Religon

[Rob]

Does anyone know IS RELIGION profitable down here? How are these non comm stations surviving as I've never donated before. I've scanned the PBS band and hear about 20 stations for Christ. I assume the shows are sponsored by churches, as well as being tax deductible.


(PBS band 88.1 -92.1 what I call it)

I can hear three or four NPR stations, Classic FM on 91.3, and 91.5 and the rest god casters.

-Rob

 

[jmtillery]

The "PBS Band" as you refer is actually called the "Reserved Band" and is desiganted for non-commercial, educational use. For clarification purposes, these reserved band frequencies are more commonly known as NCE-FM. PBS is the educational program content provider to NCE-TV which is the television equivalent that NPR (National Pubic Radio) is to NCE-FM radio. There is no PBS Radio, same as there is no NPR Television; However both PBS and NPR are funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Regarding your question relating to religious radio's profitability, various religious radio formats work very well and is highly "profitable" all across the country, including Florida. Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) seems to perform the best in Florida; However, Southern Gospel and Christain Teaching Ministry programming also seems to work just as well, depending on the region.

Although the reserved FM band is reserved for educational use, religious broadcasters get away with securing NCE-FM radio licenses because religious programming is considered to be "educational". Therefore these broadcasters qualify as non-commercial / educational licensees.

 

[jmtillery]

(PBS band 88.1 -92.1 what I call it)

For some reason I overlooked your frequency range in my first post. The NCE-FM "Reserved Band" frequencies are 88.1mHz - 91.9mHz and not 88.1mHz - 92.1mHz. The commercial FM band consists of 92.1mHz - 107.9mHz, so 92.1mHz is the first commercial FM frequency as opposed to being the last NCE-FM frequency. The aviation band begins with 112mHz.

 

[jovialjay]

Regarding your question relating to religious radio's profitability, various religious radio formats work very well and is highly "profitable" all across the country.

Although the reserved FM band is reserved for educational use, religious broadcasters get away with securing NCE-FM radio licenses because religious programming is considered to be "educational". Therefore these broadcasters qualify as non-commercial / educational licensees.

Here's how many of these NCE-FM stations make money from religion. Of course, NCE stations can legally accept contributions and donations, then run "grant" and "underwriting" announcements. They cannot run commercials or any paid programming.

What they do is this. They'll run a 30 minute religious program...let's say it's from Jimmy Swaggart. The Swaggart organization calculates donations received from the station's zip codes, and pays a set percentage of the dollars received as a donation to the station. It's BIG money, when it's all said and done.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

What they do is this. They'll run a 30 minute religious program...let's say it's from Jimmy Swaggart. The Swaggart organization calculates donations received from the station's zip codes, and pays a set percentage of the dollars received as a donation to the station. It's BIG money, when it's all said and done.

I don't get to see the books of today's religious operations, but I managed one many years ago. We were profitable. I went to conventions and had conversations with others about their revenue flows, and profitability. Then religion on TV exploded onto the scene. Then religion on cable exploded big time.

My best guess: There are a lot of little hometown not-for-profit FM religion broadcasters today who are wondering when their ship is going to come in. Particularly those (included a lot of LPFMs that are NOT in the reserved band) that are simply a computer in a closet at some devout church member's home that is relaying off the national satellite. There are some of these FMs providing a good lifestyle for the "owners"... make that "caretakers" of the not-for-profit.

The revenue flow of some of these stations is more dependent on the personality of the owner/executive-of-the-NFP... than the location of the market. You need to be well connected and have the ability to separate charitable donors from their money.

 

[jmtillery]

Here's how many of these NCE-FM stations make money from religion. Of course, NCE stations can legally accept contributions and donations, then run "grant" and "underwriting" announcements. They cannot run commercials or any paid programming.

What they do is this. They'll run a 30 minute religious program...let's say it's from Jimmy Swaggart. The Swaggart organization calculates donations received from the station's zip codes, and pays a set percentage of the dollars received as a donation to the station. It's BIG money, when it's all said and done.

This is exactly how we operated the NCE-FM religious station I managed years ago. We were, for the most part, listener supported. However, in addition to listener support, we accepted "contributions" (as opposed to paid time) from the religious program producers.

We also accepted underwriting announcements which is basically commercial matter under the faux of acknowledging the supporter of the station which is actually paid content from the sponsor in the form of underwriting. As long as the acknowledgment does not contain any Call-To-Action, the acknowledgment is fine.

 

[Rob]

Weird, ok. I remember hearing stories about PBS being NET a long time ago. Did they have radio back then or just TV? I seem to recall that's how WNET got it's call signs as it was the first station to go live with NET (and being on 13.. wow)

I love it when I hear on TV "the sponsored programme is made possible by Joyce Mayer Ministries.." Why so low? I thought NPR would get more exposure if it was on say Classical 107.3 WHIL

http://www.radio-locator.com/info/WHIL-FM

BUFFALO, NY has 94.5 and it does well. Being an NPR/Classical music station. Must be more culture up there then down here.

 

[jmtillery]

Weird, ok. I remember hearing stories about PBS being NET a long time ago. Did they have radio back then or just TV?

The predecessor to PBS was, indeed, NET (National Educational Television). NET was never involved with radio. Educational / public radio has always been associated with NPR (National Public Radio).

 

[Kmagrill]

Here's how many of these NCE-FM stations make money from religion. Of course, NCE stations can legally accept contributions and donations, then run "grant" and "underwriting" announcements. They cannot run commercials or any paid programming.

What they do is this. They'll run a 30 minute religious program...let's say it's from Jimmy Swaggart. The Swaggart organization calculates donations received from the station's zip codes, and pays a set percentage of the dollars received as a donation to the station. It's BIG money, when it's all said and done.

This is exactly how we operated the NCE-FM religious station I managed years ago. We were, for the most part, listener supported. However, in addition to listener support, we accepted "contributions" (as opposed to paid time) from the religious program producers.

We also accepted underwriting announcements which is basically commercial matter under the faux of acknowledging the supporter of the station which is actually paid content from the sponsor in the form of underwriting. As long as the acknowledgment does not contain any Call-To-Action, the acknowledgment is fine.

Most non-comm stations work that way, not just religious ones. Without some means of support, most stations couldn't afford to broadcast. I think it's worth noting that a lot of religious stations are doing it as a teaching tool with very little interest in making money. They just see it as an outreach of their ministry. I know a few educational stations that are operated by various institutions that also don't really care about the money aspect.

 

[vadar]

To hell with religion, where's my classic rocker in Jax?

 

[jmtillery]

To hell with religion, where's my classic rocker in Jax?

Doesn't The Eagle and Rock 104.5 play any classic rock? I haven't listened to either station lately, so I really don't know who is playing what.

 

[Ai4i]

A non-com ccm station, or maybe it is called Christian rock, in my area truly pushes the edge of enhanced underwriting.
They shout, they support their "sponsors" pro actively, and their website uses all commercial language.
If I did not know they are a non-com, I would not believe it!

OTOH, Moody Radio sounds like a Christian NPR station: The Sound of Majesty and Mike Kellogg's overnight show, which has been around longer than many of the posters on this board, aim for a more mature audience.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

OTOH, Moody Radio sounds like a Christian NPR station: The Sound of Majesty and Mike Kellogg's overnight show, which has been around longer than many of the posters on this board, apparently aim for a mature audience.

Moody as a religious educational institution has a long and reputable history. They get into radio broadcasting as a way of projecting their credible presence in the world of Evangelical Christian thinking. It would totally tarnish their image to operate rowdy radio stations.

If you have a local entrepreneur running a music station that is really a pseudo-commercial operation, he has already demonstrated a lack of "credible presence in the world of Evangelical christian thinking" by trashing the implied promises he made to the FCC when applying for the station.

Now, depending on where this thread goes from here, let me state now that I am not in total agreement with Moody on some of their interpretations but I still respect their integrity. They tend to be and act like who they say they are. Anybody who would sign an application saying they intend to operate in the spirit of the FCC rules but then bends the rules like a pretzel does not get my respect.

 

[Kmagrill]

Moody as a religious educational institution has a long and reputable history..... They tend to be and act like who they say they are. Anybody who would sign an application saying they intend to operate in the spirit of the FCC rules but then bends the rules like a pretzel does not get my respect.

Well, I'm going to jump in with two points here:

First, the non-com band is not reserved for teaching, although that is certainly one valid use of such a channel. Other uses include, but are not limited to: bringing programming and formats not already being offered by commercial stations. I've seen non-coms do all sorts of formats from mainstream rock, to bluegrass to classical, etc. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of those. Another use of Non-coms is as a teaching tool, for instance a local college or high school might offer a broadcasting course, or club. All of these are perfectly acceptable.

The FCC allows NCE stations to earn money, and most of them do. This is how they pay their staffs and fund their programming. Proper enhanced underwriting is completely legal and there's nothing wrong with it, nor is there anything wrong with soliciting direct underwriting on the air.

Now, my second observation is about Moody. Their message might be okay, but make no mistake: They are a business and a profitable one at that. Further, I've had some direct dealings with Moody and they can be highly predatory to both religious and non-religious broadcasters. My personal experience with them was at a very high level. It was frustrating, expensive and left me with a pretty sour taste at having seen the seedy side of them. You may also not know that they are involved in all sorts of businesses that have nothing to do with any sort of Christian outreach. For instance, they own rather profitable FBOs at airports where they make money servicing airplanes and leasing hangar space. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but circumstantially, it shows that they are a business as much as a church. There are other religious broadcasters that I would suggest are better examples of pure non-commercial broadcasters. Moody wouldn't make my top 20 list on that account.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

They have aviation in Spokane, WA and Elizabethtown, TN.

Where else?

 

[cceng1]

There are many NPR/non-comm stations above 92.1 for a number of different reasons.....the reason Buffalo is on 94.5 is because it proximity to the Canadian border.....the same also may apply to stations/markets near the Mexican border.....those countrys do not differentiate between commercial and non commercial and consider the whole FM band (88-108)....there is a major rock station in San Diego (actually in Mexico) called 91X (don't know the exact freq).

cceng