It All Sounds The Same

[anotherguyTN]

Like it or not, a lot of what Bruce has said that is true, although he might could have found a better way to put it. But even in what he said it was no worse than what those of us who prefer CCM or Christian rock have to put up with from the more rabid anti-CCM crowd. BBN was brought up earlier, and as strongly as I disagree with their views on CCM their accusations are mild compared to other groups that are even worse. I could post links but I won't because I don't want to give more fuel to the fire for those who are looking for any excuse to be against CCM.

It doesn't bother me if someone doesn't like CCM or Christian rock. If you don't like it find another option that you prefer, whether it's changing radio stations, changing churches, or buying what you prefer. But to call it garbage, or worse, accusing it of being from the Devil, is uncalled for.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

It doesn't bother me if someone doesn't like CCM or Christian rock. If you don't like it find another option that you prefer, whether it's changing radio stations, changing churches, or buying what you prefer. But to call it garbage, or worse, accusing it of being from the Devil, is uncalled for.

Unfortunately, there will always be folks like that. Just as there are those on the opposite end of the spectrum who hate hymns, organs, and choirs and will say how such music is dead. A great book on this subject " Who Stole My Church" by Gordon Mac Donald addresses this issue quite well.

 

[nitnitr]

rbrucecarter5, have you considered starting an online Christian Rock station. The young use online more than radio anyhow and that trend will only grow, plus that probably is cheaper to do and you have total control of what you're doing vs trying to make your show fit a particular station's "format". Also your show could be heard anywhere around the world, as well with I-phones, MP-3's, etc.

The problem you'll have is most CCM stations are non-comms so they need that core group of housewives who listen. My guess is, they are the target demo, because they probably donate the most and complain the most. Think soccer moms in mini vans listening all day long as they do their suburban housewife thing running kids everywhere, etc. The young audience you're trying to reach probably won't donate much. Those station owners with big electric bills and salaries to pay each month tend to keep an eye on the bottomline and aren't going to want to upset their listener base to run a different format than what those soccer moms want.

I haven't listened to CCM radio in years, because I too don't like their music, but from the opposite end of the musical spectrum from where you're coming from, so I know your frustration. So I go on line to find what Christian music I want. So again, I'd suggest, put your show online and not waste your time trying to get on your local station. If that station has an HD-2, would they put your show there? Then you could do online and an HD-2 show.

Well said.

There are online stations catering to the Christian CHR and Christian Rock markets, and reaching the youth for Christ. Unfortunately, a friend of mine pulled his station recently due to other priorities in his life, but he didn't do it for lack of listeners. The station had a growing listener base, and he put up quality product.

On the other hand, AC programming does reach a segment of the market, and prayerfully building up the lives in believers while also reaching the lost in the segment of the population that likes the sound of AC/CCM music.

As for LMTTRR, we only have a block on Saturday night that caters to Christian CHR and Christian Rock. If money were available, we would put up another station catering to this demographic, but there are many others on the Internet that do offer this service.

 

[MightyFrenchman]

MikefromDelaware, I really like your attitude and spirit. Thanks for the posts you submit.

Neutral Observer, haven't seen a post from you in a long time! Welcome back. Actually, I rarely submit posts to Radio-Info anymore.

 

[xmusicmatt]

On the other hand, AC programming does reach a segment of the market, and prayerfully building up the lives in believers while also reaching the lost in the segment of the population that likes the sound of AC/CCM music.

As for LMTTRR, we only have a block on Saturday night that caters to Christian CHR and Christian Rock. If money were available, we would put up another station catering to this demographic, but there are many others on the Internet that do offer this service.

I run a station internet-radio station called XmusicOnline that is mostly Christian CHR / Rock ... with a few AC cuts http://www.xmusiconline.com/

 

[MikefromDelaware]

MikefromDelaware, I really like your attitude and spirit. Thanks for the posts you submit.

To the Mighty French Man: Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Kent T]

As an occasional CCM fan, the 1970's and 1980's to the early 1990's best still speaks to me with emotion. Phil Keaggy's albums are something which should be reissued. Likewise, the Resurrection Band, Third Chapter Of Acts, Kerry Livgren, Larry Norman and much more. Many of these old LP discs still have musical and spiritual values and are classics of their type.

 

[MyCatKnight]

As an occasional CCM fan, the 1970's and 1980's to the early 1990's best still speaks to me with emotion. Phil Keaggy's albums are something which should be reissued. Likewise, the Resurrection Band, Third Chapter Of Acts, Kerry Livgren, Larry Norman and much more. Many of these old LP discs still have musical and spiritual values and are classics of their type.

Kent, I think you'll like this:
http://www.streetsofgoldradio.com/Site/Welcome%20to.html

 

[Kent T]

Thanks, will give it a listen later on in the day.

 

[buster2]

Some of the artists you mentioned such as Phil Keaggy, Rez Band and some of Kerry Livgren's solo and AD material are now available on iTunes. There's a lot more classic CCM on iTunes compared to even just a year ago.

 

[Kent T]

I don't do downloads, I prefer vinyl. Itunes needs to offer Apple Lossless.

 

[anotherguyTN]

As an occasional CCM fan, the 1970's and 1980's to the early 1990's best still speaks to me with emotion. Phil Keaggy's albums are something which should be reissued. Likewise, the Resurrection Band, Third Chapter Of Acts, Kerry Livgren, Larry Norman and much more. Many of these old LP discs still have musical and spiritual values and are classics of their type.

Kent, I think you'll like this:
http://www.streetsofgoldradio.com/Site/Welcome%20to.html

You'll probably like this as well: http://www.fullcirclejesusmusic.com/

 

[vchimpanzee]

Some of the artists you mentioned such as Phil Keaggy, Rez Band and some of Kerry Livgren's solo and AD material are now available on iTunes. There's a lot more classic CCM on iTunes compared to even just a year ago.

Oh, goody. Classic CCM. :

I actually liked Amy Grant's "El Shaddai" the last time I heard it.

And "I Can Only Imagine" isn't nearly as bad as I remembered. As music, it's great, but I have a problem with touchy-feely.

 

[mz41966]

When I programmed a CCM commercial station in the late 80s thru late 90s, one of the strongest parts of CCM in those days, in my opinion, was its variety. I mean, with Sparrow Records alone I could get a CD sampler of singles ranging from BeBe and Cece to Charlie Peacock. At the same time, when I heard artists on the radio, I "knew" them by their sound. I knew when Margaret Becker starting singing. I knew Twila Paris. I knew......I could go on.

Nowadays, I simply cannot listen to CCM radio. To me, everything sounds the same. Get a band together to play "Nickelback-y" type music, front the band with a 5 o'clock shadow guy with some gravel-y nature to his voice, and off you go. Song after song after song......

And when I do hear female artists (which is not very often, surprisingly), there's no depth on the sound bench, so to speak. Again, they sound so similar.

Formula, formula, formula. It's so ironic, because so many complained how much "formula" was in CCM, say, in 1995. It was a psychedlic circus of sound then compared to today......

What's happened? All the music companies, owned by large secular companies, decide to play it even safer??

I'd love to hear some opinions on this; don't care if you agree or not. I do think this needs to be discussed. And, as a final point, I also think this has happened, to a lesser extent, in the pop/rock music world, too. For example, you could never compare this era of music to the tons of variety we had in the first half of the 1980s (think of all the different artists and sounds you heard....). Now, if you don't have a rapper do your bridge on your single or use technology to make your voice sound strange, it seems like you don't get played......

I found a station that's an exception to this. I listen online to "The Current" in Va Beach. They play all different types of CCM. It is a pleasure listening tot heme vs. repetative KLOVE.

 

[mz41966]

Just to clarify, but in my time period referenced in the first post (1988-1997), as a reporting station to CCM and CRR, we couldn't freely pick any song off a album/CD. We had to go with the pushed single of the time. And yes, there were times I felt there were better songs on the releases to play than the ones chosen by the powers that be.

That's when I would wait, and after they released the "final" single from an album, I'd add the worthy song in the next cycle.....before the artist's new release came in and became priority #1.

EXCELLENT responses here so far; thoroughly enjoying them and much appreciated. Keep 'em coming!

We still can play any song we want on our radio station. We're only on two hours a week tho, on www.wvof.org On Sunday nights from 10PM to Midnight. New Creation Radio

I play all types from the old stuff which for some reason other stations wont even touch today, to today's CCM. And my big arguement continues. WHy is it that today's CCM radio stations act like CCM didnt exist before 2001?

 

[xmusicmatt]

I play all types from the old stuff which for some reason other stations wont even touch today, to today's CCM. And my big arguement continues. WHy is it that today's CCM radio stations act like CCM didnt exist before 2001?

The same reason that Mainstream TOP 40 only plays the current hits... The big CCM stations (KLove, etc..) all have done research to indicate what the listener wants.. and by looking at their ratings success. KLove in the top 5 in Kansas City, KSBJ constantly in the top 10, KLTY in the top 10 in Dallas, WPOZ (Z88.3) #1 in Orlando constantly.. I think these stations are doing something right.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I've mentioned this in other threads, but another factor is that in areas that never had CCM radio until recent years thanks to K-LOVE and other satellite networks all a lot of people know about CCM is from the 90's and 2000's. A lot of people know little or nothing about CCM from the 70's or 80's because it wasn't available in their area because of radio stations and churches that were suspicious or outright opposed to it. A lot of places never had CCM radio until the 2000's, so that's all some people know.

We've discussed the possibility of classic CCM radio before, even in this thread, but it's probably an even bigger uphill battle for that. There's the lack of music available on CD other than possibly compilation albums of some of the top artists from that time that is a factor. And how do you get people to listen to classic CCM from the 70's or 80's when they never heard it when it was new?

 

[R.D.P.]

In my case, CCM didn't become a part of me till 1989.  Knew about Stryper already but didn't pay much attention to the style.  It was in 1989 that Mylon LeFevere was introduced to me, by a former youth minister and the rest is history.  After that introduction, then he also turned me on to Charlie Peacock and Petra.  Haven't looked back. 

For the past few years now, I've been learning more about this musical style and its history on my own.  Hence my reason for wanting to buy the older songs, as I can find them.  Yes I've been able to get many of the old songs, from various flea markets, Internet only classic music vendors and/or thrift stores.  Because of this, my 4Him collection is just about completed.  I'm still missing their two late 1990s CD's, a Greatest Hits CD from that same decade and their Visible CD from 2003. Just got my hands on their wonderful 2001 Walk On CD.  Playing it, as I type this post.  Man this CD is awesome. 

It's not too hard to find the classic songs. You have to look in the right places, like I'm doing, if you want them really bad. 

And yes my area wasn't exposed to CCM till Moody came along.  When they did, then CCM had a small presence on the radio.  The bigger presence has yet to happen.  Trying to work on that, as I post this.  Still waiting for the door to open on this.

And yes I still listen to WDJC from Birmingham, when I'm able to drag them in.  A talk station from Dothan tends to bleed them out, on most days.  Believe it or not, Dothan is too far away for me to get but they come in just like a local on many days here.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. And yes it looks like I'll soon be posting my 1000th post on here.  I'm not going to gloat over it and/or get excited.  Just glad to be here.  As I continue to learn about radio broadcasting, I want to see what others are saying, so I can learn from them and not mess up, should my dream some day work out.

B.T.W. July will be an awesome time for me.  Look forward to getting the new versions of Petra's This Means War and More Power to Ya CD's.  This will be my first time ever owning a copy of those two CD's.  Look forward to getting their Best of 80s CD in June, along with a new Greatest Hits CD from my buddy Mr. Steve Green, later on this month.  Man just to listen to these classic singers and their timeless songs will be an awesome event for me, as I relive the excitement they brought to me, when I first heard them.

 

[nitnitr]

There are a few classic CCM shows available, whether it be on Terrestrial or Internet radio. Streets of Gold, often hosted by Larry Wayne of KLOVE, is a decent show. Wayback, hosted by Mike Becht of Soul2Soul fame, is another decent show, and more in the CHR vein than what SOG offers.

Just a thought as I was looking at the post. LMTTRR airs both of these programs on the weekend.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I've heard Streets of Gold when they were on KSUD in Memphis in the early 2000's, and I didn't know if they were still on. It looks like it would make sense to carry it on K-LOVE, or get Larry Wayne to do something similar. I haven't heard Wayback. Are either of these available online?