Originally known as "Milwaukee Youth For Christ", and later, "Greater Milwaukee Youth For Christ", it left the national YFC organization in 1973 and became known as the Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth (WVCY) until 1995, when it changed to its present name. Its flagship stations in Milwaukee, WVCY-FM and WVCY-TV, share a call sign which refers to the ministry's original name.
VCY has attempted to expand into the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, and the Coachella Valley through the lease and attempted purchase of a group of three stations in a bankruptcy action: KFRH, KREV and KRCK-FM. In early 2022, the original owner sued successfully to nullify the bankruptcy action against them, and the bankruptcy debtor in possession and trustee was forced to return to the stations to them and nullify the VCY America leases. In October 2023, VCY America participated in a bankruptcy auction for these stations and was the winning bidder for KFRH, KRCK-FM, and two translators in the Palm Springs area for $2,445,952.88.[2] KFRH in North Las Vegas, Nevada's call sign was changed to KVPH and it began airing VCY America's programming on March 18, 2024.[3]
In December 2022 VCY America announced it would purchase WFAS-FM in the New York Cityarea from Cumulus Media, pending final approval from the Federal Communications Commission.[4][5] Renamed WVBN, the acquisition, completed on February 6, 2023, gave VCY America its first broadcast outlet on the East Coast.[6] VCY America added to its Northeastern expansion in August 2023 with its purchase of WJBR-FM in Wilmington, Delaware, from Beasley Broadcast Group.[7] VCY took control of the station October 6, changing its call sign to WVCW; the move brings its programming into the Philadelphia market.
Programming
VCY America's radio programming includes Christian talk and teaching programming, among them:
Crosstalk, hosted by Jim Schneider, with past Vic Eliason-hosted episodes also aired
VCY America also airs a variety of vocal and instrumental traditional Christian music, as well as children's programming such as Ranger Bill.[8] Notably, the network (including WVCY-TV) eschews any programs featuring Contemporary Christian music, and has dropped programming which has switched to it in any form, including as theme music.
Television
The ministry also owns WVCY-TV (Channel 30) in Milwaukee, which holds a commercial license but is completely viewer supported. As of January 2018, it is carried under a channel share agreement with commercial station WITI, owned by Fox Television Stations. It vacated its former independent frequency in the FCC's spectrum repack auction, the proceeds of which ($76.3 million,[9] plus donations and bookstore purchases since) have been utilized to expand VCY's radio network. WVCY-TV is also carried in the Wausautelevision market via translator W26EE-D, licensed to Wittenburg.