What will Salem do when...

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Not many people, even those who attend church three times a week, seem really interested in "deeper" these days because that would rock their boat and might be too "life-changing" and realistically most people like the life they've got [usually, unfortunately].

It would be a Pandora's Box for any group or organization to try and open it up, but if we could ever come to an agreement as to who is in that group that "is interested in deeper" connection or involvement in church, study their media habits including radio.

CCM broadcasters who are commercial would have no great reason to get into such a project as they are primarily interested is achieving a respectable sized measurable audience without great concerns over who makes up that audience.

The group who should care would be that stations that are owned by churches including a lot of LPFMs, and stations privately owned that see themselves as a mission more than a commercial enterprise.

Who is found in their audience?

Who is profoundly missing from their audience?

And if we knew, would it make any difference?

CCM radio does have something to worry about. I sat through a training seminar on communications issues for churches recently. Big focus on developing better web-sites. Big focus on harnessing Social Media. Big emphasis on recognizing the reduction in the influence of printed communications. And what did they say about radio? The worst possible thing: absolutely nothing.

If I were currently the operator of a CCM station, I would have left that seminar with a lot of worry and depression on my mind.

 

[Butters]

This is a letter from a friend of mine who gave everything to make this station great and the how he was treated!! SOME THINGS in this letter arn't very christian like......there are even rumors going around of shady trades between clients and a manager that breaks at least 2 or more of the commandments.......and Im not talking about tho shall not steal or bare fault witness....they have to do with married and adulty......but that is for another day! Happy Reading!!





Dear Salem Tampa,

If you haven't already heard, I've been let go. Contrary to the "official story", I did not quit. I never said I quit, and I dare anyone to prove otherwise. Before I went home on Thursday afternoon I had been working 7 days a week since Walter left. I had a messed up schedule, which had me coming in at 8am on Sunday morning, going home at 2pm, then coming back at 8pm to work until midnight or later. Michael refused my requests for time off, so I just didn't get any days off... his response? "No one else can do it today, you have to, get in there and run the board".

I don't know what you've been told, but the truth is, I was expected to train my own replacement. Bill Bunkley walked in, introduced some guy from Idlewild as being his new producer, and then directed me to teach him how I do everything. Once Bill walked out of the room, the guy was rude, boorish, and crowded me out of my own studio. When I called Mike for a little help, he gave me none, so I asked Joe Weaver to cover the broadcast for me. I then went home and took a well deserved nap. The next day, all the door codes were changed. There are many excuses being made for what happened, but none of this matters... I was, and still am, the best producer you've ever had the honor to be in the presence of... what can I say? Management really dropped the ball here. Rather than give me the credit, opportunity, and respect that any employee deserves, management here decided that I was replaceable... oh well.

I've told many people this in the past, and I will continue to tell people this, "I was born to do radio". Let me start with a little background. I built my first FM broadcast transmitter from scratch (soldering iron and all) when I was 7 years old. I learned Morse code and got my General Class license when I was 13 years old. After awhile, I became quite famous locally as a pirate radio operator here in St. Pete. I was collecting shortwave QSL cards sent in from all over the world, and decided to start my own electronics repair business. Meanwhile, I started attending St. Pete College for my degree in Electronic Engineering. By the time I graduated, I was teaching computer networking classes for the entire degree program.... So you get the point right??? I'm really good. You get that right? Now on top of all that, I've spent the last 4 years working with most of you, during which time I've never failed to meet or exceed any expectations. So let's just be real here, I've made this company A LOT of money, and for most of that time, I was only making $7.60 an hour.

Salem has had several opportunities to give me adequate remuneration, instead I've been given a lot of empty promises in an apparent feckless effort to keep me providing cheap labor... sorry, I can't get down with that. Chris, you're about to learn the harsh reality of what happens when you don't value your employees and fail to recognize the vital roles they play within your organization... I'll get back to you in a minute. In the four long years that I've worked my butt off for this company, I have received very little appreciation, poor compensation, and much judgment. I didn't think Christians we're supposed to be judgmental, but as most of you have already broken this divine commandment, I think it's my turn to cast a stone or two.

I already know that a lot of you wish you could say the things I'm about to say, and if you're one of those people, I'm saying this for you. I've got a lot of love for some of you, and I'll let that be known before long... but I will NEVER work for Salem Communications ever again, and quite honestly I will do everything in my power to make sure that some of you NEVER work in radio again. By the way, I have already landed on my feet and moved on. Some of you are on the way up too, and I'll meet you at the top. However, I'm afraid that quite a few of you are in the twilight of your broadcast careers, I wish you luck.

Chris: You do not belong in radio, you appear to know very little about broadcasting, you are not a broadcaster, you don't deserve your position, and you could easily be replaced by anyone; this sentiment has been previously expressed by ALL recipients of this letter. They don't love you, they're nice to you because they have to be. In addition to this, I feel that you are insincere, narcissistic, and quite frankly, I question your sincerity with respect to your faith as well. You don't act like any Christian I know, and you treat your employees like dirt. If you can get past all these obstacles, I think you might make a great GM someday.

Michael: I really used to like you. Unlike Gould, you are a heck of a broadcaster. To quote Bob Lassiter, "You are a broadcaster's broadcaster" You get the business, you know how to sell, you know great radio when you hear it, and you know how to work the equipment too. You've got the entire package... unfortunately, you've changed... a lot. I ask you to look deep inside yourself and ask yourself... Do you really think you handled this situation the best you could? You strung me along for weeks since Walter left, claiming that I'd have an answer soon. Meanwhile, I've been coming in 7 days a week, and twice on Sunday... oh, but I'm supposed to watch my hours, right? Then to make matters worse, you can't even keep up with the stuff that YOU were supposed to be doing for your own clients. What happened, man? You used to care, and EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE has noticed that you've been slipping. It's sad. If you would have been doing your job, and been honest with me instead of being a corporate stooge, I might still be working there today. Now because of your dishonesty and mismanagement, you're up a creek without a paddle. Why beat around the bush... you really suck at producing live radio these days, and I just don't. Have fun...

Barb: I'm pretty sure you tried to get me fired once, and I can forgive that, but I will never forgive you for turning away a true Tampa Bay radio LEGEND. I am of course speaking of the brilliant Mark Larsen. You are a buffoon, you aren't a good seller, and you and your shoulder pads gotta go. The point of selling is to make money. Get a clue.

Merry: While I didn't care for your habit of bursting into the studio mid-broadcast, it is obvious that you are an incredibly talented seller, you are just another fine example of a Salem employee who doesn't get enough credit where it's due, join the club.

Joe: I really like you man, I don't have much else to say. It was a pleasure working with you, you are a hard worker and I like that. I hope to work with you again someday.

Bill Carl: Greatest voice in radio since the demise of the late Brian James. I hope you're recovering well from your surgery, I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Tammy: You're so sweet, I still don't know anything about you, but that's OK, I can tell you have a pure heart. God Bless You.

Lindsay: Thanks for being real.

Robert Hailey: Why are you reading this? Shouldn't you be fixing something?

Laura: I mean no disrespect to the esteemed Mr. Weaver, but in my humble opinion, you have potential to be a much GREATER producer, if given the opportunity. You don't lose your cool, you don't slam your headphones down on the console, you treat the clients with dignity and care... you deserve better than Salem, hun. I thought they appreciated my efforts too, but if they didn't appreciate mine, I highly doubt they'll appreciate yours. Michael has been fake with you just like he was fake with me. I've heard about the way Chris and Mike have treated you, and they never would have treated Casey with the same disrespect and disregard as they did you... they both should be ashamed.

Darrin: You are a great seller and a sincere follower of Christ, you set a perfect example of what being a Christian is really all about. Thank you for always treating me with respect.

Swifty: You, Merry, and Darrin need to tell Barb that there's a shoulder pad sale going on down at Macy's, and then have Robert change the door code again.

Bunk: Stop saying "umm" so much.


By the way, just so you know. I WILL be making some very important phone calls on Monday morning. You've got some 'splainin to do... if you have any questions, please don't contact me. Current Salem employees are not permitted to speak to former employees. If you MUST communicate with me, I will gladly direct you to my attorney.

xoxo

Cedric C. Harris

 

[[email protected]]

Cedrick,

It may not be any consolation but what you described regarding your treatment had been typical at their Chicago stations several years back when I worked there. The prevailing attitude was that I was "owned" by the company and there was no respect for my personal time. Fortunately, I and many former Salem employees have found that there is life after leaving the group. In fact some employees have found their happiness in secular radio and enjoy the respect they get there. Don't be too hard on yourself, remember that in radio being "let go" is typical and not considered as detrimental as it is in other fields.

Hang in there, there is another job waiting for you around the corner

 

[[email protected]]

Recently the buzz about Wi-Fi coming to the vacated TV spectrum has escalated. The FCC will be voting on a bill to allow development of the technology some time in Sept 2010.

What's this got to do with Salem???

Well if you can get Wi-Fi in your car...thus the Internet...who needs a radio station transmitter when you can connect to ie: Focus on the Family's web site audio directly?
Many of Salems "dollar a holler" brokered programs really won't need Salems transmitters to get their program heard.

The technology won't be widespread for at least 10 years but in the meantime Salem better be thinking ahead or they'll become obsolete.

 

[joshzz]

WFIL-AM in Philadelphia, a Salem owned company, is sinking fast. Every rating period it seems as though their rating are worse. 0.1 last time. This is atrocious for a station that's 560 on the dial with enormous reach.

People are turning away from local radio to tune into preachers . Also, I believe people have grow tired of the preacher whose ministry is based a thousand miles from the station and they prefer local preaching.

 

[Prais]

Josh,
As has been said MANY times on r-i, atrocious or not, RATINGS mean little in religious broadcasting, as long as people send their offerings to the ministries.

Salem most likely has an army of 20 something year old (mostly feperson) salespeople to get local advertisers. I worked for Bott in the 70's an they had it mastered, even back then.

Glory to God!

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

People are turning away from local radio to tune into preachers . Also, I believe people have grow tired of the preacher whose ministry is based a thousand miles from the station and they prefer local preaching.

I suspect we are simply dealing in our personal wishes, perceptions and biases if we try to pursue this line of thinking.

If you made the claim that people are turning away from "local" radio to tune in CCM music stations I would have said to myself "whatever".... but I might have asked: Do they tune into LOCALLY PROGRAMMED CCM or do they tune into satellite delivered CCM with nothing more than an hourly local station ID or does it matter?

Years ago I worked for a very, very, very successful local broadcaster and a listened-to philosopher on the secrets of successful local radio. Stations in that era were still grappling with the question of going all-out with Rock vs. reserving some part of the day for "sane" music and local content. (Yes, this is back in the dark ages!) We had an evening DJ who commuted in from the University of Missouri and we drenched our community with sounds that should have delighted any teenager of the day. And the broadcaster said: "There is only so much we can achieve with this. To the kids the guy booming in from Chicago or Cleveland or St. Louis and Kansas City is worshiped because he must be somebody. Even if you had the next big-city star on your hometown radio station until he matures and gets his big break, your local teens will pooh-pooh his talents. We can see him. We know him. It is obvious he puts his pants on one-leg-at-a-time just like us. He has pimples.... just like us. But that guy from Chicago.... he is something else, he is different!"

Its a hokey story. But through the years it has worn well with me. It describes not an iron-cad fact but a trend, a direction.

I conclude preachers on the radio suffer from that same hokey folk-lore logic. That "big time" preacher from Greenville SC or Boulder CO or Glendale CA just reeks of charisma because all we know about him (or her in this day and age) is what he shares with us, and he has good handlers and production people.

Until the coming of the mega-church, local preachers have never had the slick production for their broadcasts. And via tales from Aunt Vera and the gossip-spring in our office, we have heard the tales circulating locally what a jerk Rev. Local-preacher is.

I can't prove it or disprove it. But my years of experience and observation lead me to an opinion opposite of yours: Radio... local radio in particular... is not losing audience as they flock around the broadcast of some local preacher.

Maybe you have some examples of ratings books that can convince me otherwise.

 

[Talk_Dude]

If you made the claim that people are turning away from "local" radio to tune in CCM music stations I would have said to myself "whatever".... but I might have asked: Do they tune into LOCALLY PROGRAMMED CCM or do they tune into satellite delivered CCM with nothing more than an hourly local station ID or does it matter?

There's the entire issue in a nutshell. Radio Info insists that Religious and Contemporary Christian music stations are one category deserving of one forum. The truth it, "Religious" radio, meaning mostly spoken word programming of preaching and teaching is a very different thing from music format radio that plays CCM songs.

Being local might matter to the preaching and teaching stations, but when it comes to playing CCM music, it doesn't matter where the person playing the songs is located.

 

[gr8oldies]

Put Charles Stanley opposite the local Baptist preacher more than likely Charles Stanley wins. I've never heard any hue and cry for localism on preacher shows. Are there different sins in West Podunk?

 

[Talk_Dude]

Put Charles Stanley opposite the local Baptist preacher more than likely Charles Stanley wins. I've never heard any hue and cry for localism on preacher shows. Are there different sins in West Podunk?

That's something that is very dependent on both the faith tradition and the denomination. Some faith traditions and denominations place a very high emphasis on theology, which would mean that a "star" preacher would attract more listeners than a local preacher. But other faith traditions and denominations place a very high emphasis on doing good works and personal ministry. For them, a local program about local missions and ministries that affect the local community would have more appeal. The only thing that can't be said is that there is a "one size fits all" answer to the local versus syndicated issues regarding religious radio programming.

 

[gr8oldies]

I just have never heard anyone say "I wish they'd take Steve Brown off and put the preacher down the street on"

 

[Talk_Dude]

I just have never heard anyone say "I wish they'd take Steve Brown off and put the preacher down the street on"

No, and you never will. But, you might hear some people say, "I don't listen to that station because there's nothing on it about my church's works."

It goes beyond that. I won't spend any time listening to a preacher talking about "decision theology" or the "theology of glory". That's because I believe in a different variation of Christian understanding. I believe in the "theology of Grace Alone". I'm a lay preacher myself, and used to preach two or three times a week. I could do a radio show, but there aren't as many Christians who want to hear about the "theology of Grace" as there are who want to hear about "decision theology" or the "theology of glory", so putting me on the air wouldn't help a station's ratings. On the other hand, if I were to choose to go the "dollar a holler" route and buy myself a brokered show, I think I could find a small, niche audience. I don't know why I'd want to do that. I also believe in worship as an interactive experience, not a spectator sport, so if I was going to attempt some sort of ministry, it would be in a church building, not on the radio.

I say that only as an illustrative example. I think you need to look at it not from the perspective of the religious radio listener wanting specific programs as much as religious radio seeking out niche markets to attract.

If you were running a radio station in an area that was mostly Baptist, you'd probably have better success with airing Baptist preachers, or preachers whose messages were very similar to Baptist theology. And there's nothing at all wrong with that. But, if your station is located in Minnesota, where ELCA Lutherans are the most numerous, you'd get better ratings with local shows that focused on local social action ministries instead of theology. And please, those are just examples that sprang to mind. Please don't let this get into nitpicking about Baptists and Lutherans. If you want, pick other denominations or faith traditions as examples.

 

[joshzz]

LIFT FM offers a lot of preaching on Sundays. They are all local pastors and most of their sermons are far better that what you hear on national radio/television.

They really get into the Bible whereas a lot of the national ministries give general health and wealth messages.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

It goes beyond that. I won't spend any time listening to a preacher talking about "decision theology" or the "theology of glory". That's because I believe in a different variation of Christian understanding. I believe in the "theology of Grace Alone". I'm a lay preacher myself, and used to preach two or three times a week. I could do a radio show, but there aren't as many Christians who want to hear about the "theology of Grace" as there are who want to hear about "decision theology" or the "theology of glory", so putting me on the air wouldn't help a station's ratings.

You used slightly different words and terms than I would have chosen but you have framed some of the issues of "theological broadcasting" very well.

A number of years ago I managed what today we call a "teach and preach" station. It was quite an eye-opener for many in a number of ways. I went to a meeting one day and found myself talking with a prominent minister of the city. When he learned who I was... actually, he didn't care who I was... when he learned what business I was attached to, he politely but firmly expressed his dislike for my operation. We catered to a narrow segment of churches that did not meet his approval.

It didn't take me long to realize that THE ONLY prospects for my station (or any religious station of that day) were the "decision theology" churches. And I concluded that I probably couldn't change that picture because the natural audience of a "teach and preach" station is made up of consumers/participants in "decision theology".

With the arrival of CCM music broadcasting, the playing field changed some. No, the playing field has changed radically!

One thing Salem seems to understand and know how to implement in this age when you can own more than one station in a market... is to operate one of each. A station that thrives on what I have called "transaction theology" (and your term "decision theology" may be a better way to express it) and another station that specializes in... in... what can we call it? "Entertainment Theology"?

 

[Talk_Dude]

With the arrival of CCM music broadcasting, the playing field changed some. No, the playing field has changed radically!

One thing Salem seems to understand and know how to implement in this age when you can own more than one station in a market... is to operate one of each. A station that thrives on what I have called "transaction theology" (and your term "decision theology" may be a better way to express it) and another station that specializes in... in... what can we call it? "Entertainment Theology"?

A station I used to listen to a lot in Atlanta was 104.7, The Fish, a Salem CCM station. I've stopped listening to them for the most part, since they've moved from playing a blend of classic and current CCM to CCM Top 40. Their whole marketing slant is "Safe for the whole family". They'll play songs that aren't specifically Christian if they have a generic uplifting message. They also play the usual collection of Christian Brittany Spears wannabe's singing the terrible "Jesus is my boyfriend" style of Christian pop songs. But, I imagine they're probably doing well at attracting the soccer mom who doesn't want to worry about the kids she's schlepping around in the mini-van hearing something they shouldn't. As a business model, I can't find fault with that approach. It seems like a good, profitable niche to occupy. I'd express an opinion on it from a religious perspective, but then this thread would be moved to Take It Outside.

 

[Surfer]

After reading all the responses I've realized that my original question requires a bit more thought. Would Salem's teaching & talk format survive if the money to the ministries stopped coming in? Obvious answer is "yes" but, if that were the case, what would they do with all the stations?

 

[[email protected]]

Would Salem's teaching & talk format survive if the money to the ministries stopped coming in? Obvious answer is "yes" but, if that were the case, what would they do with all the stations?

Salem has spotty success with it's News/Talk, Music and the other few formats...not enough to success to survive on those formats alone. The Preach-n-Teach stations are the real bread and butter for Salem.

But on weekends there is the trusty Vitamin, Herbal, Probiotic, Precious Metal, brokered programming that can help their bottom line. I was once told that Salem considers those shows the "Cocaine of Radio Programs". The shows bring in money quick and easy and give the bottom line a lift with very little effort on the stations part. They do seem additcted to these hour long commercials.

I wonder ...when Jesus returns will Salem charge him for Air Time ? ???

 

[anotherguyTN]

Salem does a better job than a lot of brokered stations in what preachers they allow on the air. But the infomercials are the one thing that irritates me with not only Salem, but other Christian stations. They won't carry ads for alcohol, gambling, etc. that most Christians find objectionable morally, but they have no problem with running infomercials for questionable junk that to me is morally objectionable as well.