CAPE MAY– The county’s first Catholic radio station will begin broadcasting in November.
At 91.9 on the FM dial, WSMJ Radio will feature programming from EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) Radio, 24 hours per day.
Rita Tice, who championed the project, said WSMJ’s signal will cover an area from Cape May to Ocean City. The station’s antenna will be located on a tower off Indian Trail Road in Burleigh. The frequency is new for this area, she said.
“It is all the Lord’s work, He planned it and it will be His station,” said Tice.
She said the WSMJ call letters stand for “Soul Mates for Jesus,” the name of a small group of mainly senior citizens who worked to bring the station to reality.
At this point, no local programming is planned. The station will carry the full schedule of EWTN programs. The station will be operated by a computer.
Four years ago, Tice heard on EWTN that the Federal Communications Commission was giving away free FM, non-commercial, educational radio station licenses.
“I applied for it and through Catholic Radio I got a lawyer and he represented us,” she said.
There were other applicants for the radio station but Tice’s group won the license having to pay the expenses of other applicants.
An event to launch the WSMJ Radio will be held Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Cape May with special guests the Most Rev. Joseph Galante, Bishop of Camden Diocese and EWTN Director David Vacheresse.
Following the event, Tice said the group would visit each parish and church in the county.
