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Christian Programming on Secular Station

C

ChiefEngineer

Does any one operate a station that has Secular music but promotes ministries and invites "converts" to join the fold?

We are doing CCM on one group of stations and started a new station doing just this. Lots of prayer going into the project. We had many who would not carry our station in their business because of the musical content but will play the new station despite the content in commercial breaks. We run Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel but have the local slots full of ministry events.

We wanted to reach those NOT in church and it seems to be working. One listener commented, "You sure have a lot of churchy things on the station." He isn't in a church but listens nonetheless.
 
Yeah worked at an oldies station that was owned by a ministry that ran an evangelical minute or two every hour...from the Unshackled minute to a young earth creationist minute. I wasn't sure the latter was appropriate for reaching secular listeners.
 
Chief Engineer,

One of my first radio jobs was for a station that played a soft AC/oldies format. the station's GM was a Christian, so the music stayed on the clean side of things, for the most part.

That station often had more spots for churches and ministries in the breaks than the Christian station did that I went to work for after that. the secular station, an AM graveyard on 1450, also had over a 4 share, despite the lower power and 250 watts at night. It did run a few programs, like Hour of Decision, on Sundays.

I loved working for the Christian station. But the first one reached a much larger audience.
 
I had the privilege of working at a station owned by a solid Christian man, who followed the Lord's prompting out of his comfort zone into the radio biz. He was led to consult with a strong businessman, and followed his advice to leave a dying Country format for Talk (big names off the satellite, plus one local talker).

On Sundays, he gives up a 6-hour block to churches. Typical (non-churchgoing) listeners who have heard these programs on the way to the store on Sundays have liked what they've heard. Some have even come to the Lord and visited and joined some of these churches.

Oddly enough, sports are HUGE in this area and tend to pay the bills (not just pros, also college and high school). Many of these churches also run spots all week long, but I don't remember anyone being bothered by that.
 
It's quite common in the South for local stations to devote part or all of Sunday to religion.

My classic country station quit doing this, so if I'm on my way to visit one of my aunts on Sunday, I can listen to country music. It used to be that if I had this station on they'd do a Sunday School class from the church my father went to wehn he and my aunt lived in the same town.

One adult standards station I listened to at one time (and still do when I'm closer to where it is, only it's classic country now) used to be Christian and still is on Sunday.

My usual adult standards station is all religious on Sunday morning. I wake up to it because the clock radio doesn't know the difference, but five days a week that was when Paul Harvey came on and Mike Huckabee still does. Sunday is the one day I have to turn the radio off because at that time of day there's this yelling preacher. He sounds all kind and welcoming as he talks about his church and what it's doing, but then the recording of the sermon starts up and the man is yelling about how if you don't believe as I do ...

That service is usually preceded by "Amazing Grace" by Bob Snyder. In the days of Timeless Classics, Joe Lacina had a show called "Bob Snyder Time" at 11 on Saturday night and that song was often a part of it. Some days "Count Your Many Blessings" is played instead. Or the previous program might run long and have to be cut off for the yelling preacher.

I just remembered another station. It's a community station with a local morning show and Rush, Hannity, etc. the rest of the day, and before Paul Harvey I woud wake up with that station, which had Charles Osgood's five-minute program that time of day, but more importantly, they'd usually say what the previous day's high and the current day's low were. This didn't work on weekends, so I'd just have to go by the weather on TV. And on Sunday there was the preacher who Sunday after Sunday would tell us all that the greatest sin of churches today was worshipping on Sunday, which is not biblical. He'd also criticize anyone who celebrated Easter because only Passover was in the Bible. Same with Christmas. And of course these sermons were always on Sunday. I have another clock radio which wakes me up in time to wash clothes (I would wake up with the Paul Harvey station though I can't pick it up that time of day now), though I now get to hear the latest local news, and this station has a church service on Saturday now, though it's a conventional service. For all I know this man who thinks Sunday worship is a sin is still there later, but they have one of those Rush-type talk shows at the earlier time.
 
7th Day Adventist of Armstrong disciple. Herbert W. and Garner Ted would always tell you a coupld days before Christmas how it shouldn't be celebrated...then "crap, I have to return all the gifts I bought"
 
We who are radio enthusiasts tend to be like a parent who in a moment of self-centeredness wants their child to be forever five years old... or 12 years old. Like a fan of classical music who expects performances of Beethoven or Mozart to sound "like they are supposed to sound!", we each have an idea of what radio is supposed to be and we don't want it to grow up.

I'm driving an 11-year-old car and I am ready to replace it. I don't want my new car to be another 2000 model, I don't want it to be a 1987 or a 1957 car. I want TODAY'S car. We want our clothes to be in today's style. You get where I am going.

Whatever radio was 5, 15, 25 or 45 years ago is probably not what is going to work best. We don't do church today quite the way we did in 1990, or 1970 or 1940.

So I think the question we are discussing is not how did we combine radio and faith in the past.... but what can we do today, and maybe even the "why" as in "why put some form of faith on the radio" may be different today than it was in the past.

I would propose to you that we are wasting time and energy if we are NOT exposing our faith via radio. The question then becomes: what is the format for doing that in the year 2010 and going forward.
 
On a secular station that carries Christian programming I'd hope they have some standard as to who they allow on. But too many times they're no better than the full time dollar a holler stations that allow anyone on who flashes enough money in their faces.

One station that is in West TN was owned at one time by a man who was a member of the Church of Christ. The format changed over time from top 40 to country during the rest of the week but on Sunday mornings they carried only programs from local C of C preachers, and no other denominations were allowed on. That changed with the new owners later to where they allowed anything on for a buck. The station went from having too strict a standard of only allowing the previous owner's denomination on to allowing any crackpot that claimed to be a preacher on with the new owners. I disagree strongly with some of the C of C's teachings, but I'd rather hear them than the screamers.

On a secular station that is Christian owned I would hope that most would have a standard somewhere in between that allows for a variety of beliefs inside orthodox Christianity but without allowing the preachers who scream and/or spend more time attacking other Christians on. I'd think that it would be better to carry programs that are geared toward reaching the unchurched rather than turning them off. Unfortunately too many times even the Christian owned stations (regardless of the format) are guilty of allowing anything on for a buck.

I'd also think that doing Christian programming that fits in with the normal format would make more sense, especially when it comes to music. It makes more sense to have a CCM program on an AC station, Christian rock on rock/CHR stations, or Christian country on country stations. Unfortunately there are still some station owners that think that Southern Gospel is the only Christian music that exists.
 
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
We who are radio enthusiasts tend to be like a parent who in a moment of self-centeredness wants their child to be forever five years old... or 12 years old. Like a fan of classical music who expects performances of Beethoven or Mozart to sound "like they are supposed to sound!", we each have an idea of what radio is supposed to be and we don't want it to grow up.

I'm driving an 11-year-old car and I am ready to replace it. I don't want my new car to be another 2000 model, I don't want it to be a 1987 or a 1957 car. I want TODAY'S car. We want our clothes to be in today's style. You get where I am going.

Whatever radio was 5, 15, 25 or 45 years ago is probably not what is going to work best. We don't do church today quite the way we did in 1990, or 1970 or 1940.

So I think the question we are discussing is not how did we combine radio and faith in the past.... but what can we do today, and maybe even the "why" as in "why put some form of faith on the radio" may be different today than it was in the past.

I would propose to you that we are wasting time and energy if we are NOT exposing our faith via radio. The question then becomes: what is the format for doing that in the year 2010 and going forward.
Click to expand...

Good points, GRC.
 
A local church bought a radio station in Elkton, Maryland on 1550 AM (daytime only) several years ago. Started out with "Praise and Worship" music from Moody. Then switched to mostly talk (also from Moody). They still couldn't make a dent in audience numbers. Then they hit on an idea that works: ESPN Radio. Starting with the Mike and Mike show and running til sign-off it is ESPN. Normal network spots. But the local avails have some local businesses plus a few "message" spots for the Faith. Not too preachy so as to turn guys off. But enough to deliver a message for Christ.

Personally, I like the idea a lot.
 
gr8oldies said:
7th Day Adventist of Armstrong disciple. Herbert W. and Garner Ted would always tell you a coupld days before Christmas how it shouldn't be celebrated...then "crap, I have to return all the gifts I bought"
Click to expand...

CORRECTION.. Armstrongs were WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD... Not Seventh Day.... And when Pop-Clut Leader Daddy died, The son opened the errors of the elder.. About 70% of the organized WWCoG converted to mainline Evangelical Doctrines.. D.James Kennedy was paramount in the restoration of the majority of that movement and the downfall of the late Armstrong. What 15 years or so, ago?
 
By the way.. My LMA to buy AM in Tennessee still runs the former Urban Gospel format Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to noon, and I will offer paid program time from noon to 3 on Sundays.. The station was Urban Gospel for 15 years and could not afford to continue in that format 24/7, but I felt it is the voice of inner city Ministries, and will see if we can bring in the suburban Ministries to add to it.. We offer free produced PSA's for Church and Civic events and Have one paid Christian Business show that we plan to keep in local hours (once a week).. Our new format is Local talks shows (sponsored and forethcoming) and Fox Sports Radio.. We also will offer coverage to local high school teams not currently carried in our market.. FILL THE VOID.. Yes, I think many non-Churched will be encouraged to return to their roots in an everyday listening.. But, some will ALWAYS be offended by The Gospel.... Yet, we should still try, if we love our community... I can't make anyone "believe", but I can share in love... So, far, it's working for us....
 
See my typo meant 7day Adventist OR Armstrong. I was not aware that son GTA converted to evangelism. He was kicked out of WWOG and started a couple of offshoots.
 
Here's a list of the Gospel blocks we can get:

WVAS 90.7 FM (Gospel on Sundays) Montgomery
WLWI 92.3 FM (Gospel on Sundays) Montgomery
W242BW/WJAM AM Rebroadcast 96.3 FM (Gospel on Sundays from The Touch radio network and local Preachers and Weeknights with Dr. Feelgood)
WJDB 95.5 FM (Black Gospel All Day On Sundays) Thomasville (I find this one odd since they do Country rest of the time)
WINL 98.5 FM (Gospel on Sunday Mornings and Nights with Linda Sammons) Demopolis
WDXX 100.1 FM (Gospel on Sundays) Selma
WBFZ 105.3 FM (Gospel All Day on Sunday and Weekday Mornings) Selma
WKXN 95.9/WKXK 96.7 FM (Gospel on Sundays and Weekday Mornings) Greenville/Pine Hill
WZNJ 106.5 FM (Gospel till 8 P.M. Sundays and Weekday Mornings) Demopolis
WVFG 107.5 FM (Gospel all day on Sunday and Weekdays till 3 P.M.) Uniontown
WJUS 1310 AM (Gospel at various times during the week) Marion
WJAM 1340 AM (See 96.3 FM) Selma
WHBB 1490 AM (Black Gospel at various times during the week) Selma (My home Church has a home on here too)

Outside of those listings we also have these stations: Moody, AFR, Hallelujah 104.3 FM from Montgomery, WLBF from Montgomery, WYVC from Camden, sometimes WJDC FM from Birmingham, on certain days WVRV FM from Montgomery and several AM rimshots from Montgomery, Centreville, Clanton and Birmingham.

Not a great selection to chose from but it's better than nothing though.

In my hometown, Christian radio has finally been given a chance to be heard on two full powered FM frequencies. For many years, up till 1995, that was not the case. AFR broke the translator curse and the rest, as they say, is history.

R.D.P. <><
 
A local church bought a radio station in Elkton, Maryland on 1550 AM (daytime only) several years ago. Started out with "Praise and Worship" music from Moody. Then switched to mostly talk (also from Moody). They still couldn't make a dent in audience numbers. Then they hit on an idea that works: ESPN Radio. Starting with the Mike and Mike show and running til sign-off it is ESPN. Normal network spots. But the local avails have some local businesses plus a few "message" spots for the Faith. Not too preachy so as to turn guys off. But enough to deliver a message for Christ.

Personally, I like the idea a lot./color]
I believe Faith City Church, owns the station, and had tried simulcasting their WXHL CCM programming there also, before going to ESPN radio. There was a small AM station 1260 Newark DE, the calls changed a lot, but originally was WNRK but was under the WAMS calls later when they had secular programming like Oldies and would sell 2 minute spot blocks to a local church where the pastor essentially gave a 2 minute sermonette and plug for his church with the times and location of the church. Today, a different owner, calls 1260 WNWK plays Regional Mexican.

 
We have been doing oldies for a few months now. True Oldies.

Having started in secular radio (on sunday mornings) some 30 some years ago I thought then that the alien block in the pop music station was odd. It was a train wreck at changeover both ways.

Our ccm station is designed to reach a church audience and our oldies station is primarily for secular audiences. Our discernment was that people who are in church would not be offended by an oldies format and an oldies format is listened to by many who are not in a church.

The information we place on our non com is underwriting. We can promote church events, promote concerts on our sister station (Christian ccm Salem Today's Christian music), and have many local underwriters. The information is churchy by design but not preachy. We have a local pastor who underwrites our site who is on the air on Sunday morning. Pastors do invite listeners to theri churches.

Do you see one minute "friendly moments" and church events a hindrance to listeners? Is it worse than gold exchange ads, hygeine ads, or other items?
 
When we were doing that, some of the segments were good for the secular audience, some not. There was one that modernized Bible stories which was really cool. The young Earth creation guy didn't belong at all.
 
I'd think that short humorous ads would be a good way to present a Christian message on a secular station. I used to hear ads from LifeLine Productions on Christian stations at times. I've used some of their spots with puppets in church and they were hilarious.

I haven't heard them lately but they still have a website at http://lifelinepro.com/ .
 
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