The Story Of WGOD

The Story Of WGOD

WGOD-A Historical Perspective

It’s a stumbling block!

No, It’s a launching pad!

Listen to the facts and then you can decide the role of the discouraging attempts faced by someone who had a big dream.

After having his request to purchase mid-week air time for religious programming on WIBS-FM and WSTA-AM DENIED, he dreamt a bigger dream “why not own the whole station and have all 24 hour of the day to do as he desired?"

Few years later the headlines in the Daily News of Friday June 14, 1985 read “New owners hope to put God on WIBS-FM”

The article begun, “At a time when the Virgin Islands is experiencing major social and economic problems three men think they have an answer - a religious radio station.”

These three men were the founders of the non-profit corporation, Third Angel Corp. Reynald Charles (president), John T. Williams (treasurer/secretary) and Charles Saunders (vice-president).

The cost of WIBS was approximately $1.5 million and came equipped with a 50 Kilowatt transmitter power and a 295-foot tower.

Both the name and the focus of this radio station changed on August 13, 1985, when WIBS became WGOD-FM and WIGT with a religious radio format featuring a mix of teaching programs and Christian music. On Sunday September 29, 1985 an opening ceremony was convened on the top of Crown Mountain.

WIGT originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band. On March 17, 1997 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with WGOD authorized to move from 1090 to 1690 kHz.

An application for the expanded band station was filed on June 16, 1997. The initial authorization specified that it would be for the standard U.S. "Model I" transmitter powers of 10,000 watts during the day and 1,000 watts at night. However, France filed an objection, on the grounds that under an international agreement this resulted in impermissibly strong signals at its territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the original Construction Permit (CP) was rescinded in 2000.

In 2006 a modified application was filed, specifying a power of 920 watts both day and night, and the resulting CP was assigned the call letters WIGT on August 12, 2010. The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. This deadline was extended multiple times, and both stations remained authorized beyond the initial cut-off date. (The original station on 1090 AM, now holding the call letters WUVI, was eventually deleted, on September 23, 2019.)

In 2017, damage from Hurricane Irma silenced WIGT beginning on September 7. A Special Temporary Authority (STA) grant, renewed on June 18, 2018, was issued allowing the station to remain off the air while repairs were being made. WIGT resumed broadcasting on September 5, 2018, at a reduced power of 400 watts.^[12] The station was issued a series of STAs on September 7, 2018, March 19, 2019, September 23, 2019, April 14, 2020, November 3, 2020 and May 25, 2021 allowing it to continue operating with 400 watts while arrangements were being made to install a replacement 1,000-watt transmitter that would allow it to resume operations at its licensed power of 920 watts.

Through all the year 1985-2021,  a fantastic team of employees and volunteers provided creative, professional, Christian-service to ensure the signature quality of informative and inspirational programing and service associated with WGOD. Locally produced programs include but is not limited to :

·        Afterglow

·        Family Forum

·        First Hand

·        Good New and Views

·        Minirth Meier Clinic

·        Mission Magazine

·        Ron Hutchcraft

·        Top 25 Countdown

·        Your money in changing times

·        Banner of love

·        Christ is the Answer

·        Insurance Tips and Money Matters

·        Moravian Hour

·        Sound Words

·        This week in Religion Wonderful words of life

·        Youth and Truth

·         

The team of employees and volunteers include:

·        Richard Allen

·        Trevor Adams

·        Vernon Alexander

·        Swinburne Agustine

·        Escott Ambrose

·        Keith Bingham

·        Pastor Ray Baker

·        Angeli Benjamin

·        Ambrose Byron

·        Pauline Barriero

·        Webster Barnaby

·        Amaryllis Barclay

·        Reynald Charles

·        Veeda Charles

·        Joi Charles

·        Esther Chalres

·        Zelene Charles

·        Jeffery Clark

·        Gregory Cyntje

·        Ron Carrington

·        Naida Cumbermack

·        Gloria Cacrter

·        Edith Cameron

·        Kenila Callender

·        Walston Charles

·        Joey Donnelle

·        Franklyn Desouza

·        Dave Dobson

·        Adam Dubuclet

·        Muriel Desire

·        Joseph DaleyRosita Ferrari

·        Elric Fahie

·        Wingrove Fenton

·        Marva Farrell

·        Merle Fenton

·        Gloria Gumbs

·        Graham Kilby

·        Saul Green

·        Etienne Gibbs

·        Lynette Gumbs

·        Ava Gumbs

·        Yvonne Gordon

·        Hallaran hill

·        Fitzroy Hutton

·        Maria Charles-Henry

·        Stacie Hereford

·        Angella Henry

·        Reginald Hodge

·        Keith Hanley

·        T-Shai Israel

·        Vaughn James

·        Dexter jiram

·        Hughon James

·        Christine Kruger

·        Michael Lynton

·        Odalie Lake

·        Istin Levine

·        Trevor Liburd

·        Lynton Lake

·        Vania Lawrence

·        Ernests Murphy

·        Marcus Murphy

·        Kieth Miller

·        Everod Morris

·        Marie Rhymer-Martin

·        Louise Mitchel

·        Leslie McBride

·        Bernard Moise

·        Winthrop Maduro

·        Keturah Moncrete

·        Olfunke Olaniyan

·        Kevin Olivera

·        Cheryl Phillip

·        Henry Pascal

·        Mabel Powell

·        Peter Richardson

·        Ruth Ray

·        Ronald Rivas

·        Mildred Robinson

·        Martin Roberts

·        Dr. Ernest E. Rogers

·        Eleanor Richards

·        Dr. Charles Saunders

·        Derrick Sunaram

·        Keturah Stanilaus

·        Henderson Smith

·        Norman Thomas

·        Ellis Wright

·        Amanda Ailde

·        Keith Webster

·        Andy Weekes

·        Paul Walwyn

·        Ilva Williams

The Beginning of a New Era

Early in December, 2019, Mr. Ray Allen, of AWR Global Training, traveled with Mr. Kent Sharpe, AWR Vice President of Finance, to St. Croix and St. Thomas for final discussions with the NCC Administrators and the 3ABN Corporation representative of the station, Mr. Reynold Charles.  They completed assessments and made final plans for a new relationship.

In 2020 it was announced that WGOD-FM was being acquired from Three Angels by the North Caribbean Conference of SDA [Seventh-Day Adventist] Broadcasting Corporation, with Three Angels retaining ownership of WIGT.

At the beginning of January, 2021, the North Caribbean Conference (NCC) announced that, as the new owner of WGOD (97.9 FM), it will launch an enhanced radio ministry. After months of planning and negotiations the Conference partnered with Adventist World Radio (AWR) and arrived at an agreement for the purchase of the radio station.  The Board of Trustees of the North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Broadcasting Corporation will facilitate transition matters and manage the station.

Pastor Desmond James, the NCC President, commented, “This acquisition could not have come at a more opportune time, when the Church in the North Caribbean Conference is remodeling its media ministry to be more diverse, more inclusive, and more relevant as we give urgency to the proclamation of our message and the powerful fulfillment of your mission. 

In August 2021 Pastor Danhugh Gordon was appointed Manager of WGOD and undertook the arduous job of restoration and equipping the newly acquired station. In order to keep the station on air while the process of restoration begun, Ronnie Greenaway was employed as Studio Engineer and Sales Representative while Patrice Williams-Gordon volunteers as radio coordinator.

The processes of restoration has been extensive and thanks to the benevolence of AWR team and leaders from the North Caribbean Conference (NCC) we have:

·        acquired brand new state-of-the-art studio equipment and program software,

·        purchased and installed a…..Transmitter

·        mounted a new 6 bay antenna to maximize the reach of the station.   

·        Done major structural Improvements to the existing building

·        Commenced the processes of acquiring a new ….tower

·        Launched new local programs and reinstated existing ones

·         

This process was made pleasurable by a dedicated team of workers and volunteers who worked diligently and tirelessly over the past 16 months to make the vision of restoration a reality, all the time keeping the dream of the visionary founder, Reynald Charles, alive.

Through the gracious blessings of our Holy God who has afforded us the privilege of participating in this journey we can still say:

WGOD-FM (97.9 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands. The station is owned by North Caribbean Conference of SDA Broadcasting Corporation. The station is simulcast on WIGT (1690 AM), serving as a repeater of WGOD-FM. WIGT is owned by Three Angels Corporation.