It All Sounds The Same

[WPHA]

WOW! Quite the discussion going on, here!

First, to answer Mike's question - Fairfield U is paying those fees, or WVOF wouldn't be allowing *ANY* music on the air at all.

When I became a Christian in late 1985, I didn't even know such a thing as CCM even existed! I basically went from listening to secular top 40 almost 24/7, to listening to *NOTHING*! Into early 1986, all I knew, musically, was the hymns we sang in church, and Jimmy Swaggart! It wasn't until I discovered WLIX "Christian 54" on the AM dial in mid 1986 that I discovered a whole new world! "Christian Radio"!! I was hooked! Then in late 1986, while desperately trying to find something, ANYTHING playing Christian music on FM, I came across New Creation on WVOF, a tiny, local college station. After a few months, God opened a door for me to host a show on that station in the summer of 1987... and then He opened the greatest door of all, at WFIF! I served Him there for 20 years!

So... don't automatically dismiss AM as a viable medium! Regarding that AM station... if given the choice to grab an FM, GO FOR IT! However, if God makes it possible to get *BOTH*, then grab both with both hands, and hang on!

Check out your market... what kind of Christian radio is presently available within the coverage areas of those stations? Is there a K-Love or AIR1 station already there with good signals? Perhaps a mostly-talk/teaching station? Maybe a Southern Gospel station? Here's my suggestion: Use that AM station to present a format that is mellower, geared toward older listeners. (Yes, "Integrity Hosanna!, Maranatha!, Steve Green, Twila Paris, etc, etc.) You could also even use that AM to reach Seniors! (Mellow music, Traditional hymns, programming geared toward those 55+)

Then use the FM to serve those young 'uns. (Teens, soccer Moms, etc.)

Thinking of young 'uns... You also have an incredible opportunity with FM that few stations take advantage of, and that is SUBCARRIERS! There is an organization that provides Christian children's programming 24/7, called "His Kids"... although I just now discovered some possible issue with making their SCA radio receivers available, so I just e-mailed them. "Stay Tuned"...

With TWO stations, your ministry outreach could be multiplied. I'll certainly pray that the Lord opens the right doors, and makes available resources, both financial, and personnel! GOD BLESS!

 

[R.D.P.]

FM will be my target.

Want to do mostly music, since all we got is AFR Talk and Moody Radio.

Thanks for your response.

Will keep you posted and let you know what happens.

R.D.P. <><

 

[WPHA]

That's awesome! GODSPEED!

 

[R.D.P.]

Planning things out now.

Already have one local business that wants to sponsor the broadcast should things work out.

May get even more, as time progresses and I keep telling people about this exciting news.

Will use this name for my broadcasting company, should things work out: People for Jesus Radio Broadcasters LLC of Selma.

Plan on getting that name registered, once I know for certain that this dream will work out and God allows it to happen.

May use these calls too, should no one else be using them right now: WTFW.

The TF stands for The Fish.

The two W's will have no meaning at all.

Plan on setting up my LPFM station at 93.3 FM and would love to broadcast with 100 watts if all possible.

Hope that by next summer, I can make my official announcement and tell everyone reading this project is going to come to pass after all.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. Plan on playing the older songs, mixed in with the new tunes. Will play some of the harder sounding songs too. Mostly at night, when I think I'll be able to sell them better. I'm now in talks with someone about being my engineer for this station, should things work out. I want this fellow to help me keep things working and compliant with the FCC. Hope Mr. Brock Round from Moody South will be the one that God uses to help in that area.

 

[WPHA]

Planning things out now.

May use these calls too, should no one else be using them right now: WTFW.

The TF stands for The Fish.

The two W's will have no meaning at all.

Great news!

However... I would recommend AGAINST using those calls! "WTF" is a contraction for a very vulgar expression! What a world we live in.

 

[xmusicmatt]

May use these calls too, should no one else be using them right now: WTFW.

The TF stands for The Fish.

I'd caution against using the name "The Fish" .. Salem may come knocking on your door...

 

[R.D.P.]

Thanks!

R.D.P. <><

 

[bturner]

Wow, what a thread. It has been all over the place.

Maybe I approach things differently. I worked secular radio for years. When I got to a Christian station, I formatted it with all the bells and whistles of any secular station. I researched. I took the approach that I was a radio station with an objective of trying to attract listeners and keep them. In fact, I applied little attention to personal opinions but paid attention to serving my audience with the information they wanted and attracting new listeners. My attitude was I wanted listeners. I could care less if they were Christian or not. It was my opinion, right or wrong, that I needed to fill the seats (aka pews) and it wasn't my job to get them to the alter. I needed the pews filled and I hoped people were nourished by the music and others felt the calling of the Holy Spirit.

Overall, I cared little about this artist or that and if somebody called to tell me something negative about an artist. I was worried about the overall numbers. In fact, I could care less if I liked the station personally. I didn't analyze lyrics or beats, just if it tested well. I didn't see this as my job.

My attitude was I directed the stage but I was not the one that ministered. I let the music do that and I refused to let my jocks 'preach'. They were there to hype the long music sets, sound exciting and fun, do weather, community announcements and traffic. The jocks were like the tour guides that took you to the site but had little to do with the tour group's enjoyment of the site they were visiting. In other words, my attitude was I'm running a radio station and not trying to minister personally. If I ran the best station I knew how, the stage was set for the music to bless and I handed the keys to God's Holy Spirit to do the job. I simply directed the venue without my personal convictions dictating. Youu might disagree with that but I chose to use the same things research told me attracted secular listeners to radio and applied them to Christian radio. I was just the person that worked at getting people to the venue. So the station followed a hot clock and music rotation with image liners, strategic positioning of stop sets and information breaks to attract as many ears as I could. I was in competition with the whole radio dial.

And yes, I received plenty of negative comments but I also met many wonderful people during that stint. In fact the comments brought up many of those conversations I had for and against what i did.

Did it all sound the same and repetative? Not really. I wanted enough variety to reach as many flavors of Christianity as possible. I did have a frequent rotation and tight playlist.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Finally - something creative and fun to listen to:

http://www.ngenradio.com/
http://www.radioy.com/

These definitely do NOT sound the same. Originally just HD-2 channels, each respective owner is going for over the air frequencies for these wonderful and effective formats.

I am tired of pandering to stodgy old fogies over beats and styles and imaging. They have a problem - they should shut up and change the station, leave the rest of us alone. They have a point about lyrics, though - there should be nothing that does not honor Christ or is heresy. So far, the quality control over lyrics from these sources is excellent. I finally have Christian radio that ministers to me. It has been a long drought.

 

[R.D.P.]

If my radio project does work out, I'm going to dedicate my first night of broadcasting to you Mr. Bruce sir.

(If I'm in a good mood, may play the entire collection of the Skillet library on the first night!)

You see, at night I'm going to do a program called Album Radio.

This program will be heard from 6 P.M. till 6 A.M. 7 Days a week.

Meaning, I want to play the entire content of the various CD's I own and love very much.

(Mostly the rock, hip-hop and harder sounding recordings)

The softer songs will not be heard on this program.

We'll leave that for the daytime part of the broadcast.

Gotta get my noise on, at night, so I can reach the youth and give them something to check out.

I want this radio station to be like no other. 

Got big plans for it and hope things will soon work out for me.

Now for those who want me to do all mellow, all the time, not happening.

Love the mellow stuff but I want to get loud and blunt as well.

R.D.P. <><

 

[xmusicmatt]

Meaning, I want to play the entire content of the various CD's I own and love very much.

Not to burst your bubble..but if all you do is play what you want you may as well just get an iPod.. You gotta play what the listener wants.. or you'll have no support (or listeners).

 

[WPHA]

Meaning, I want to play the entire content of the various CD's I own and love very much.

Not to burst your bubble..but if all you do is play what you want you may as well just get an iPod.. You gotta play what the listener wants.. or you'll have no support (or listeners).

Exactly!

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Meaning, I want to play the entire content of the various CD's I own and love very much.

Not to burst your bubble..but if all you do is play what you want you may as well just get an iPod.. You gotta play what the listener wants.. or you'll have no support (or listeners).

Isn't this the puzzle the every broadcaster faces... not just Christian radio.

1. I must program "stuff" that the listener likes or he/she will abandon me for other venues.
2. To be a steward, a shepherd of the media, I must exercise some amount of judgement and do what is in the best interest of the listener/reader... whether they know what is best for them or not!

I realize there are many factors that affect radio today, but I can't help but believe that one factor in what looks like a "race too the bottom" is that there is an abandonment of the concept that to be a broadcaster is to some extent something like being a parent. (Sometimes you gotta' make tough choices whether the kids (listeners) think they like it or not.

To say: "Give the listeners what they demand" is to take the easy road to failure.
To say: "I will play all MY favorite music is what they need" probably isn't the answer either.... unless you are blessed with some kind of "Perfect Pitch" sense of programming talent for music.

Reducing radio to nothing but an "everflowing spring of music" with no other content is a form of "Give SOME of the listeners what they demand".

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Isn't this the puzzle the every broadcaster faces... not just Christian radio.

1. I must program "stuff" that the listener likes or he/she will abandon me for other venues.

2. To be a steward, a shepherd of the media, I must exercise some amount of judgement and do what is in the best interest of the listener/reader... whether they know what is best for them or not!

I realize there are many factors that affect radio today, but I can't help but believe that one factor in what looks like a "race too the bottom" is that there is an abandonment of the concept that to be a broadcaster is to some extent something like being a parent. (Sometimes you gotta' make tough choices whether the kids (listeners) think they like it or not.

To say: "Give the listeners what they demand" is to take the easy road to failure.
To say: "I will play all MY favorite music is what they need" probably isn't the answer either.... unless you are blessed with some kind of "Perfect Pitch" sense of programming talent for music.

Reducing radio to nothing but an "everflowing spring of music" with no other content is a form of "Give SOME of the listeners what they demand".

#1 is true for secular and Christian radio
#2 is unique to Christian radio. All too often, in fact 99% of Christian radio is programmed by people who superimpose their personal musical taste on the station, and since ownership is primarily older adult men, you get a lot of music catering to older listeners. They then justify their programming decision by spiritualizing it - "this is the music God wants you to listen to, if you don't like it you aren't in God's will". Thus - Christian radio has become totally devoid of programming for young people, who are not even aware Christian radio exists - much less are inclined to listen to it.

What is remarkable is that an HD-2 Christian rock format in Houston almost made their Shareathon goals - in spite of being on a rim shot that doesn't cover 3/4 of the listening area, even if people had HD radios. A market of 5.5 million - divided down to a little more than a million - supporting an HD-2 format prior to it going over the air. Remarkable feat for an HD-2! Young people can and will discover Christian radio and support it, if the format is correct. True enough - Reverend Bigbottom won't like the music so he won't give them a preaching tape, but who cares? He probably has 300 people tops in his church.

 

[landtuna]

Young people can and will discover Christian radio and support it, if the format is correct.

I have found through personal observation that "young people" will discover Christian radio if they are active in their churches youth group or are otherwise exposed to it by their peers or parents. I cannot think of one youngster otherwise that will "discover" this type of radio.

As a music type Christian music on Air 1 or FLR is, to me, totally devoid of significant musical talent. It is the sort of "music" someone who is more interested in the message would listen to rather than anyone interested in music itself. Obviously secular music also has messages but they tend to be much more universal than the religious variety.

 

[bturner]

When I got into radio, a major market jock at the time told me to remember I was no more important than the guy flipping burgers at McDonalds and never forget you are working for a paycheck. He added, radio is not about you but about your audience, which means its not what you want but what your boss and your listeners want. He cautioned that management had been there and figured out what works for the station in the community so your job is to follow their plan, not your own. I always thought that was good advice. Thanks Randy Coffey, R.I.P.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

That major market jock said it well and is 100% correct. As Christians we are to do our work heartily unto the Lord, so whether we are flipping burgers, working in radio, industry, a science lab, etc, etc, we do our work unto the Lord. We serve our Lord by serving our human employer. As long as they don't ask you to do anything illegal, immoral, or unethical, you've sold your time and talent to your employer for x hours per work day and should serve them gladly, meaning playing music you don't wish to play as their DJ. When you own your own station, or are hired to be the PD of a station where it is your job to pick the music, THEN you also do that heartily unto the Lord too.

 

[xmusicmatt]

#2 is unique to Christian radio. All too often, in fact 99% of Christian radio is programmed by people who superimpose their personal musical taste on the station, and since ownership is primarily older adult men, you get a lot of music catering to older listeners.

Stations such as KLTY, KLove, Air1, WayFM, SpiritFM, KSBJ, Shine.Fm, Z 88.3 etc all do extensive testing with folks to find out what they want to hear and what they do not like... Their playlists are targeted based on those likes... While they may not please everyone with that choice... It's no different than the country station not pleasing the Mainstream rocker crowd..

I do not know any major FM programmer that is imposing "their personal tastes" in programming the music.. to do so would be dangerous and the station would have long failed.

Most Christian young adults and youth listen to mainstream music because that's what their worldly friends like ... When told there are Christian choices out there they turn their faces too it (even the Christian rock, Rhy stuff) .. Most church goers I know listen to Mumford and Sons, U2, Fun. and the stuff the Mainstream CHR/Rocker/Country outlets are pumping' out.. They have no interest in Christian themed music. Even those who don't listen to radio will use their Pandora, Spotify to seek out the same mainstream stuff heard on 95% of the radio dial.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Stations such as KLTY, KLove, Air1, WayFM, SpiritFM, KSBJ, Shine.Fm, Z 88.3 etc all do extensive testing with folks to find out what they want to hear and what they do not like... Their playlists are targeted based on those likes... While they may not please everyone with that choice... It's no different than the country station not pleasing the Mainstream rocker crowd..

I do not know any major FM programmer that is imposing "their personal tastes" in programming the music.. to do so would be dangerous and the station would have long failed.

This is a difficult discussion to have..... when we try to overlay the practices of trends of broadcasting in general.... and make the audience for Religious/Contemporary Christian fit into the same corral and pasture system as the rest of broadcasting.

Part of the people in this discussion are focused on their religious directions (and there are many theological directions) and they are going to make radio fit their faith-values. Part of the people in this discussion are focused on the entertainment value of Contemporary Christian music and could not engage in a serious discussion/debate of theological issues.

So how do all the broadcasters you mentioned ( KLTY, KLove, Air1, WayFM, SpiritFM, KSBJ, Shine.Fm, Z 88.3 ) go about selecting and winnowing out the people who will be the subjects of "extensive testing" ?

 

[bturner]

Excellent point on programming.

Right or wrong, I have taken the philosophy if I'm running a radio station, I need to follow what radio does and be a radio station. The rest will be the Lord working through radio.

I noticed most of the national ministries had formats and made use of the 'tricks' radio uses to keep you listening. In other words, they were out to gather as many ears as possible and let the Holy Spirit work on those llisteners that heard the message.

I'm saying I think Christian radio needs to evaluate sometimes. This will likely not come out right since it is difficult to explain, but I get the impression we get so tied up in setting the parameters of how the Holy Spirit can work we lose the concept that we are radio and the ministry comes through the work of the Holy Spirit...ie: as if we are trying to supervise the Holy Spirit's job or micromanage it. I hope I didn't offend anyone with that statement. As I say, right or wrong, I look at radio like the meeting place of the Church and worry about filling the seats versus choosing the words that will be spoken from the pulpit.