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Christian Country

R

radioboy

I'd like to see a defintion of this format because Wikipedia doesn't have anything.

I guess one way of explaining it is that it is to secular "hot country" as Southern gospel is to classic country. Although some Southern gospel doesn't really sound quite like country. Some is traditional and sounds similar but not exactly country. And some Southern gospel is pop-sounding, like some classic country.
 
God's Country Club is ran by a man named Rodney Baucom, who, by the way, has great pipes on him. Spent several years in southern gospel radio. I've spoken with the guy on the phone a few times...was very knowledgeable about the southern gospel music genre and southern gospel radio.

I haven't listened to the music, mainly because I just have not had the time. But, I feel with Rodney's knowledge about music and radio, it should take off. On the downside, I'll say that Christian Country has tried to take off over the years, but has never been accepted as musc as southern gospel radio.
 
I remember Kim Hill and Susan Ashton going for Country after CCM success. Is today's Christian Country strong enough to stand alone, or is it a niche of a niche. This reminds me of friends' Christian bookstores struggling to stay afloat when Borders couldn't.
 
Brian Scott said:
God's Country Club is ran by a man named Rodney Baucom, who, by the way, has great pipes on him. Spent several years in southern gospel radio. I've spoken with the guy on the phone a few times...was very knowledgeable about the southern gospel music genre and southern gospel radio.

I haven't listened to the music, mainly because I just have not had the time. But, I feel with Rodney's knowledge about music and radio, it should take off. On the downside, I'll say that Christian Country has tried to take off over the years, but has never been accepted as musc as southern gospel radio.
Click to expand...

God's Country at point I think was LMAing stations from EMF??? that they didn't need...due to overlap of other Air1/KLove stations... sadly God's Country had $$$ trouble I think and ended up internet only -- they currently are pushing a "Barix" box it looks like to stream their station... and their pushing for $$$ from their listeners to get upgraded equipment.
 
It looks like a Christian country format would make sense for younger country listeners who don't like CCM or Southern Gospel. But at least in my area it's never been able to take off in the few attempts at it. I guess it's still too modern sounding and would get acused of being "worldly" by SG listeners, but is too country for a lot of CCM listeners.
 
A friend of mine is launching a 30-minute weekly program, "Dynamite Christian Country," in February.
He is attempting to find some affiliates for it, and I understand he has signed a national sponsor.

God's Country is a format that I would listen to, if it were on a terrestrial station in our area. I seldom listen to radio these days unless we're traveling.
 
Westar has several programs that they distribute that may be deemed Christian Country that they are promoting at the moment.

Even though they are just programs for an hour or two, this format may come into being in the next ten years or so, as there may be a market for it.
 
Southern Gospel renamed positive country? Problem is I hear people say they like Southern Gospel but won't support it. The hill and bluegrass add a nuance to the format that ruin it for me. Problem is we are too fragmented to accept "Southern Gospel" and a new definition as a niche format isn't defined, even on Wikipedia. That speaks volumes too.
 
There is still a large part of SG listeners who think that "their" music in the same style from 50+ years ago is the only Christian music that exists and anything else is at least inferior, or at worst from the Devil. And unfortunately that extends to modern Christian country as well with some of them. It''s definitely rampant in ultra traditional churches that have the attitude that anything new is questionable.

There is a station in West TN that is loaded with KJV only preachers that advertises that they only play hymns and "older" SG, and nothing current.
 
I believe the core artists for Southern Gospel and Christian country are pretty different.
 
it is disappointing that whom ever feels that all southern gospel has to sound country... some if not most core southern gospel groups don't
have a steel guitar or a blue grass instrument in there music... some of the rambos' music had strings and good harmony with out the
twang... when i get the singing news and see what's on the charts it depressing because that's the direction... i'll get the cd and listen to
what else is on the cd it's like what's up there are some way better tunes...
 
I'm not sure about now that they're owned by Salem, but I always got the impression that The Singing News had an SG only, anti-anything else attitude. I didn't expect them to promote CCM, but at least don't have a negative attitude toward it.
 
my problem is that the singing news is sending the wrong message to artists in that they must have some twang to get air play... i'm in
between... not totally country but not totally hard contemporary...
 
Big problem with SG often is the KJV crowd limiting anything really new. Meaning they want their hymns and their vintage quartet styles only. I like some of this material but not all of the time. Country Christian is more Gospel sang by country artists with some quartets thrown in. Positive Country is really country sounding Contemporary Christian material much more of the time.
 
SG, Christian Country, Christian Hip Hop, Christian Rock, Classic CCM, etc... There may be a handful of regional exceptions, but I don't know if a niche within a niche can attract a large enough audience to sustain itself in most markets. And I think that handful is probably much smaller than most of us think it is.

Perhaps the Pandoras of the world could serve those of us with more eccentric tastes more musically, but I still like interaction of jocks.
 
Just Another Idiot on the Radio said:
SG, Christian Country, Christian Hip Hop, Christian Rock, Classic CCM, etc... There may be a handful of regional exceptions, but I don't know if a niche within a niche can attract a large enough audience to sustain itself in most markets. And I think that handful is probably much smaller than most of us think it is.

Perhaps the Pandoras of the world could serve those of us with more eccentric tastes more musically, but I still like interaction of jocks.
Click to expand...

I think SG is a nitche like some of those other formats mentioned...

Just look at Solid Gospel's flagship in Nashville - WBOZ-FM they are pretty much at the bottom of the heap when it comes to the PPM Ratings (In a market that I would think if anywhere would have better success than that).
 
I worked a Christian Country/Positive Lyric Country format. It really seemed the most natural mix. It was country and not in the slightest way Southern Gospel.

Secular artists with positive messages are mixed with core Christtian Country artists. The core Christian Country artist seems to be more traditional country rooted than current country hit material...let's say 'roots' oriented.

Country has traditionally had a segment that subscribed to Christian principals. Country stations in the past frequently play an 'inspirational' song hourly or had a gospel music block in small markets. I think it is a natural.

I am not sure there is enough product to move the format along as a fulltime station. A top 40 presentation is natural to me...aka hit radio. By mixing positive lyric country hits you might have enough product. The issue I found is many releases are self-produced and not mixed to the standards of the major music labels, obviously due to a lack of funds, although the music itself is great. This limits your available product but with a bit more airtime, I think the number of people that self-produce and self-mix might find the support to go to the pros. I'm not blasting these artists. I know about doing the best you can with what you have to work with.

Another drawback is when the format get used, it is typically filler for unsold blocks where ministries fill many hours. To make the format happen, it needs to be music intensive...a format, not a filler.
 
bturner said:
I worked a Christian Country/Positive Lyric Country format. It really seemed the most natural mix. It was country and not in the slightest way Southern Gospel.

Secular artists with positive messages are mixed with core Christtian Country artists. The core Christian Country artist seems to be more traditional country rooted than current country hit material...let's say 'roots' oriented.

Country has traditionally had a segment that subscribed to Christian principals. Country stations in the past frequently play an 'inspirational' song hourly or had a gospel music block in small markets. I think it is a natural.

I am not sure there is enough product to move the format along as a fulltime station. A top 40 presentation is natural to me...aka hit radio. By mixing positive lyric country hits you might have enough product. The issue I found is many releases are self-produced and not mixed to the standards of the major music labels, obviously due to a lack of funds, although the music itself is great. This limits your available product but with a bit more airtime, I think the number of people that self-produce and self-mix might find the support to go to the pros. I'm not blasting these artists. I know about doing the best you can with what you have to work with.

Another drawback is when the format get used, it is typically filler for unsold blocks where ministries fill many hours. To make the format happen, it needs to be music intensive...a format, not a filler.
Click to expand...
Some obvious choices for this format are "Jesus Take the Wheel" and "Three Wooden Crosses".

I heard "Before He Cheats" on an AC--this is an obvious no-no.
 
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