Valley and beyond.

Mr. Threlkeld said WOPG's programming focuses on three issues in the Catholic Church: life, saints and vocations.

"We want it to be a good evangelization tool and what it means to be Catholic," he explained.

The station's website is http:/ /pax-et-bonum-radio.org, which is Latin for "peace and all good."

One listener is Marymargaret Fallati, an acquaintance of Mr. Threlkeld.

"Catholic radio locally will be a wonderful resource," she said. "In upstate New York, we tend to spend a certain amount of time driving in the car - commuting, with families on the go from school or sports or after-school events, and just running errands - and it's helpful in the process of imparting the faith to our families to be able to tune in with children in the car and listen together to the Mass readings and homily for the day."

Mrs. Fallati hopes this will lead to some interesting discussions in her home about how to go about living the faith as Catholics.

"I am really looking forward to tuning in to WOPG in the coming days and weeks and seeing what others like about it as well," she said.

John Woods is a professor of electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polyechnic Institute in Troy and fellow St. Edward's parishioner. He is also on the station's board; he wanted to contribute because he had radio experience in college.

Mr. Woods said the station's limited signal is available in many areas - especially near the RPI campus and in parts of Clifton Park. WOPG hopes to broadcast at full capacity in the near future.

"Right now, the only local programming is 12-second station identification, but the goal is to get up to a half-hour of local programming every hour," said Mr. Woods.

Rev. Kenneth Doyle, chancellor of public information for the Diocese, welcomed the arrival of a local Catholic radio station.

"If Jesus Christ came to this century, I feel certain He'd be on TV and radio in the most effective and broadest way," Father Doyle said.

(11/25/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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