Catholics Sell Out to Protestant Radio Giant

Ave Maria Catholic Radio Station Sold At $2.7 Million Loss

AVE MARIA, FL. -- Southwest Florida's Catholic radio station WDEO 98.5 operated by Ave Maria University has been sold to the Educational Media Foundation.. EMF owns hundreds of radio stations broadcasting contemporary Christian music.

New Christian music programming started today in Southwest Florida replacing Catholic religious programs. 

Operating out of California studios EMF is also the sixth most online streamed station in the world. They encompass over 600 listener-supported stations and translators in 46 states with Internet streaming, and reach more than five million listeners each week

Ave Maria University bought the station 10 years ago for $4.9 million in cash, and originally programmed 24 hours a day Gregorian Chant music. Later management and programming was turned over to a local broadcaster, the station then switching to country music.

In recent years the station broadcast Catholic religious programming from the Ave Maria Radio Network in Michigan.

The new sale went for $2.2 million. creating a huge loss to the Univers from the original purchase at $4.9 million.

Trying to focus on Catholic higher education in the U.S,, the University sold it's Latin America campus last year.

Fans of local Catholic radio programming can still listen on the internet at avemariaradio.net and apps are available to smartphones and tablets as well as a phone number that listeners can use to listen on phones.