New Catholic radio station to reach an estimated 5.5 million Bostonians

The New York -based Holy Family Communications has now announced the purchase of a Boston-area radio station, which will provide Catholic radio to the area's 5.5 million inhabitants.

The new station at WBIX 1060 AM is on expected to be operational by All Saints Day, which falls on Nov. 1. Previously the channel had a financial news and about discussion format.

“We are very excited about bringing the Catholic radio to the Boston community,” Holy Family Communications president Jim Wright said this in a press release.

WBIX president Alex Langer also lauded the move, stating that he was “pleased to welcome the Holy Family Communications,” according to the Boston Globe.

While there are other Boston stations that have the Catholic-themed programming, Holy Family's station will be the only 24-hour format.

The new station, catering to the nation's fourth largest archdiocese, and will feature programming from EWTN.

“We are grateful for the valiant efforts of the Holy Family Communications and for the support of Cardinal Sean O’Malley,” EWTN president and CEO Michael Warsaw said on Tuesday.

During their visit to the EWTN monastery in the mid-1990s, EWTN foundress Mother Angelica told to Holy Family Communications founders Jim and Joanne Wright to go home to Buffalo, New York and start a Catholic radio apostolate.

The Wrights, who had no radio or the media experience, launched the Station of the Cross to bring Catholic Radio to western New York. Dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, it began broadcasting on August 1999 on WLOF 101.7 FM Buffalo.

Another station, WHIC 1460 AM Rochester, began broadcasting on July 2003 and is dedicated to Our Lady’s Most Holy and Immaculate Conception.

Holy Family Communications also runs iCatholicRadio to bring the Catholic programming to mobile devices.