Its first broadcast facility was from a parish in Arcellasco d'Erba, but in 1987 it became a separate entity outside its home parish as an association of lay people and priests as Radio Maria Italia. In less than five years, it grew into a national Catholic radio network throughout Italy. Though not directly connected with the Roman Catholic hieratchy, it was founded as an instrument of the Church and as a tool for evangelization, implementing and adhering to the teachings of the Church. It was inspired by the Marian apparitions at Fátima, Portugal,, pleading for worldwide conversion. As such, Radio Maria is not subsidized or funded by the Roman Catholic Church; instead it is underwritten by listener contributions. In 1994, the principal founder don M. Galbiati left Radio Maria and founded Radio Mater, also in Arcellasco d'Erba, as a totally separate entity. Since 5 September 1994 transmissions started in Albavilla in the province of Como. The Liturgy of the Hours is diffused in the Roman Rite. Radio Mater is broadcast via radio in Italy, in Europe via satellite, and worldwide via Internet. The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 out of its subsequent international growth in the 1990s, and pursuant to the 1987 speech by Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square addressing the need for a new evangelization. Emanuele Ferrario is the founder and president of Radio Maria, Inc., which has since grown into an association of 40 multilingual broadcast operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Overall, Radio Maria operates approximately 1,500 radio transmitters worldwide.
Radio Maria USA
Its United States of America operation is one of the newest to join the World Family, in May 2000, with KJMJ in Alexandria, Louisiana, being the originating English-language station, together with a network of several FM and AM repeaters in Louisiana, an AM station in Port Arthur, Texas, on 1250 AM, and an FM repeater in Anna, Ohio. An AM repeater in Springfield, Ohio, east of Dayton, commenced broadcasting in June 2008 with new FM repeaters in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, coming on the air in June 2009, D'Iberville, Mississippi, and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, both in May 2010. Spanish-language and Italian-language programming is heard on FM subcarrier frequencies in , , , and . Italian-language programming can also be heard on the FM subcarrier as well as French Canadian and English speaking services on FM subcarriers in Toronto, Ontario. Audiostreaming is available from most of these stations.
Programming mostly consists of traditional Catholic worship music, but some stations also air a mix of traditional and contemporary Catholic music, along with various talk and teaching programs discussing the Catholic faith, frequent recitals of the Holy Rosary, novenas, and Masses.
Facilities
Radio Maria's programming mostly emanates from one centrally located studio or station in a given region or country, and is then re-broadcast on a network of repeater transmitters on the AM and FM bands. Some employ the use of a subcarrier, also known as SCA facilities of FM stations, requiring the use of a receiver designed to receive SCA signals. Since the emergence of the internet, audio-streaming has been used extensively as a means to help fill in gaps left by the unavailability of AM or FM frequencies in metropolitan areas already taken up by commercial, public, or other religious broadcasters. Starting in June 2008, there have been shortwave transmissions originating from Italy at 26,000 kHz and at 26,010 kHz DRM making it the only shortwave service originating in Italy besides Vatican Radio. There are presently no commercial satellite radio subscription services of Radio Maria. However, its Spanish-language, Italian-language, and Polish-language stations may be available in some areas served by the Dish Pronto division of Dish Network, a satellite television subscription service.
