WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

[VERITAS DE VOCE]

Is that roadkill or just this particular forum DYING? I love this area because educated people, rather than pointless hacks, really have a place to voice concerns about the industry, regardless of specialty. Radio cities get 15 - 20 new topics a day. Format forums? The same.

This is CHRISTIAN RADIO, and the best going on is a new topic every four days, and seldom does a new person post more than once a week.

Pathetic. We have formats (e.g. CCR, ALT ROCK, P&W) that is trendsetting and trailblazing. Add to that, we actually change lives other than "solely" pad pocketbooks. However, this is the only interest we can surmise in here.

Just shameful. Maybe this is indicative of what the world thinks of Christians in the first place? Limited to action, but love to talk about it when someone else speaks up or stands out. Limited to conviction, but the first people to throw down the track in the place of a tip. Or maybe just limited? Who knows. I'll wait and see. Get your counters. Away we go.

 

[BehindTheLines]

1. Most of the stuff I see on just about EVERY forum is crap. That includes this one. Good luck finding something lifechanging about it.

2. The reason this board is so quiet is that every argument has been argued. Same stories over and over again. You just joined this party late, brother. Two years ago this forum was a hopper.

Everyone just got tired and decided to shut up and go back to work and make an actual difference on the radio.

We can have the same old arguments on this board day after day (and we did for years) and it's not going to change anyone's mind or lives.

But fear not. There'll be a whole new batch of young radio hatchlings in the biz who will soon discover this board and get back to the arguing. All the while the rest of us veterans will sit back flabbergasted asking the question; "did I really sound like that?"

Same song...different verse.

 

[neutralobserver]

Some of us would love to "chat," but we've learned by experience we're wasting our time.

This section tends to attract non-pros who are angry or bitter about something, and they tend fly off the handle with wild accusations and completely misread actions and intentions. If we correct an enthusiast who's attacking the various formats using mistaken assumptions, our posts telling the truth get "vanished" pretty quickly while the false charges remain. If we point out a post is attacking our industry for the actions of some unrelated industry, our posts get "vanished" pretty quickly, too, while the should-be-off-topic attack remains. What's the point? For whatever reason(s), the environment isn't conducive or friendly to our discussions.

To create and foster an environment that produces the kinds of discussions you would like to see, one of us -- a mature person who knows the formats and the regular participants of the section -- should police this forum, not someone who is busy with multiple sections or the entire board and doesn't have the time to know every format and every poster.


Oh.......and what I now see BTL said.

Other forums get rapid turnover on posts, thought-provoking topics and focused conversation. And that is minute by minute.

(emphasis added)

Wow....which one is that????

 

[justalurker]

Um, lurker... why don't you read a while.

I have ... you joined January 3rd this year and have made 1.9 posts per day. I've been here nearly three years doing what my name implies ... I am "just a lurker". A lot of reading without complaints directed at the forum or other users. And a few comments made when the mood strikes.

Seems like this thread was designed as a complaint ... putting down everyone who ventures in here. Perhaps you thought your slap in the face would help? It doesn't. It makes people want less to do with you. The same with the personal attacks that so easily leave your keyboard.

As noted, we are not here to entertain you. We CASUALLY discuss Christian Radio topics ... there is no need to force conversation for your amusement. Start an interesting topic and you might get response ... otherwise pack up the whining and move on to a Radio-Info board more to your liking.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

The activity on this CCM board isn't as active as some of the other radio boards here, but we do have some interesting chats, the Christians in the workplace thread, had 5 pages and I believe 47 responses with over 700 hits. Not bad. I thought that was a good discussion.

The difficulty for some of us in discussing Christian radio rather than Christian issues is that your local market may only have one or two Christian stations. An example is the Wilmington Delaware market (#75), we have two local Christian stations: WXHL (Reach FM) that originates here that has a boatload of translators all over the mid Atlantic area. It's basically a Top 40 CCM station that doesn't play any sort of CCM Oldies as they target the young demos. I've tried to listen to it, but frankly do not like their music. The other local Christian station is WFAI on AM that is a Urban Gospel station. I'd really like to have an Oldies CCM / Praise station that played the 1970's - 90's CCM/Praise music, but as that would appeal an older less desired demo it will never happen.

We do have some out lying stations that reach this market with reasonable signals, Family Radio WKDN from Camden NJ (which appeals to the Fundementalist King James - Hymn only crowd), and WVCH a commercial AM station from Chester, PA (that has been a Christian station since 1949) that essentially broadcasts back to back preachers with very little in music. So as a result I don't listen to Christian radio very often, instead I play my CD's or CCM Gold and Praise Music when I want to hear Christian music.

My point is, many of us may have worked in Christian radio, as I did, years ago, but don't now, so we aren't familar with what's going on in the business. We also may not even listen to much Christian radio due to a lack of what blesses our spirit thus making it difficult to have any sort of deep discussion about Christian radio.

I guess one aspect of Christian radio that has changed is that there are many formats it can take: CCM, CCM Oldies, Praise and Worship, Urban Gospel, Country Gospel, Hymns, Preachers, Christian Talk (there probably are others). This makes it more difficult to reach all the various types of taste in the Christian community today on radio as what market has 7 or 8 Christian stations. So the most popular formats in a given market get played and the others get left out. Again, Christian radio may be a ministry, but it still is a business.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

On other "formats" you have PD's and those who can make significant changes in programing and station operation. This doesn't exist in CCM.

CCM stations are largely money making operations with the funds being sent to a large conglomerate with no local input. The way it is.

Every market has the long standing Am that is back cash I mean preachers. Many of the faithful believe this is a dedication to cash, I mean Christ. These stations have a primary purpose, cash, I mean evangelism. Never see them at outreach events.

After Sam the Sham left we were allowed to be Religious/Christian as opposed to just Religious. I argued for years that we didn't care for the term religious but no one else ever got on the bandwagon and secular operators of the board (previous) wouldn't even listen. THANK YOU!

This board has many possible functions many of which are simply not utilized. The reason is the first paragraph. Show of hands on managers or program directors that actually have input on what their station does? Not to be confused with those that THINK they have input.

I have seen so many stations change "format" and lie about the reasons for the "format" change. "We were only renting the station" is one of my favorites from a long running (20 year) station. 5 million dollars is a good reason to lie to listeners.

The long running debate is it a ministry or a business is where the answer is. I know, it can be both. My belief that Satan's Christian Radio station would have more listeners than Jesus' Christian Radio station because he could be more worldly still stands. This is scriptural not guesswork.

If this is a ministry lets make changes to the way it operates. Billy Graham made inroads into Christian ministry finance. Even though Robert Tilton still has boats and homes and donations and prayer requests go to the bank not where they should be.

Wait, I need to slap my head and yell HOMEYSHOWMESHOWMEHOMEY. Do I believe in teh gifts of the Spirit? yes. Do I think people are scammed regularly with false showings of gifts of the Spirit? yes.

I've been in radio my whole life. I tend to be suspect of things that cater to the world. After the gift of the Spirit Tilton always asks for a $1000 bond to God but HE gets the money for a new boat.

Why not go the same road on Christian Radio that billy Graham supports on Ministry finance? More of a Truth in Advertising campaign than anything.

Wait, I hear crickets because none of the people here can do a darn thing about the industry or the way it is developing. If I'm wrong let me know. CEO? Pastor? No, part time jock at Clear Channel's CCM station that thinks he's going to change CCM. And if it is, keep praying this change happens.

If we have a national board let's use it for something to make a change?

Okay, that's all i have to say about that, Paul Crouch and that big haired TBN lady are on again.

 

[MyCatKnight]

I love this area because educated people, rather than pointless hacks, really have a place to voice concerns about the industry...

The assumption that only broadcasters read &/or post here is incorrect. Regardless, I find that some "just plain listeners" have valid points & suggestions (while yes, it's "same old, same old" with other listeners). Though I am a proponent of good research, it would be arrogant for me to think that I know what the listeners want more than they do.

If you want to see a barren board, try AllAccess.com's "Cross Connection." Then again, I often wonder how much time the rest of you have to post as frequently as you do... maybe you're just blessed with a lot more free time than many of us have.