Montrose Broadcasting Corporation: WPEL / WPGM / WBGM 
Summary
Montrose Broadcasting Corporation owns and operates non-commercial radio stations WPEL-AM/FM in Montrose, Pennsylvania, WPGM-AM/FM in Danville, Pennsylvania, and WBGM (FM) in New Berlin, Pennsylvania. WPEL began broadcasting on May 30, 1953, WPGM was purchased on January 6, 1964, and WBGM commenced operations on September 6, 1996. WPEL-AM broadcasts from 6:00 a.m. until sunset. All of the other stations operate 24 hours a day. WPEL, WPGM, and WBGM broadcast Bible teaching programs, evangelistic programs, public affairs programs, beautiful music, light classical music, and news.
Contact information
Mailing address:
P. O. Box 248
251 High Street
Montrose, PA 18801-0248
Website: www.wpel.org
Phone: 570-278-2811
Email: mail@wpel.org
Organization details
EIN: 231672821
CEO/President: Mr. James R. Baker
Chairman: Dave Lehmann
Board size: 0
Founder: Mr. W. Douglas Roe
Year founded: 1951
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1989
Purpose
The Montrose Broadcasting Corporation ("MBC") is a non-profit organization formed on July 25, 1951 under the "Nonprofit Corporation Law" of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on May 5, 1933. The purpose or purposes of the Corporation as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation are as follows:
- To teach and instruct in religion, education and other branches of learning by means of radio broadcasting and television;
- To broadcast, rebroadcast, transmit, retransmit, receive and disseminate religious, educational and public interest programs and selections of music, instruction, news entertainment plays, photographs and pictures by means of radio broadcasting and television or by any other methods or means of transmitting or delivering music, sounds, words, images or pictures;
- To originate, arrange, provide, buy, sell and distribute with or without compensation, broadcast programs by means of electricity, magnetism or electro-magnetic waves, variations, impulses or otherwise;
- To contract with and for speakers, musicians, entertainers of every kind and nature...
- And generally to engage in the installation, operation and maintenance of such radio and television broadcasting stations as may b necessary or proper in effectuating the purposes of the corporation.
Contributions to MBC are fully deductible to the extent allowed by the law. MBC is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Mission statement
Statement of faith
Montrose Broadcasting Corporation uses the following to express their faith:
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writing, so that they are trustworthy and of supreme and final authority in all they say.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His send blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men and women regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Radio/ TV Stations
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 502 of 767 | 16 of 22 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 437 of 768 | 14 of 22 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 578 of 768 | 16 of 22 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 352 of 767 | 10 of 22 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 90% | 75% | 78% | 77% | 75% | 76% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 4% | 5% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 10% | 25% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 24% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 79% | 74% | 71% | 71% | 76% | 75% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 100% | 105% | 95% | 86% | 112% | 107% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 79% | 77% | 68% | 61% | 85% | 80% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 0% | -5% | 5% | 14% | -12% | -7% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 1% | -2% | 2% | 8% | -6% | -3% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 15% | 20% | 23% | 23% | 20% | 20% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.47 | 0.50 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.55 | 0.54 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.07 | 1.46 | 1.31 | 1.26 | 1.29 | 1.26 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.15 | 0.73 | 0.63 | 0.60 | 0.71 | 0.68 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 21.45 | 71.73 | 59.62 | 75.23 | 62.10 | 83.56 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 9.35 | 16.31 | 18.86 | 19.59 | 16.57 | 17.40 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 3% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 206% | 200% | 206% | 206% | 179% | 184% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $1,299,999 | $1,444,983 | $1,405,869 | $1,357,681 | $1,456,040 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $16,039 | $49,646 | $120,020 | $17,008 | $5,000 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,316,038 | $1,494,629 | $1,525,889 | $1,374,689 | $1,461,040 |
| Long-term investments | $193,253 | $165,050 | $178,047 | $179,248 | $149,712 |
| Fixed assets | $416,572 | $291,442 | $218,491 | $223,499 | $234,663 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $609,825 | $456,492 | $396,538 | $402,747 | $384,375 |
| Total assets | $1,925,863 | $1,951,121 | $1,922,427 | $1,777,436 | $1,845,415 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $18,348 | $25,071 | $20,284 | $22,136 | $17,485 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $18,348 | $25,071 | $20,284 | $22,136 | $17,485 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $18,348 | $25,071 | $20,284 | $22,136 | $17,485 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Unrestricted | $0 | $1,906,344 | $1,867,169 | $1,731,006 | $1,811,368 |
| Temporarily restricted | $0 | $0 | $12,187 | $362 | $0 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $19,706 | $22,787 | $23,932 | $16,562 |
| Net assets | $1,907,515 | $1,926,050 | $1,902,143 | $1,755,300 | $1,827,930 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $683,972 | $759,892 | $823,628 | $657,300 | $712,191 |
| Program service revenue | $201,524 | $205,396 | $235,406 | $208,556 | $209,927 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $22,263 | $14,466 | $11,146 | $11,807 | $10,353 |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $223,787 | $219,862 | $246,552 | $220,363 | $220,280 |
| Total revenue | $907,759 | $979,754 | $1,070,180 | $877,663 | $932,471 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $702,955 | $663,193 | $650,562 | $745,333 | $747,191 |
| Management and general | $193,888 | $211,486 | $210,099 | $192,564 | $196,514 |
| Fundraising | $57,654 | $60,536 | $61,417 | $41,890 | $51,984 |
| Total expenses | $954,497 | $935,215 | $922,078 | $979,787 | $995,689 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($46,738) | $44,539 | $148,102 | ($102,124) | ($63,218) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($46,738) | $44,539 | $148,102 | ($102,124) | ($63,218) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| James R Baker | President | $94,904 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2019
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
In the summer of 1950, two businessmen approached the director of the Montrose Bible Conference, W. Douglas Roe, about the possiblility of establishing a non-commercial Christian radio station in Montrose, PA to serve the Scrantion, PA and Binghamton, NY areas.
Mr. Roe made announcements about the proposal at conference sessions and interested persons loaned or gave money to start the project.
An independent non-profit religious organization, the Montrose Broadcasting Corporation, was formed in 1951 to apply to the Federal Communications Commission for a license for a 1,000 watt AM radio station in Montrose. The station (WPEL) signed on the air on May 30, 1953, broadcasting from sunrise to sunset at 1250 on the AM dial.
In 1961 WPEL added a 57,000 watt FM station at 96.5 on the dial.
On January 6, 1964, the Montrose Broadcasting Corporation acquired WPGM (1570 AM) in Danville, PA. The FCC granted a license for WPGM-FM (96.7) in Danville in 1968 and for WBGM (88.1 FM) in New Berlin, PA in 1996.
In 2007, WPEL-AM moved from 1250 to 800 on the dial. With the exception of WPEL (AM), all of the stations broadcast 24 a day.
Mr. Roe served as president of the Montrose Broadcasting Corporation until his death in 1984. He was succeeded by Larry Souder, who serves as president today.