CCM discussion

[mikl73]

The other thread got off topic and its definatly something that hasnt been discussed here in a while.

What about CCM on a better signal ?

WDJC seems to do well

theres non coms doing well like KLOVE, WayFM, Power in DFW......

I admit to being an avid listener of Christian Hit Radio 1210 GSF back in the day and later I listened to Joy73 some....

 

[GaryTheThompson]

Gotta Agree with you.

AC CCM would be a great choice for Memphis. I would program it locally with a bit of an 'Urban AC' flavor for the demographic makeup of the town.

 

[BigSteveG]

I finished off the first post of that last thread wrong. Should have did it this way and kept that subject on line.

I am not a KLOVE or Air 1 hater. I'm the exact opposite. I generally like the way they grasp the format. However, you need a local, AC style to it to work in Memphis. The Christain station would have to play nothing but music. It cannot have recorded programming unless you have it on early Sunday morning. For example, the way old Christain stations used to throw in recorded programming with Christain hits would be like WRVR today playing music and then at one o'clock in the afternoon switching to play two straight hours of Fox News debate on The Jon Benet Ramsey case. Not a good combination. People want to hear music not recorded programming. No matter what time a day you switch to recorded programming, the person will turn to another Christain "music" station or AC station to get their music fix. People who are fans of Christain talk would listen to a station like WCRV all day, not KLOVE. Also, Christain AC music is suitable for the office. Politically correct co-workers might not feel comfortable listening to thought-provoking programming leading to arguements and management turning the dial somewhere else. There are a lot of Christain artists of today that play good music. That good music sounds a lot like what you hear on 104. So, you would not lose but a small percentage of listeners if you put the station on 94.1, an AC station, as you would if you put it on 92.9. Also, putting this station on 94.1 would give you a good signal on FM stereo.

Also, Entercom will soon have a lock up of AC veterns. You combine Ron, Steve, and Karen who appeal to soccer moms and families and throw in Tom P. in the afternoon with others, it would sale. You would not need recorded programming to pay the bills.

 

[MikeBratton]

I finished off the first post of that last thread wrong. Should have did it this way and kept that subject on line.

I am not a KLOVE or Air 1 hater. I'm the exact opposite. I generally like the way they grasp the format. However, you need a local, AC style to it to work in Memphis.

Couldn't agree more. That "west coast" K-Love style just (for lack of a better term) grates.

The Christain station would have to play nothing but music. It cannot have recorded programming unless you have it on early Sunday morning. For example, the way old Christain stations used to throw in recorded programming with Christain hits would be like WRVR today playing music and then at one o'clock in the afternoon switching to play two straight hours of Fox News debate on The Jon Benet Ramsey case. Not a good combination. People want to hear music not recorded programming. No matter what time a day you switch to recorded programming, the person will turn to another Christain "music" station or AC station to get their music fix. People who are fans of Christain talk would listen to a station like WCRV all day, not KLOVE.

My take differs, in that CCM listeners tend to "lock in in and rip off the knob" in terms of TSL. They'll stick with you through a brief break, whether it's a couple of commercials or a sponsored 60- or 90-second "ministry moment." Of course, that's with the understanding that more CCM music is just a couple of minutes away.

Also, Christain AC music is suitable for the office. Politically correct co-workers might not feel comfortable listening to thought-provoking programming leading to arguements and management turning the dial somewhere else. There are a lot of Christain artists of today that play good music. That good music sounds a lot like what you hear on 104. So, you would not lose but a small percentage of listeners if you put the station on 94.1, an AC station, as you would if you put it on 92.9. Also, putting this station on 94.1 would give you a good signal on FM stereo.

As the kids say, "True, that." (Do the kids still say that?)

It would be nice, though, if the CCM 94.1 signal could originate from a more beneficial and central location.

Also, Entercom will soon have a lock up of AC veterns. You combine Ron, Steve, and Karen who appeal to soccer moms and families and throw in Tom P. in the afternoon with others, it would sale. You would not need recorded programming to pay the bills.

Just because someone is, indeed, an AC vet does not guarantee that person to be a good fit on an AC CCM station. Particularly in this area of the world, someone playing music that is overtly Christian in nature needs to be (for lack of a better term) overtly Christian as a person, and as a personality. Personally, I don't know if either Ron, Steven, Karen, or Tom is a Christian--I've never had the opportunity to ask any of them, and I've never heard them mention it. But experience alone isn't enough in that particular genre.

 

[BigSteveG]

I finished off the first post of that last thread wrong. Should have did it this way and kept that subject on line.

The Christain station would have to play nothing but music. It cannot have recorded programming unless you have it on early Sunday morning. For example, the way old Christain stations used to throw in recorded programming with Christain hits would be like WRVR today playing music and then at one o'clock in the afternoon switching to play two straight hours of Fox News debate on The Jon Benet Ramsey case. Not a good combination. People want to hear music not recorded programming. No matter what time a day you switch to recorded programming, the person will turn to another Christain "music" station or AC station to get their music fix. People who are fans of Christain talk would listen to a station like WCRV all day, not KLOVE.

My take differs, in that CCM listeners tend to "lock in in and rip off the knob" in terms of TSL. They'll stick with you through a brief break, whether it's a couple of commercials or a sponsored 60- or 90-second "ministry moment." Of course, that's with the understanding that more CCM music is just a couple of minutes away.

From BigSteveG:
I agree one hundred percent. The station would need fair share of commercials. Hopefully, big accounts like car/truck company, jewelers, and such. One misconception of people who listen to CCM music is they read the Bible all day and don't shop. They buy cars, go to Starbucks, go to Wolfchase stores, go see shows at the Orpheum and go to the movies and dinner usually once a week, etc. These people definately buy and they definately have a life. Just talk to my sister, she is a big CCM fan and she spends ;D. I was saying the station can't have hour blocks of talk like Church sermons or Bible lessons unless it is on Sunday mornings. They want to hear music just like any other format. Besides mostly the morning shift, other FM music stations do not have an hour or two of recorded talk programming mixed in with music. They have live, local personalities. The stations commercials pay the bills.

Also, Entercom will soon have a lock up of AC veterns. You combine Ron, Steve, and Karen who appeal to soccer moms and families and throw in Tom P. in the afternoon with others, it would sale. You would not need recorded programming to pay the bills.

Just because someone is, indeed, an AC vet does not guarantee that person to be a good fit on an AC CCM station. Particularly in this area of the world, someone playing music that is overtly Christian in nature needs to be (for lack of a better term) overtly Christian as a person, and as a personality. Personally, I don't know if either Ron, Steven, Karen, or Tom is a Christian--I've never had the opportunity to ask any of them, and I've never heard them mention it. But experience alone isn't enough in that particular genre.

From BigSteveG:
I have to respectfully disagree. That seems to be a general misconception. Like I said before, Christain AC format is very similair to any other AC format. Any AC jock or country jock could handle the CCM format. Sure you have little tweaks. You have to eliminate mild language and humor and not carry some CCM inappropriate advertisers like casino or beer companies. But that would mostly apply to the morning shows. The only way this would work in Memphis and be a good sale is to have personalities that you know and trust. You need a solid 25-45 year old base. Verterns on 100 and 104 have a solid base with this group. These stations are good billers and they do good in the ratings. No offense to anyone, but if you play a lot of young air talent to start off with on a Memphis CCM station, the station would be dead in the water before it got started. These young personalities would only appeal to the 12 to 20 year olds and would not sale any advertising. Then they will add hour blocks of recorded programming to pay the bills, thus alienating the small percentage of adults listeners it had. This would make the station like the CCM stations of the past. If Bible based recorded programming along with music and personalities who tried to be hip to format would have worked in the past, CCM would still be on 730AM and would be doing well in the ratings. Why reinvent the wheel?

 

[anotherguyTN]

I got into this discussion late, but here goes...

I was also a regular listener to WMSO 640, WGSF 1210, and KSUD 730 (Pre-K-LOVE) when they ran CCM formats, but mainly when they were playing music. WMSO had a good signal, but WGSF and KSUD were hampered with weak signals that I could barely get outside the Dyersburg area, where I lived at the time. And as was mentioned, when they switched to programs I would either change to a secular station or tapes. There were a few programs that I might listen to, but too many times there would be preachers on that were anti-CCM and would tear down the music I may have been listening to only 5 minutes earlier. When WCRV came in to Memphis, they got most of the good programs, which left it where too many of the programs that were carried by the CCM stations were a lot of the dollar a holler type stuff that is now on WMQM and WLRM. There were too many times when the stations sounded like they had a split personality. I only got to hear WVIM when I was in Memphis, but I think they had their own problems with trying to do CCM in the daytime and Spanish language programming at night. I see the need for a Spanish language Christian format, but it should have been on its own station. When K-LOVE came in, I wasn't surprised that it spelled the end of local CCM radio in Memphis.

I definitely would like to see Memphis get a live and local all music CCM station, and I really hope the CBS/Entercom deal could possibly open up a chance for that to happen. If not at Entercom, perhaps changes there could have a ripple effect causing changes in other stations. However, I would be leery that if a CCM station were operated by any of the big groups in Memphis that they could end up changing formats if they thought something else would make more money. I know Clear Channel owns 95.7, but it could also happen there. They owned 101.1 in Nashville, which had a CCM format and didn't stay with it.

If it did happen though, I would agree that the on air staff would need to be people who do have a Christian commitment. If that happens to be someone who is already a big name in Memphis AC radio, that would be great, but I don't think the audience would accept someone who had been known for doing questionable programming being on the station.

Could another possibility though be if a station could come up for sale to a national Christian ownership group like Salem, who could bring in CCM? I'd also be afraid that if a smaller local group were to buy a station to do a CCM format (even on a big stick) they could fall back into the trap that the Memphis CCM stations of the past were in.

Also, in an earlier post the question of Flinn doing something on 107.5 came up. He is the one I would trust the least to do a CCM format and stay with it because of how many times he has changed formats on his stations, with 107.5 being one of the worst.

 

[MikeBratton]

I have to respectfully disagree. That seems to be a general misconception.

We're in an area where I actually have some expertise... for once...

...so let me see if I can more adroitly support my position. And I attempt to thusly, and like so:

Like I said before, Christain AC format is very similair to any other AC format.

In clock, tempo, vibe--yes, AC is AC. But a CCM AC (the same will apply to CCM Rock) has one startling difference: The Message.

Christian music is the only subset of popular music whose line of demarcation is based upon the lyrics, not the tune or the beat. People tuning in a station that provides such music aren't tuning in primarily for the singers or the great guitar solos, they're tuning in for music that talks, in one way or another, about Christianity--and more specifically, about Jesus Christ. CCM AC has enough about it that's unique for some special rules to be required for a radio station to do it properly.

Any AC jock or country jock could handle the CCM format.

Nope.

I've known a few AC and/or country personalities over the decades who could work a CCM AC format, but only because they were professing Christians as well. If you don't have an enthusiasm for the genre--whatever the genre--it will show up in your performance; if you don't have an enthusiam for playing music that shares Christ, listeners will figure it out and go back to their CDs and iPods.

On the flip side, another of the unique areas of CCM-formatted stations is how the jocks directly interact with the listenership. They'll call up wanting to have prayer or share a praise with you. They'll invite you to their churches, sometimes even to speak. They'll have theological or doctrinal questions for you. They'll want advice from you about some aspect of the Christian life. They'll even let you know they're praying for you.

It's not just "any AC jock or country jock" who's equipped to handle those extra responsibilities, no matter how well-known he or she might be in a given market.

Want to do an interview with a Christian artist or group? If a personality can't relate to the single motivating reason that artist or group is doing this particular kind of music, that interview is DOA.

Want to do a live appearance? The people who come to see a personality are going to expect that jock to share their faith. Dancing around any direct references to it will sink the talent's credibility.

Sure you have little tweaks. You have to eliminate mild language and humor and not carry some CCM inappropriate advertisers like casino or beer companies.

Axiomatic, yes. And even beyond that, advertisers such as the Tennessee Lottery would be inappropriate.

But that would mostly apply to the morning shows.

I think you're saying that your proposed morning shows would have the most difficulty with the "tweaks," not that the advertising limitations would apply mostly to mornings, yes?

The only way this would work in Memphis and be a good sale is to have personalities that you know and trust.

If they don't share the audience's belief system, there won't be any trusting, so the knowing will be a moot point. Again, the audience as a whole, and the P1s in particular, aren't tuning in primarily for the personalities, but for the message in the music. The music has to be good, and the message in it has to be crystal.

Just because Dan The Morning Man goes from being Head Wrangler at Buckaroo Country KBUK to being Minister of Mornings at K-Grace KGRC does not translate to a mass migration of Dan's audience. And unless Dan's there for the right reasons, the audience he does develop and/or cause to migrate won't hang around long-term.

You need a solid 25-45 year old base. Verterns on 100 and 104 have a solid base with this group. These stations are good billers and they do good in the ratings. No offense to anyone, but if you play a lot of young air talent to start off with on a Memphis CCM station, the station would be dead in the water before it got started.

Inexperienced air talent is bad news for any format--particularly if you line them morning-to-midnight. But as I mentioned previously, a Memphis AC CCM station could be staffed in a matter of days, and with experienced personalities, all of whom profess openly to being brothers and sisters in Christ.

These young personalities would only appeal to the 12 to 20 year olds and would not sale any advertising.

OK, now I have a serious question. I've been around a lot of different salespeople at a lot of different radio stations over the years. I do understand that there are occassions where a particular personality or personalities made the difference in a local sale, but the sale is generally about the station as a whole, not "Oh, cool! Turtledove Postlethwaite might voice my spot!"

Are you suggesting that the hypothetical MEM AC CCM FM station isn't going to get the ABC, BMW, FNC, GMC, GNC, or TCBY buys PDQ unless it's staffed ASAP with FSJ (Famous Secular Jocks)?

Then they will add hour blocks of recorded programming to pay the bills, thus alienating the small percentage of adults listeners it had. This would make the station like the CCM stations of the past. If Bible based recorded programming along with music and personalities who tried to be hip to format would have worked in the past, CCM would still be on 730AM and would be doing well in the ratings. Why reinvent the wheel?

Wouldn't dream of it. Which is why I'd be foursquare against long-form programs on a Christian music station. (However, there are some "hybrid" stations out there who actually do run thirty-minute or one-hour syndicated Christian Talk programs, and they do all right. They're the exceptions, though, from what I've seen.)

Which is also why I wouldn't have personalities who didn't share a fundamental (pardon the pun) faith with their listenership.

Comments?

 

[sjs1959]

You gentlemen have far more experience than I ever will, but something about those posts jumped out at me:

CC dumped the CCM format in NASHVILLE? Home of the Dove Awards? Am I missing something here?

Was this because they did it poorly or because the market was not there for it? If this wouldn't fly in Nashville, where the industry IS, why would it work here?

I'm not being snarky, I promise, I am just curious because both of you seem eminently qualified to explain why it WOULD work.....

 

[MikeBratton]

You gentlemen have far more experience than I ever will, but something about those posts jumped out at me:

CC dumped the CCM format in NASHVILLE? Home of the Dove Awards? Am I missing something here?

Was this because they did it poorly or because the market was not there for it? If this wouldn't fly in Nashville, where the industry IS, why would it work here?

I'm not being snarky, I promise, I am just curious because both of you seem eminently qualified to explain why it WOULD work.....

Good question.

Salem has a CCM "The Fish" presence in Nashville, not to mention a Gospel station there as well. There are also the WAY-FM non-commercial folks. There's even the CCM station out of Trevecca Nazarene College.

I think--and mind you, this is only me thinking out loud--that CCM is covered already in Nashville. ;D

Again, it's an excellent question. It must be, since I'm answering it while trying to deal with a small bout of insomnia... :-\

CCM is working well in Nashville, enough to support both comm and non-comm FM stations. It's just conjecture, but Clear Channel must not have had the revenue stream sufficient to justify continuing the format there.

 

[radiosaur]

I'd still like to see a rock slanted CCM here. XM 32 does a great job musically, I think.

I can't really get K-love well up here in the north boonies, but do they play stuff like DecembeRadio?

My CCM station here would rock a bit, especially afternoons and nights.

The jocks would also sound a bit more up. Some CCM jocks try too hard to sound 'warm'.

I'd love to see it happen.

 

[BigSteveG]

I do not have any disrespect toward anyone on this board. These are just my opinions on the format. Please don't take them personally.

I do however find it crazy that some people think an AC vets like Tom Prestigiacomo, Bill Bannister, Larry Wheeler and such could not make it as Christain personalities. Tom Prestigiacomo who was married to a school teacher, who sadly passed away, who tells listeners "welcome home teachers" and "never, never give up", would not make it on that format? Bill Bannister who talks to and gives away prizes at lunch everyday to hard working office professionals, who the CCM format represents, would not make it on that format? These personalities have always had good humor and family type show. You asked if I believe a young personality could not sell the format. Yes, I do. Not like Tom and Bill can sale. A young personality will try to be to hip or super cool dude. That type of delivery would never appeal to 25-45 year olds who would listen to the station during work hours of 5am to 6pm. I not saying abandon all young personalites at all. I am saying you need AC vets in the morning and afternoon drive as anchors. Have a request hour program at 10am-2pm and blend in young personalities at night and on weekends where you can have Christain Rock on Saturday Nights for teenagers.

Most people are stuck in the CCM format of the past. A Memphis station needs to be like Christain AC stations like The Fish. Someone mentioned The Fish earlier. You can look at my earlier posts about CCM in Memphis and I always said it should be like The Fish. The Nashville Fish has great local personalities mixed in with music. Another good one is The Atlanta Fish. http://www.thefishatlanta.com/

Take a station like The Atlanta Fish, apply it here and it will work. Both WRVR and The Atlanta Fish say they are both "safe for the family". With that point, I don't see why people think there are many differences in AC and CCM formats. The Atlanta Fish even has a Battle of The Sexes like Ron, Steve, and Karen. I found another good example in Atlanta. It is Christain AC J93.3. They have an edgier Christain Rock Show on Saturday Nights 9PM to Midnight. The station also has John Tesh overnight. I heard his program on a Soft AC station on my way to Florida a couple months ago. http://www.j933.com/default.asp

 

[radiosaur]

I do not have any disrespect toward anyone on this board. These are just my opinions on the format. Please don't take them personally.

I do however find it crazy that some people think an AC vets like Tom Prestigiacomo, Bill Bannister, Larry Wheeler and such could not make it as Christain personalities.

I have to agree with Mike on this one. My experience with the format is old, but I agree even an experienced secular personality isn't going to work on CCM in the long run. We could get into a deep theological discussion here, but I'm not going there.

Mike's right in that most CCM listeners listen because it's CCM, and not for any other reason. Can you run them off with poor programming? Yes, but you can bet most of them won't flip over to FM 100 to hear 'Like A Virgin". But if they like what they hear, the loyalty is outstanding.

Non-Christian ownership of Christian stations is a touchy subject, but my personal opinion is, again, it won't work in the long run because there are two very different motivations (at least there should be).

My view that a harder edged station would work instead of a pure AC is simply because I'm hearing some GREAT heavier CCM coming out nowdays, with production quality and arrangement as good or better than anything else out there. I'd just play the good stuff and let the music do the talking...but the staff would have to have the heart for it or the listeners would see right through it. I think the hardest part would be tailoring the presentation to attract the curious and keep the faithful.

As for air staff, I can think of three or four good radio people who could slide right into the format. Rick Tarrant, Rob Grayson, and Rick Robinson come to mind.

I could even find them a pretty decent engineer.

 

[MikeBratton]

I do not have any disrespect toward anyone on this board. These are just my opinions on the format. Please don't take them personally.

Steve, my man, I can only speak for myself, but I don't think anyone is taking them personally. It's a good, old-fashioned discussion! And trust me, what you've shared has made me do a lot of thinking about the subject.

I do however find it crazy that some people think an AC vets like Tom Prestigiacomo, Bill Bannister, Larry Wheeler and such could not make it as Christain personalities.

Well, it's not "crazy," it's a different opinion, one supported by experience with the format and with the listenership. All I'm saying is that being an "AC vet" doesn't automatically punch your ticket for CCM success.
The three men you mentioned, whom I know in varying degrees, could make it in basically any format they wanted to try--but there are exceptions. Depending on where they stand with the Lord, CCM might--I say might--be one of them.

Tom Prestigiacomo who was married to a school teacher, who sadly passed away, who tells listeners "welcome home teachers" and "never, never give up", would not make it on that format?

I don't know him well enough to answer the question, which is why I was working with hypothetical personalities. Still staying on that hypothetical level, there's a vast difference between "faith in faith," which is mere positive thinking, and faith in Christ.

Bill Bannister who talks to and gives away prizes at lunch everyday to hard working office professionals, who the CCM format represents, would not make it on that format?

Next time I see him, I'll ask him--but I haven't seen him in awhile. Bill, don't you own me a lunch or something?

Oh, that's right. He's busy at lunchtime...

These personalities have always had good humor and family type show.

Which isn't a one-for-one translation to a good CCM show.

You asked if I believe a young personality could not sell the format. Yes, I do. Not like Tom and Bill can sale. A young personality will try to be to hip or super cool dude. That type of delivery would never appeal to 25-45 year olds who would listen to the station during work hours of 5am to 6pm. I not saying abandon all young personalites at all. I am saying you need AC vets in the morning and afternoon drive as anchors. Have a request hour program at 10am-2pm and blend in young personalities at night and on weekends where you can have Christain Rock on Saturday Nights for teenagers.

I completely agree. Drive time, in particular, should be in the hands of folks with lots of seasoning. And the overally music mix should be hotter at night and weekends, verging on CHR/Rock/Rhythmic when the demo skews younger. My experience is that such a setup meets the listenership where they are.

Maybe a little bit of that in the mornings, too, but I'm partial... ;D

Most people are stuck in the CCM format of the past. A Memphis station needs to be like Christain AC stations like The Fish. Someone mentioned The Fish earlier. You can look at my earlier posts about CCM in Memphis and I always said it should be like The Fish. The Nashville Fish has great local personalities mixed in with music. Another good one is The Atlanta Fish. http://www.thefishatlanta.com/

Take a station like The Atlanta Fish, apply it here and it will work. Both WRVR and The Atlanta Fish say they are both "safe for the family". With that point, I don't see why people think there are many differences in AC and CCM formats. The Atlanta Fish even has a Battle of The Sexes like Ron, Steve, and Karen. I found another good example in Atlanta. It is Christain AC J93.3. They have an edgier Christain Rock Show on Saturday Nights 9PM to Midnight. The station also has John Tesh overnight. I heard his program on a Soft AC station on my way to Florida a couple months ago. http://www.j933.com/default.asp

Steve, John Tesh doesn't make any bones about the fact that he's a professing Christian.

And just to be sure, I checked both Fish websites. With the occasional exception, the jock bios overtly intimate that the talents they're describing are Christians; from what I know of the stations' on-air sounds, they're all sharing their faith in Christ one way or another when they crack the mic. And when your station website has, as both those do, a church-locater function, that should tell you they're pretty up-front about how they want to help their listenership.

"Safe For the Whole Family" is a bit of Salem stealth positioning, telling people who might not be familiar with the station that they won't run into bawdy humor or questionable song content when they listen, then letting the people find out after they've sampled the station just why it's safe for the whole family.

And J 93.3's positioner is "The Station That Helps You Live The LifeTM".

Again, there's one overarching difference between an AC station that plays Contemporary Music and an AC station that plays Contemporary Christian Music. That difference cannot be minimized, wouldn't you agree? Else, what's the point of implementing the format?

 

[MikeBratton]

I do not have any disrespect toward anyone on this board. These are just my opinions on the format. Please don't take them personally.

I do however find it crazy that some people think an AC vets like Tom Prestigiacomo, Bill Bannister, Larry Wheeler and such could not make it as Christain personalities.

I have to agree with Mike on this one. My experience with the format is old, but I agree even an experienced secular personality isn't going to work on CCM in the long run. We could get into a deep theological discussion here, but I'm not going there.

Mike's right in that most CCM listeners listen because it's CCM, and not for any other reason. Can you run them off with poor programming? Yes, but you can bet most of them won't flip over to FM 100 to hear 'Like A Virgin". But if they like what they hear, the loyalty is outstanding.

Non-Christian ownership of Christian stations is a touchy subject, but my personal opinion is, again, it won't work in the long run because there are two very different motivations (at least there should be).

My view that a harder edged station would work instead of a pure AC is simply because I'm hearing some GREAT heavier CCM coming out nowdays, with production quality and arrangement as good or better than anything else out there. I'd just play the good stuff and let the music do the talking...but the staff would have to have the heart for it or the listeners would see right through it. I think the hardest part would be tailoring the presentation to attract the curious and keep the faithful.

As for air staff, I can think of three or four good radio people who could slide right into the format. Rick Tarrant, Rob Grayson, and Rick Robinson come to mind.

I could even find them a pretty decent engineer.

Marvelous choices, all.

And I know a goofball who enjoys getting up early and playing CCM tunes over the airwaves...

 

[BigSteveG]

I respect everyone's opinion. I will wrap my opinion up on this subject. If this was a trial, we would be a hung jury ;D.

I remember what they said in broadcasting school in the past. It is not what you listen to at home or in the car and it is not about if you are closely related to a format. This is a business. For you to be successful at the business, you must prepare, train, and master all types of formats. Because you will never know when you might lose your job, because of a format change.

Let's give it up for General American Pronounciation ;D.

 

[robgrayson]

I was reluctant to wade into this fray, since "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness" (I Corinthians 1:18), but, like an idiot, here I go.
First of all, thanks for including me in the short list. My main concern about doing a CCM format is, since we are in the end times, won't you lose your core audience in the rapture? This would be a real drag to mangament and sales, who get left behind. JUST KIDDING!! JUST KIDDING!! (A little sick post-millenial dispensationalist humor).
As for approaching doing Christian radio as a "job" without being committed to the cause, I would sarcastically comment that you wouldn't be too far afield from some artists who use Christian music simply as a springboard to make it as pop artists. The airwaves and cable channels abound with folks who rival the merchants Jesus chased from the temple, who turned a "house of prayer" into a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13).
I was looking up verses to back up my postulation on wolves in sheep's clothing, and the verse at the top of the chapter says "Judge not that you be not judged", so I'll shut up.

 

[radiosaur]

I was reluctant to wade into this fray, since "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness" (I Conrinthians 1:18), but, like an idiot, here I go.
First of all, thanks for including me in the short list. My main concern about doing a CCM format is, since we are in the end times, won't you lose your core audience in the rapture? This would be a real drag to mangament and sales, who get left behind. JUST KIDDING!! JUST KIDDING!! (A little sick post-millenial dispensationalist humor).
As for approaching doing Christian radio as a "job" without being committed to the cause, I would sarcastically comment that you wouldn't be too far afield from some artists who use Christian music simply as a springboard to make it as pop artists. The airwaves and cable channels abound with folks who rival the merchants Jesus chased from the temple, who turned a "house of prayer" into a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13).
I was looking up verses to back up my postulation on wolves in sheep's clothing, and the verse at the top of the chapter says "Judge not that you be not judged", so I'll shut up.

ROFL...

I agree with your comment on some "Christian" artists, but be that as it may, the real crime would be if the sincere ones don't keep at it...

As we all know there are some 'religious broadcasters' even *gasp* in THIS market who are anything but...

'nuff said.

 

[MikeBratton]

I was reluctant to wade into this fray, since "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness" (I Corinthians 1:18), but, like an idiot, here I go.
First of all, thanks for including me in the short list. My main concern about doing a CCM format is, since we are in the end times, won't you lose your core audience in the rapture? This would be a real drag to mangament and sales, who get left behind. JUST KIDDING!! JUST KIDDING!! (A little sick post-millenial dispensationalist humor).
As for approaching doing Christian radio as a "job" without being committed to the cause, I would sarcastically comment that you wouldn't be too far afield from some artists who use Christian music simply as a springboard to make it as pop artists. The airwaves and cable channels abound with folks who rival the merchants Jesus chased from the temple, who turned a "house of prayer" into a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13).
I was looking up verses to back up my postulation on wolves in sheep's clothing, and the verse at the top of the chapter says "Judge not that you be not judged", so I'll shut up.

Rob, sounds like some of us should get together and figure out how best to stir the pot around here, don't you think?

 

[anotherguyTN]

To answer sjs1959's question about the Clear Channel CCM station in Nashville on 101.1, it was in the late 90's or early 2000's. I only heard it once or twice on trips to Nashville. They were AC CCM and at that time the other CCM stations there were were WAY-FM, which was CHR, and WNAZ, the station from Trevecca and was AC. CC eventually changed the station to a Hip Hop format. The Salem Fish stations didn't come on until a year or two later. I still believe that 101.1 was changed because CC thought they could make more money doing another format, which is why I don't trust them to do a Christian format and stay with it.

 

[MemBirdman]

Sorry for getting into this late. Took the weekend off of the computer. I enjoy the discussion and hope I can add something to it...

Then they will add hour blocks of recorded programming to pay the bills, thus alienating the small percentage of adults listeners it had. This would make the station like the CCM stations of the past. If Bible based recorded programming along with music and personalities who tried to be hip to format would have worked in the past, CCM would still be on 730AM and would be doing well in the ratings. Why reinvent the wheel?

Wouldn't dream of it. Which is why I'd be foursquare against long-form programs on a Christian music station. (However, there are some "hybrid" stations out there who actually do run thirty-minute or one-hour syndicated Christian Talk programs, and they do all right. They're the exceptions, though, from what I've seen.)

Which is also why I wouldn't have personalities who didn't share a fundamental (pardon the pun) faith with their listenership.

Comments?

Two comments:

1) As the one who essentially closed the door on KSUD, let me assure you that the personalities and the format didn't kill KSUD. It was sales and management. Saying any more will bring up bitterness that I'm still trying to let go, three years after the fact.

2) The book before KLOVE bought 94.7, Praise FM got a .9. Not significant in the grand scheme of things, but it showed that the format was getting an audience in the two years since its inception. This audience was achieved without personalities or a great amount of time allowed to focus on it (it was literally a computer in the KSUD production studio). The audience was there for the format.