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Pro-lifers launch internet radio

The pro-life movement took a giant media leap forward on September 15 with the official launching of the first-ever pro-life internet-based radio network.

Clicking on either nplr.net or nationalproliferadio.net will get you pro-life news, commentary, call-in shows, music and entertainment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Through the magic of the internet, some of the audio programming will be accompanied by video.

“We’re saying that National Pro-Life Radio is the only radio you can see!” said Paul Schenck.

Dr. Schenck, a pastoral associate of Priests for Life, approached Maryland attorney and pro-life activist Steve Peroutka with the idea for the radio network last summer.

Peroutka, who has been doing pro-life shows on broadcast radio for years in the Washington, D.C., metroplex and recently on XM satellite radio, saw the possibilities.

The internet broadens your reach tremendously, Schenck pointed out.

“With a 50,000-watt radio station, you only get one city, but on the internet, the minute you go on the air, you’re worldwide – up to 50 million people listen to radio on the internet.

“We already have a file of 100,000 current pro-life e-mail names; that will be our first audience.”

Production costs of internet radio are one-tenth the cost of regular radio, said Schenck.

“NPLR’s first-year budget is $100,000.  We’ve received 50 percent of that in foundation grants.  The other $50,000 will be raised through private donations and ads – so you can see how affordable this is.”

Listeners can tune in to NPLR on the internet, or they can purchase an internet radio, said Schenck.  They can also listen to the network on their iPod.

“At home, you have your iPod plugged into a computer; when you go out to your car, you plug it into your car.  So it’s just as versatile as a regular radio.”

“This is not going to be ten or twelve guys raging about abortion in America,” said NPLR’s technical director, Peter Shinn.

“We want to do plays, Christian, pro-life music, a whole variety of entertainment.  We’re going to unite some of the top folks in pro-life.”

The list of pro-life leaders who have committed to take part as on-air personalities includes Priests for Life Director Fr. Frank Pavone, Joe Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League, Human Life International’s Fr. Tom Euteneuer, Life Dynamics Director Mark Crutcher, and Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Our main purpose,” explained Schenck, “is to counter the pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia bias in most of the secular media and present pro-life as a natural, normal, reasonable, attractive, winsome position.”

The new station’s program manager is Rob McQuay, who has worked as an actor and director in Washington, D.C., theaters for 20 years.

He has been a feature reporter for Channel 1 and has appeared in acting roles on CBS and NBC television.

A paraplegic, McQuay is a past chair of the Governor’s Council on Disabilities in the Arts.

Day Gardner, founder of the African-American Pro-Life Alliance and former news anchor for Guam

Television, is NPLR’s media director and news anchor.

Day will host Daily Life News, present special features and cover news events around the country.

NPLR has also retained the services of Tim Brown, a professional freelance news producer who has covered national events for EWTN, to cover national news.

The network does not have advertisers yet, “but we will be pursuing major advertisers,” said Schenck.

Ideal advertisers would be companies that support the humanity of the unborn child, such as Volvo, whose motto is Volvo for Life, and General Electric, which produces three-dimensional sonogram machines, he said.

Dr. Schenck is optimistic about the network’s future.

“Once it’s up and running, give us a few months and this will be a major pro-life resource,” he predicted.