The Difference Between Family Radio, Family Life Radio, Family Life Network and American Family Radio

[Gregg.]

This may be a bit confusing, with Family Life Radio recently buying a full power FM station in Detroit from Cumulus 93.1 WUFL (formerly WDRQ). You may have wondered who that was? There are four Christian broadcasting organizations with Family in their names...

--"Family Radio" is based in Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville. It was originally based in Oakland, California, and still has its technical operations in nearby Alameda. It was founded by Harold Camping in 1958 and at one time had full-power FM stations in the New York, Philadelphia, Washington and San Francisco markets, as well as a few television stations. Camping was the televangelist who sent many Americans into a panic in 2011 believing the world was about to end. (I know people who were really worried!) When it didn't end, he retired and died two years later. When the donations dried up, Family Radio was forced to sell its best FM stations but survives on AM stations in those cities and a few FM outlets in small markets. Today Family Radio is mostly soft Christian music with some Talk and Teaching programs scattered through its schedule.

--"Family Life Radio" is based in Tucson and has full power stations there and in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Topeka, Chattanooga and now in Detroit as well as smaller cities. It's a mix of Christian Contemporary Music with some Talk and Teaching Shows. You get the feeling they'd rather be all music like K-Love but it's too hard to pass up the fees they get from running things like Focus on The Family with Jim Daly, Turning Point with David Jeremiah and In Touch with Charles Stanley. This organization must have deep pockets to pay Cumulus $10 million for WDRQ Detroit.

--"Family Life Network" is based in Bath, New York, near Corning. So far, all of its stations are in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. But the signal really carpets much of those two states, with about 35 stations and translators. All of its stations begin with the call letters WCI, WCO, WCG or WCD. It also leases HD subchannels of 92.9 WBUF Buffalo from Townsquare and 98.9 WBZA Rochester from Audacy. It plays mostly Christian Contemporary music but also airs Talk and Teaching shows. Some are produced in-house but also Focus on The Family with Jim Daly, Turning Point with David Jeremiah and Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll. Can't pass up those fees!

--"American Family Radio" is based in Tupelo, Mississippi. It is an arm of the American Family Foundation, started by Rev. Donald Wildmon, who fought against modern television and movies in the 1970's and 80s. It has about 100 stations, mostly in the South and Southwest but also Illinois, Ohio, Kansas and Iowa. It has a few feeds, some airing mostly Talk and Teaching, some mixing Christian Contemporary with Talk and Teaching. The Talk and Teaching includes, sure enough, Focus on The Family and David Jeremiah. Donald Wildmon's son is now in charge, Tim Wildmon, who also hosts a weekday show.

 

[b-turner]

Wonderful description Gregg. Those 'fees' are what they call a 'share'. When some ministry comes on the air, they agree to send a percentage of each donation coming from the zip codes in your listening area. They don't buy the time as these groups operate non-commercial stations. They choose the ministry programs, when they play on air and if they get pre-empted. When these ministries bought time years ago, they selected times and days and you deducted from their invoice any programs you missed.

As a side note, when translators were allowed and non-profit Christian broadcasters could create national networks, the 'top 40' big boy ministries worked out a share basis plan to get on these stations. When they found it was cheaper than buying time, they went to the paid time religious stations and said they were going to cancel unless we would go with a share plan. I used a few as 'bait' to attract local ministries to the station I was managing and the share amount was never much for our signal-challenged AM: maybe $100-$150 a month for a Monday through Friday half hour.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

--"Family Life Network" is based in Bath, New York, near Corning. So far, all of its stations are in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. But the signal really carpets much of those two states, with about 35 stations and translators. All of its stations begin with the call letters WCI, WCO, WCG or WCD. It also leases HD subchannels of 92.9 WBUF Buffalo from Townsquare and 98.9 WBZA Rochester from Audacy. It plays mostly Christian Contemporary music but also airs Talk and Teaching shows. Some are produced in-house but also Focus on The Family with Jim Daly, Turning Point with David Jeremiah and Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll. Can't pass up those fees!

@Gregg.
Here's a view from the Family Life Network transmitter site for WCOP 106.1 in Nebraska, Pennsylvania.

These folks legit stared me down the entire time I was there with chief engineer John coulter

 

[Gregg.]

>>>Those 'fees' are what they call a 'share'. When some ministry comes on the air, they agree to send a percentage of each donation coming from the zip codes in your listening area. They don't buy the time as these groups operate non-commercial stations. They choose the ministry programs, when they play on air.<<<

Thank you, B. Turner. I always wondered how a non-commercial station made money when running national Christian Talk and Teaching shows, such as Focus on The Family, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Joyce Meyer, etc. After all, all of the Salem stations that carry these and other talk and teaching shows are commercial. The hosts pay Salem for the time and seek donations during their programs. But how does it work for a non-commercial station?

Now I know. The non-commercial stations don't charge the hosts directly. But the hosts "share" the donations when they come in. I assume most donors indicate the station they listen to when they make their contributions. If they don't, then their zip code lets the hosts know what station they heard the show on.

I suppose when several stations run the same show in the same region, it gets a bit complicated.

 

[101tm]

There’s another one in my area on a translator called “CSN Radio” or “Christian Satellite Network.” Just came across it the other day

 

[Mediafrog+]

Unfortunately the word “family” has become an extreme right-wing dog whistle for an authoritarian and patriarchal societal structure in which husband/father figures have iron-fisted dictatorial control over blindly submissive women and children.

If you start hearing religious types blathering about “family”, rigorously ignore and avoid them.

 

[tvnut]

You could do a TV show about these radio operations. Call it "All In The Family."

I'll see myself out.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

There’s another one in my area on a translator called “CSN Radio” or “Christian Satellite Network.” Just came across it the other day

Used to be the Calvary Satellite Network.. its based in twin falls. there was a name change several years ago and a split/sell off of some signals after some internal goingson

 

[davideduardo]

Unfortunately the word “family” has become an extreme right-wing dog whistle for an authoritarian and patriarchal societal structure in which husband/father figures have iron-fisted dictatorial control over blindly submissive women and children.

If you start hearing religious types blathering about “family”, rigorously ignore and avoid them.

If you come from a family oriented culture, where kids, parents and grandparents live together and relatives drop by regularly and all support each other, you can't... and won't want... ignore family.

Yes, there may be some religious nuts from equally nutty religions who use "family" as a weapon, but you seem to think that believing in the united and supportive family is bad or wrong.

I've never even suspected that "family" is a "dog whistle" of any kind. Blacks, White, Asians and Indigenous peoples can have families, as can straight and LGBTQ+ persons. People who are Christian, Muslim, Jews, Buddhists and of other faiths can have families, as can both rich an poor. Politicizing "family" is, as we say in Spanish, "looking for the fifth paw on the cat".

 

[Mediafrog+]

If you come from a family oriented culture, where kids, parents and grandparents live together and relatives drop by regularly and all support each other, you can't... and won't want... ignore family.

From a broader, internationalist perspective, you have a point. But within U.S. right-wing culture, where politics and religion are tightly intertwined (and often indistinguishable) “family” is seen as the basic unit of extending authoritarian power, promulgated by those who perceive themselves as societal leaders, influencing others for their own personal benefit.

Yes, there may be some religious nuts from equally nutty religions who use "family" as a weapon, but you seem to think that believing in the united and supportive family is bad or wrong.

Double edged sword. While extended family can be supportive of each other, they can also be a ball and chain, where certain members, through ignorant and irresponsible actions and behaviors, can drag others down. Look up the phrase “crab bucket mentality”.

Remember, other people are going to do what’s best for other people. Thus individuals often have to resist the influence of others and do what’s best for themselves, else they fall into the “family trap”.

I've never even suspected that "family" is a "dog whistle" of any kind.

You are considering that from a very broad perspective. Within the specific context of U.S. extreme right-wing politics and religion, “family” is regarded as the basic unit of authoritarian control, where the husband/father has unquestioned power, and in turn is controlled by those higher up in the societal hierarchy. This results in a submissive and compliant society, functioning for the benefit of those “at the top”.

(As an aside I have long been puzzled and amused by rIght-wingers who vehemently fear and distrust “big government” while having absolutely no problem with “big religion” which has its fingers into everything.)

Bringing this back to radio, I feel that many religious broadcasting organizations are little more than an arm of right-wing political movements, legitimizing their cause by carrying the cross. In some the relationship is blatant, while very subtle in others.

 

[davideduardo]

(As an aside I have long been puzzled and amused by rIght-wingers who vehemently fear and distrust “big government” while having absolutely no problem with “big religion” which has its fingers into everything.)

Most of us want government to intervene or interfere as little as possible with our private lives. At the same time, many look to their religion or faith for guidance in their lives. We want God, and through him, our church to give us guidance, advice and counsel.

Bringing this back to radio, I feel that many religious broadcasting organizations are little more than an arm of right-wing political movements, legitimizing their cause by carrying the cross. In some the relationship is blatant, while very subtle in others.

I don't agree. I do see that the more devoted people and families we know tend to choose the political party that works in tandem with our religious and social beliefs. Whether they be the PAN in Mexico, the Christian Democrats in many countries (under that name or a derivative) or the Republicans in the US or the New Progressive Party in Puerto Rico (to give a few examples) there is a tendency to find a party that mirrors at least some of our social values.

 

[crainbebo]

Stations that air Jay Sekulow and other related shows are probably what he's talking about. Sekulow's show is a call-in legal program and would easily fit on a conservative talk station, not a CCM outlet.
Most of the articles I am seeing and hearing on Focus on the Family relate to marriage and parenting, mentioning both spouses, but with a Christian worldview (for example, refraining from identifying as LGBT, especially in younger children, using Genesis 1:27 as the influence "Male and female He created them"). Surprisingly, they feel that corporal punishment is no longer a positive punishment to use in children, and other consequences like taking away technology time or a favorite toy are best. Family Life Today is similar. I don't think it's the same people who operate FLR.

Outlets that mostly air CCM music don't seem to push any political views on the listeners. In fact, where I live, one of Positive Life Radio's ID sweepers mention that the station is a safe haven from the bad news of the world. They don't air any SRN or TownHall news updates for that reason. Also, the stations often mention that the music is safe for children to listen to - no bad language or sexual content. But as a Christian, I don't listen to traditional Christian talk/teaching stations - only the CCM stations.

Yes, you have your 'wacko' Christians who isolate their children from everything and anything that isn't TBN or Adventures in Odyssey...but there are also Christians who watch many secular TV programs, and listen to secular music just as much as Christian Contemporary.

The crab bucket mentality applies in secular families just as much. For example, wealthy parents who force their children to follow the family name. If their son wants to be a high school teacher and break off from 3-4 generations of lawyers and attorneys in the family, too bad! "You WILL be a lawyer just like your Dad and you WILL go to Harvard Law School..." Kids who want to break off and try their luck in a different field get put down. They don't get to use their unique gift.

BTW Gregg, thanks for posting this thread. There is a stark difference between AFR, and the FLR/FLN networks. AFR is similar to LifeTalk or BBN in terms of programming. FLR and FLN are like my local CCM outlet, with 2-3 full-length programs nightly.

 

[rparky54]

Most of us want government to intervene or interfere as little as possible with our private lives. At the same time, many look to their religion or faith for guidance in their lives. We want God, and through him, our church to give us guidance, advice and counsel.

I don't agree. I do see that the more devoted people and families we know tend to choose the political party that works in tandem with our religious and social beliefs. Whether they be the PAN in Mexico, the Christian Democrats in many countries (under that name or a derivative) or the Republicans in the US or the New Progressive Party in Puerto Rico (to give a few examples) there is a tendency to find a party that mirrors at least some of our social values.

But that party in the US overwhelmingly supports a man for it's leader who unapologetically violates some of the ten commandments, and whose actions are totally contrary to the example of what Jesus was supposed to teach.

 

[gr8oldies]

Look at the “umbrella” graphic used by the Gothard organization. It has a strict heirsrchu of Christ/husband/wife/children with very specific roles (except for Christ). Husband being the breadwinner, wife as strictly housewife. In the Evangelical definition of family, there is no room for any deviation, certainly no room for LGBTQ and in some cases divorced/remarried.

 

[Mikey Radio]

Look at the “umbrella” graphic used by the Gothard organization. It has a strict heirsrchu of Christ/husband/wife/children with very specific roles (except for Christ). Husband being the breadwinner, wife as strictly housewife. In the Evangelical definition of family, there is no room for any deviation, certainly no room for LGBTQ and in some cases divorced/remarried.

Not to turn this into a discussion about religion vs. radio broadcasters, but you state many of the exact reasons people are leaving or simply not joining organized religions in the numbers they once did. Pew Research has released a few studies over the past years showing that fewer and fewer people align themselves with particular organized religions and "churches", but they still consider themselves spiritual and are believers. Why? Because many people, especially those 40 and younger, aren't interested in all the rules, restrictions and judgement that's attached to organized religion, especially Catholicism and more conservative religions: If you're gay, divorced had an abortion or have other, similar "blemishes", you're simply not welcome or are restricted. LGBTQ+ folk who are members of the Catholic church and truly adhere to its doctrines, for instance, are "welcomed" to take part and be active, but are also expected to remain celibate. The world is a smaller place, younger people don't blindly follow religious leaders without question like older generations once did, and younger people see through what they feel is hypocrisy. It's also a major turnoff when religion and politics mix too closely and you have pastors and religious leaders preaching politics from the pulpit, especially when those religious leaders "endorse" candidates who are the most un-Christlike and who've openly and publicly committed every atrocity, nearly every possible sin, have openly broken all 10 commandments and continue to do so on a regular basis.

A few members of my family live in the "rust belt" where churches continue to close, and organized religions are struggling to fill the pews and pay the bills. However, they have a non-denominational "life church" that uses an old school gymnasium and that church offers contemporary music, uplifting messages of hope and happiness, very few rules and restrictions and no judgement. Definitely no "fire and brimstone" preaching and no politics. They have 5 packed services each weekend and are bussing people in from a nearby former mall parking lot to attend as they've run out of parking. Meanwhile the very traditional churches with all the rules and restrictions and dark messages about "end times" maybe have 20 people per service and are on the brink of closing. There's a message there.....

Its also why many religious broadcasters play uplifting and spiritual music and CCM on the radio without being "preachy". Considering the amount of stations they have, their continued growth and ongoing financial support from listeners, it seems to be a solid model that's working!

 

[crainbebo]

Correct. We are in a strange era for the church. Old-style pew churches and Baptist churches are losing ground to non-denominational, more glitzy churches. We have a large Baptist church that still has a lot of cars in the parking lot, but the average age of attendance keeps going up. Many are in their 70s, 80s or early 90s. What happens when they all head for Heaven? Who replaces them?
The church I go to has 600-800 people in attendance each week and there are many families who attend together, including a bunch of Latino families (they may or may have not been Catholic previously).

The attractions of the church, and its outreach, appeal to the current demographic. Our coffee stand is always packed before service. There are tons of opportunities to serve, including tech - cameras/sound/tech. directing/lyrics, and we fill all three cameras every week, with about 10-12 volunteers on a rotation (and growing). Baptisms every month, and some months we've had close to 15 over the course of two services...plus a handful of others at the two satellite campuses. No political BS, no endorsing candidates. Sometimes they do a generic prayer for the U.S., or for the leaders (they don't mention Biden by name, or McConnell by name...just for the US government as a whole). They pray for teachers at the start of the school year and students, but they don't diss public schools vs. homeschooling...it's for all students and teachers no matter where.
Thankfully, unlike many of the 'megachurches' that are bigger than us, the pastor and co-pastor come out in between services, greet people, pray for them, etc. Others with their $500,000 paychecks walk off the set and get in their Ferrari or Mercedes as soon as the last service ends, or they hide in the green room in between. That's YOU I'm talking to, Joel Osteen!!
Contemporary worship music, as well, in my church. Two upbeat songs, and two slower songs where the prayer team often comes up. Sometimes a song at the end, but that's rare. Worship nights and conferences nearly fill both the main floor and the balcony, just about every seat is filled.

Anyways, back on topic. Family Radio and AFR are to me, what Mikey calls 'dark messages about end times' stations. FLR and FLN are upbeat, positive, CCM stations with a couple of teaching programs and FotF in the afternoons or evenings. FLN airs an hour of kids programming on weeknights (Adventures in Odyssey at 7, and a rotating mix at 7:30 ET). FLR does not air kids' programs. I'd much prefer the positive message on FLR vs. hours of teaching/preaching on AFR. I save my sermon for my local church on Sunday morning.

 

[Cordelia Chase]

If you come from a family oriented culture, where kids, parents and grandparents live together and relatives drop by regularly and all support each other, you can't... and won't want... ignore family.

It always tickled me that on the wildly popular U.S. television show "Dallas," J.R. and Bobby Ewing were college graduates with well-paying jobs, and wives, who lived at home with their parents! Weekly, multi-generational dinners, like the meals the Reagans on the U.S. drama "Blue Bloods" share each Sunday after church, are about as much contact as many people want to have with their relatives.

Also, the average American guy knows that he MUST be out of his parents' home if he wants any kind of relationship with a woman! (There is that creepy trope of the young man living in the basement of his mom's house. He's not looking for a girlfriend, though, because that would interfere with his gaming!)

BTW, I'm not dissing other cultures, I'm just sharing a different point of view. Now, I'm off to listen to Korn's "Family Values Tour" CD!!

 

[Kelly A]

I've never even suspected that "family" is a "dog whistle" of any kind. Blacks, White, Asians and Indigenous peoples can have families, as can straight and LGBTQ+ persons. People who are Christian, Muslim, Jews, Buddhists and of other faiths can have families, as can both rich an poor. Politicizing "family" is, as we say in Spanish, "looking for the fifth paw on the cat".

What creeps me out, is the SVP of the company I work for frequently refers to all of the employees as all one big '****-family'. I get it, the idea is to create a sense of familial-like loyalty for employees toward their employer and each other, but some of my younger colleagues and supervisors already struggle with maintaining a proper work-life balance, and actually start to believe their coworkers are like family to them. One was so bad that I had to break the news to her; that I already had a family away from work, and that nobody at work was considered family to me. The guilt comes when someone leaves the company, and they're effectively portrayed by management as having shunned or abandoned the family. Talk about disownment!

Years ago I was having a phone conversation with Harold Camping former founder of Family Radio. Harold regularly referred to everyone who worked as a contractor, employee, or listener, as part of the greater Family Radio family.

 

[kevtronics]

Most of us want government to intervene or interfere as little as possible with our private lives. At the same time, many look to their religion or faith for guidance in their lives. We want God, and through him, our church to give us guidance, advice and counsel.

But there's a lot of people whose religion is making them want government to intervene or interfere with the private lives of other people.

 

[gr8oldies]

What creeps me out, is the SVP of the company I work for frequently refers to all of the employees as all one big '****-family'. I get it, the idea is to create a sense of familial-like loyalty for employees toward their employer and each other, but some of my younger colleagues and supervisors already struggle with maintaining a proper work-life balance, and actually start to believe their coworkers are like family to them. One was so bad that I had to break the news to her; that I already had a family away from work, and that nobody at work was considered family to me. The guilt comes when someone leaves the company, and they're effectively portrayed by management as having shunned or abandoned the family. Talk about disownment!

Years ago I was having a phone conversation with Harold Camping former founder of Family Radio. Harold regularly referred to everyone who worked as a contractor, employee, or listener, as part of the greater Family Radio family.

Then there's the concept of the work spouse