WB/Scranton Radio: 'Radio Home Visitor' Marks 40 Years

Sue Henry, volunteers

Radio Home Visitor turned 40 this week, with no signs of slowing down for middle age.

The hour-long program aimed at keeping the blind, visually impaired and homebound informed about their community has aired daily on non-com WRKC 88.5 FM, the King’s College radio station, since Sept. 2, 1974.

King’s students and volunteers read community news items from local newspapers, including The Citizens’ Voice, at 10 a.m. each morning, seven days a week. The program reaches 15,000 listeners daily at 88.5 FM, according to the station’s website.

On Tuesday, the program marked its anniversary in low-key fashion, said Sue Henry, general manager of WRKC. Volunteer readers who worked on the program over the decades shared memories and vignettes that spanned nearly the entire run of the show, she said.

“A lot of those folks offered their recollections,” Henry said, adding that she was especially pleased to hear from the Rev. Tom Carten, who founded Radio Home Visitor and spent countless hours working on it until his retirement last year.

“I can’t think of a better public servant,” she said, describing the Rev. Carten as a friend and mentor to many.

Volunteer dedication is the key to the program’s success, according to Henry, who also hosts a talk show for news radio station WILK 980 AM / 103,1 FM.

“I can’t even tell you how much time it takes to get this thing on the air every day,” she said.

The program tapes in the afternoon and is broadcast the following morning.

Radio Home Visitor focuses on hyper-local and community news — including quirky stories and even local obituaries, Henry said.

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