Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. Relevant Radio broadcasts "talk radio for Catholic life" over a network of 206 stations. Relevant Radio owns and operates 133 stations, and distributes programs to an additional 73 affiliates.
Relevant Radio is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, with additional studios in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The network airs a variety of programming aimed at Catholics and others interested in the Catholic Church.
The network was founded by a group of Catholic businessmen, including Bob Atwell and John Cavil (who founded WJOK in 2000) and Mark Follett, who had been the owner of Anchor Foods, an Appleton, Wisconsin-based distributor of frozen appetizers. Starboard Media Foundation, Inc. bought the license to a radio station in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, that had been carrying all-sports programming, and turned it into an all-Catholic station, saying the call letters stood for "Jesus Our King". The station received its license from the Federal Communications Commission on December 12, 2000, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patron saint of Relevant Radio along with Pope John Paul II.
"Morning Air", which the network describes as "a classic drive-time format that combines inspiration & entertainment" was the first program developed by Relevant Radio in 2003.
On October 13, 2016, Relevant Radio announced that it would merge with Loomis, California-based Immaculate Heart Radio, which owned and operated 36 stations in the western United States at the time of the merger.[1] The merger was completed on July 31, 2017, with all stations being licensed to Immaculate Heart Media, Inc., while Relevant Radio continued as the on-air branding.[2] The corporate name was changed to Relevant Radio, Inc. in February 2020.[3]
In 2019, Immaculate Heart Media purchased 13 AM stations and seven translators from Salem Media Group.[4][5][6]
In October 2019, Immaculate Heart purchased the 6 radio stations owned by Northern Michigan-based Baraga Broadcasting, as well as assuming the LMA of affiliate station WMQU, which is currently owned by Blarney Stone Broadcasting.[7] On May 17, 2021, the five stations carrying Relevant Radio's Spanish-language service began carrying the English-language network.
In 2022 and 2023, Relevant Radio acquired stations in Baltimore, Maryland; Seattle, Washington; Tucson, Arizona; Honolulu, Hawaii; Toledo, Ohio; Detroit; Chicago; Austin, Texas and Houston.