Ole Jimmy in the news very much the last week or so and you know why.. How many of yyou know at one time he owned a chain of radio stations? Now he being an alleged "Man of God" and such....what do you think the format of these stations was? Of course, it was "Christian", nothing wrong with that! As we all know, we can have commercial, for profit stations or we can have non-commercial stations and obtain some tax advantages that way. What do you think Ole Jimmy chose? COMMERCIAL FOR PROFIT and THAT is a FACT. On other words, he wanted to make a profit by selling religion! That point tells you everything you need to know. Go ahead and get mad at the messenger!
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Jimmy Swaggert
- Thread starter DOGDOG
- Start date
He still owns them and while some are in the commercial band, they are licensed non commercially
I certainly did not. It appears Mr. Swaggart has been hospitalized for over a week, following a heart attack.
EDIT: Fixed spelling error I didn't catch, per Mediafrog+
Last edited:
To the OP: At least spell the man’s name correctly.
Jimmy Swaggart still has many radio stations carrying his programming. Here’s a list by state: Listen to SonLife Radio — SBN
There is also the TV Network with many affiliates, often on LPTV: SBN
Swaggart owned KJOJ 106.9 in the Houston market during the 1980s. Mix of Southern Gospel music and brokered preaching.
Son Donnie and grandson Gabriel have taken up the torch from Jimmy
Jimmy Swaggart still has many radio stations carrying his programming. Here’s a list by state: Listen to SonLife Radio — SBN
There is also the TV Network with many affiliates, often on LPTV: SBN
Swaggart owned KJOJ 106.9 in the Houston market during the 1980s. Mix of Southern Gospel music and brokered preaching.
Son Donnie and grandson Gabriel have taken up the torch from Jimmy
One of his stations was in Charlotte. It was country and the FM country station hadn't really become that popular, but he bought it and changed it to some kind of Christian programming. They were being criticized for the sin of branding the station's logo on the back of a woman's tight jeans.
DOGDOG - typical Christian Hate talk. I'm no fan of Jimmy Swaggart, but because you are Christian does not mean you have no bills to pay and don't need a salary to live. Commercial means he takes money from advertisers instead of listener donations. So, which is better in your mind: taking dollars from listeners or adverisers and other ministries who want to reach his audience?
D
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Felt he needed to get one last swipe against the grinder while he still could, Bill. I'm not a fan of Swaggart either, but this...this is tacky. What a horrible way to start the topic that will likely become the memorial thread for him.
If ever there were a need for Lance to swoop in and give the site a second chance at a thread titled "Jimmy Swaggart", this would be one.
Jimmy bought the former WMGS in Bowling Green. Ohio, then a 1000 watt daytimer, turning it to WJYM.(There's a rather extensive thread on WMGS somewhere on this site). When he bought it there was local staff, and the programming day was a mix of regional, Pentecostal religious programs, Billy James Hargis, R.W. Shamback, Oliver B. Green and others. Even though the station was in Northern Ohio, it was largely programmed as if it were south of the Mason-Dixon line, including "Dixie Gospel Caravan". That was later replaced by a local music show, then "Talk Back with Bob Larson" Sometime after the "fall" of Swaggart, the programming became "all Jimmy, all the time", all Swaggart music and preaching. Now, there's no local programming and all Sonlife stations are networked and largely relaying the TV feed. Some of this includes "Swaggart classics"..I caught one where Jimmy was screaming about All in the Family and Happy Days.
It doesn't appear the ministry is selling time to other ministries.
It doesn't appear the ministry is selling time to other ministries.
I remember when Swaggart owned KWKI(FM) in Kansas City for a little more than two years. He bought it in 1979 for $1.9 million from Richard Miller of St. Louis, who owned progressive-rock KADI(FM) in St. Louis and ran KWKI more or less as a clone of KADI. Then he sold it late in 1981 to Sandusky Newspapers for $3.25 million. The station was a desirable property, with numerous purchase offers made in the early 80s and upgrade potential.
Swaggart clearly didn't spend much on the station. The studios remained at 1722 Main, then a somewhat sketchy neighborhood which later had several gay clubs. The KWKI call letters were retained, though it wasn't called "Quicky" any more. The transmitting tower was at the "Mid-City Towers" (really, one tower; a planned second tower was built later, but at a different location), a former hotel at Linwood and The Paseo that had been converted into public housing. While the station's ERP was 100 kw, the HAAT was just 290 feet. Still, the signal got out; the Linwood/Paseo intersection is one of the higher spots in Kansas City. The station had a mix of preaching programs and music, with its manager telling a Kansas City Times reporter in 1981 that KWKI was building out its sales staff "to get away from some of the paid programs. We're playing more music and news."
One night in 1980 or 1981 in mid-Missouri, I tuned across KWKI and heard an announcer asking people to call in to join him in prayer as he laid his hands on a broken air-conditioner in hopes of getting it to work again. I don't quite think HVAC works that way, but suit yourself.
Sandusky invested substantially in KWKI, installing an adult-contemporary format and eventually changing its calls to KLSI. It's now KMXV.
Swaggart clearly didn't spend much on the station. The studios remained at 1722 Main, then a somewhat sketchy neighborhood which later had several gay clubs. The KWKI call letters were retained, though it wasn't called "Quicky" any more. The transmitting tower was at the "Mid-City Towers" (really, one tower; a planned second tower was built later, but at a different location), a former hotel at Linwood and The Paseo that had been converted into public housing. While the station's ERP was 100 kw, the HAAT was just 290 feet. Still, the signal got out; the Linwood/Paseo intersection is one of the higher spots in Kansas City. The station had a mix of preaching programs and music, with its manager telling a Kansas City Times reporter in 1981 that KWKI was building out its sales staff "to get away from some of the paid programs. We're playing more music and news."
One night in 1980 or 1981 in mid-Missouri, I tuned across KWKI and heard an announcer asking people to call in to join him in prayer as he laid his hands on a broken air-conditioner in hopes of getting it to work again. I don't quite think HVAC works that way, but suit yourself.
Sandusky invested substantially in KWKI, installing an adult-contemporary format and eventually changing its calls to KLSI. It's now KMXV.
Radio is a business, religious radio included. Even the stations that have donation radiothons have some commercials or sponsors.
The electric bills, and other costs of keeping radio stations on the airwaves, do not pay themselves. It takes money to pay those costs.
Just because the religious programming uses radio, and has commercials and makes some money doesn't negate the message that the stations broadcast. I doubt that any religious ministry says 'hey. let's buy a radio station, we can make tons of money that way!'
Because it doesn't work out that way, usually.
Radio may be a business but most religious broadcasters view that as secondary to getting out their message. This is why, outside of Salem and Crawford, the vast majority of religious radio stations are, in fact, non-profit outlets and are listed as non-commercial licenses.
True, but if you are a non-profit, then 1) you *only* have to earn enough to pay your bills; and 2) some, though certainly not all, places where money goes will give non-profits discounts not available to profit-making organizations.
Only enough to pay your bills? If you've ever been living paycheck-to-paycheck and had some major expense come up, you realize just paying the bills means you'll wind up off the air trying to raise money for the fix. Profit or non-profit, if you're not running the station like a business, yu're in trouble.
The only discounts I saw was removal of sales tax and that was consistant and generally 7.75 to 8.25% which can be substantial.
The only discounts I saw was removal of sales tax and that was consistant and generally 7.75 to 8.25% which can be substantial.
And yet, that is exactly how some of the lower power and community radio stations, as well as some of the none-corporate religious stations, are trying to do things. You know, it used to be that the FCC thoroughly checked out the financial abilities of potential radio station licenceholders before issuing those licenses. My understanding is that is not as true nowadays.
Jimmy Swaggart wasn't the first minister to own radio stations and not let any other ministers on, even for pay. One certainly remembers Gene Thomas and his ownership of KHOF-FM in Los Angeles (now Salem-owned KKLA-FM). And didn't single ministry radio stations get started with Aimee Simle McPherson (I think I ruined her name) and KFSG (now KEIB-AM) in Los Angeles back in the 1920s?
By the way, NPR reported yesterday that Mr. Swaggart did die yesterday. Both his son and grandson will be taking on the role of fleecing the flock--Oops! I mean of keeping his ministry going.
In N.C. a lot of religious stations are commercial. They are radio stations which happen to have a religious format.