Eight years after Mansfield Christian School was established, the school founders, primarily Carl Key, had a vision for Christian radio that would not only evangelize Mansfield but would teach the next generation of radio, explained Scott Saunders. In 1979 that vision became a reality with the creation of what’s now known as “Total Praise” WVMC FM, which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, staff with WVMC FM hosted an open house to commemorate this anniversary at the radio station, which is housed in Mansfield Christian School (MCS). Saunders, who has served as general manager for the past four years, said, “It’s hard to meet all of the supports and listeners, so this is our way of throwing the place open and saying thank you.”
WVMC FM is a Christian praise and worship music radio station on frequency 90.7 MHz.
Since signing on in 1979, WVMC FM has been owned by Mansfield Christian School, “and that’s very, very rare today to have a radio station with one owner for 35 years,” Saunders said.
The station originally operated on 10 watts, covering the neighborhood in the immediate vicinity of Mansfield Christian School. Now, the station is at 1550 watts and covers Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Morrow, Wayne, and Knox counties, with translators at 91.1 FM in Ashland and 102.7 in Wooster.
Saunders said that the station has received positive feedback, especially by residents of Wooster and Ashland. “I have been thrilled by the response of folks in Wooster and Ashland,” he said.
He noted that the station wouldn’t be possible without the groundwork laid by former employees, such as Carl Key, Todd Stach, and Josh Hooper. Both Hooper and Stach currently work for 104.9 the River radio station.
The current staff is made up of Saunders, Mike Thompson, who serves as the part-time engineer, and Sara Hammett, who serves as the part-time officer manager.
Three MCS students also help run the station—seniors Jon Walthour and Chandran Higgins and junior Kayti Smith.
“The kids are a lot of fun,” said Saunders. “The neat thing is they learn radio from the ground up.”
Saunders further mentioned that former students, such as Brett Steward, Derek Wood, and Grace Lenehan, have gone on to pursue careers in the broadcasting industry.
Students gain a hands-on experience by participating in the radio program, Saunders indicated. “Brett and Derek in particular told me that they got placed ahead of their classmates because they already knew what [the college professors] were going to teach them freshmen year,” he said.
Saunders, who first entered the broadcasting scene in 1978 with a rock station in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said he was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed the teaching aspect of his job. “I discovered that I actually enjoy the teaching element of it more than I do the management element of it,” he said.
He noted, “[Carl Key] had a passion for sharing the Gospel and he had a passion for teaching kids and I’m just trying to continue that vision.”
