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Vic Eliason
Vic Eliason in Studio.jpg
Born
Victor Carl Eliason

(1936-05-14)May 14, 1936
Died December 5, 2015(2015-12-05) (aged 79)
Alma mater Bob Jones University (honorary)
Occupation Clergyman, radio personality
Years active 1959–2011
Known for VCY America Radio Network
Spouse(s) Freda Eliason
Children 3
Parent(s) Oscar C. Eliason
Norma Olson

Victor Carl "Vic" Eliason (born May 14, 1936 – died December 5, 2015) was an American religious leader. He started the VCY America Radio Network, which is a Christian radio and TV group based in Milwaukee.

Early Life and Education

Victor Carl Eliason was born on May 14, 1936, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His father, Oscar C. Eliason, was a religious speaker who worked with different churches. Vic's mother was Norma Olson.

Vic Eliason went to Open Bible College in Des Moines, Iowa. After college, he worked as an assistant pastor in Des Moines. In October 1957, he became an ordained minister in a non-denominational church.

Starting a Broadcasting Ministry

In 1959, Vic Eliason and his wife, Freda, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1960, Vic became the temporary director for the Milwaukee part of Youth for Christ. This group worked with young people.

In May 1961, the group started a radio show called Voice of Christian Youth. It was a 30-minute show for young people on WBON-FM in Milwaukee. Soon, the ministry grew and started broadcasting all day. In 1970, VCY bought WBON radio station for $315,000. They changed its name to WVCY-FM.

Growth of VCY America

In 1973, Eliason decided to make the Milwaukee Youth for Christ group its own separate organization. He renamed it "Voice of Christian Youth." Today, it is known as VCY America. It is a Christian broadcasting ministry based in Milwaukee.

VCY America now runs many radio stations, mostly in the Upper Midwest of the United States. They also have an Internet site. In 1983, they launched a 24-hour TV station in Milwaukee called WVCY-TV. VCY America also sends its programs by satellite to other stations across the country. The ministry gets its money from donations from listeners and supporters.

Vic Eliason was a well-known voice on the VCY America network. He hosted several shows, including VCY Today, a morning program, and Crosstalk, an afternoon news show. He also provided the voice for Music 'Til Dawn, a night-time music program. This show played inspirational music and included Bible verses and comments.

Educational Efforts

In 1978, Eliason started the Voice of Christian Youth school. This was a private Christian school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade. It was located in Milwaukee.

In the early 1990s, this school joined with another school called Faith Christian Academy. The combined school was renamed Badger State Baptist School. It moved to a new location in Milwaukee.

WVCY-TV and CBS Offer

In 1983, Eliason launched WVCY-TV on Channel 30 in Milwaukee. In September 1994, the board of WVCY-TV received an offer from CBS to buy the station for $10 million. CBS wanted to find a new station in the Milwaukee area. However, the WVCY-TV board decided not to sell the station. CBS later partnered with another station, WDJT-TV.

The Crosstalk Radio Show

In 1976, Vic Eliason started a radio talk show called Crosstalk. He was the main host of the show. Even when other hosts joined, Vic would still host Crosstalk on different days until he passed away in 2015.

Crosstalk is a national program that airs live on over 125 radio stations during weekday afternoons. It is also replayed in the evenings on the VCY Radio Network. A special "Best of Crosstalk" show is also played on Saturdays.

The show talks about many different topics. These include the economy, politics, and how laws affect families.

Personal Life

Vic Eliason was married to Freda M. Eliason. They had three adult children: Andrew Carl Eliason, Ingrid J. Schlueter, and Lisa C. Eliason. Andrew works as an engineer at VCY. Ingrid and Lisa also used to work at the radio ministry.

In May 2001, Vic Eliason received an honorary degree from Bob Jones University. He was also a licensed pilot. Vic Eliason passed away from cancer on December 5, 2015, when he was 79 years old.

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