Starboard Network™ will significantly expand its Chicagoland presence by taking two major steps at the end of this month and the beginning of December.

11/18/2003 9:45:00 PM - WWW.RelevantRadio.COM

First, the network will launch its latest owned and operated station that will bring Catholic radio to South Chicago and Northwest Indiana in a breakthrough format called relevant radio™ – down-to-earth programming designed to help Catholics bridge the gap between faith and everyday life. South Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s home for relevant radio™ – 1270 AM WWCA -- will debut on Wednesday, November 26, 2003. In addition, on Monday, December 1, relevant radio™ programming already airing on 820 AM WCSN will be expanded from its current two hours per day to a full day of programming from sunrise to sunset.

“Since we began purchasing brokered time on 820 AM WCSN last April, the demand from our listeners for additional hours of programming has been overwhelming,” says John Bitting, Eastern Region President, “We’re thrilled to have negotiated a new agreement with the station’s owners that will allow us to offer Chicago’s Catholics a full day of personal, practical, meaningful programming.”

With a powerful 5,000 Watt signal, 820 AM WCSN covers more than 11 million people in the greater Chicagoland area. The signal reaches north to Milwaukee and south to Melvin, IL.

The coinciding launch of Starboard-owned 1270 AM WWCA means that Catholics in South Chicago and Northwest Indiana will now have access to the full line-up of high-quality relevant radio™ programming around the clock and the security of a permanent spot on the dial. Reaching close to five million people in parts of Chicago’s south side, south suburbs and the South Chicago/Northwest Indiana area, WWCA is a 1,000 Watt signal. Starboard Network is actively raising funds to purchase another station, with the ultimate goal of owning a single signal capable of covering the entire Chicagoland area.

The flagship program of the relevant radio™ line-up is drive-time’s Morning Air™, broadcast daily from 7 to 9 a.m. with an encore presentation from 6 to 8 p.m. Hosted by nationally-known speaker, author and educator Jeff Cavins, the upbeat show features prominent guests, listener call-ins, news reports and sports updates by veteran Chicago sportscaster John Morales.

On any given morning, discussions range from family relationships to bioethics and medical research, to politics, to Hollywood entertainment, and more.

Cavins, who also serves as Starboard Network’s Executive Director of Programming and Evangelization, is excited about this opportunity to reach an even greater number of Chicagoland Catholics with 24/7 programming. “We seek to offer Catholics the opportunity to enrich and deepen their faith, strengthen their marriages, improve their parenting skills, bring Christian values to their workplace – all while they’re going about their normal daily activities. Our listeners tell us relevant radio™ provides them with free, convenient, quality entertainment and helpful tools to make their faith more relevant to their everyday lives. ”

True to the network’s commitment to working in partnership with the Church and offering listeners local programming, 1270 AM WWCA will join 820 AM WCSN in broadcasting the Archdiocese of Chicago’s hour-long, locally produced Catholic Community of Faith programming from 9 to 10 a.m. (encompassing some 15 rotating shows, both live and pre-recorded) immediately following Morning Air.

For the rest of the day, WWCA and WCSN listeners will be able tune into a wide variety of well-known and popular programs including “Catholic Answers Live,” “The Doctor is In” with Dr. Ray Guarendi, “Heart, Mind and Strength” with Greg Popcak, and “Kresta in the Afternoon.” Whatever the topic, all shows featured on relevant radio™ share the common goals of educating, informing and inspiring listeners with content they can relate to and utilize on a daily basis. A complete programming schedule is available at www.relevantradio.com.

Besides its unique approach to Catholic programming, Starboard Network is also differentiated by its business model. Although WCSN is not owned by the network, 1270 AM WWCA and the other stations owned by Starboard Network are purchased through local fund-raising efforts by community members.

“This is an endeavor unlike anything that has come before,” says Bitting, “Our stations operate on a non-profit basis, supported by listener donations and non-commercial underwriting. Our company – made up entirely of lay professionals – is in a unique position to help the Church by delivering high-quality programming that is relevant, vibrant, innovative and faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The ‘return’ we seek is that the Lord will use us to transform lives – and with a network-wide staff that has a deeply-felt calling and nearly 400 years of cumulative radio experience, I believe we can do just that.”

About Starboard Network

Starboard Network is a leading operator of community Catholic radio stations with a rapidly growing platform of 14 stations, including four stations in the top 25 markets. In addition, Starboard Network syndicates programming to many affiliated stations throughout the United States and provides live streaming audio via the web at www.relevantradio.com. Starboard Network, the first radio network to be approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as a national media outlet, has branded its programming as relevant radio™ – a new format of Catholic talk radio designed to bridge the gap between faith and everyday life by providing timely programming relevant to today’s world. The company is a non-profit, listener-supported organization with headquarters in Green Bay, WI and a network studio in Minneapolis, MN.

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