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Would this format work??

A

allngoodtime316

Guest
First off, i am not a program director just someone who loves music. I have noticed as i listen to the internet radio stations they truly have started to blend certain styles of music together. I personally have become frustrated with the Christian Music stations locally... WCQR and WMIT and WHCB... All three play music and personally i find myself stopping on 106.9 WMIT the most. My concern is how boring christian music is today. I have read on other forums on the site and other internet sites how the christian radio stations are losing touch with their audience.

So here is an idea I would like to throw out there. Christian music always wants to pull in people they are supposedly not "saved" but the music seems to be very preachy. Don't get me wrong. There is a place for that but here is a possible hour play list. If i turn on the station at noon and hear Natasha Beingfield's Pocket Full of Sunshine followed by the new song by One Republic. Then drop the new Song by Firelight. Next play a upbeat song by the group Group 1 Crew "Can't Go On". Then play a song by Life house followed by Skillet. Next play a song by Casting Crowns. Then change it up with Jordin Sparks' Tatoo. After that play a song by Toby Mac. Round out the twelve songs with Jonas Brothers, Switchfoot, and Reliant K.

I just wonder if mixing some of the mainstream songs with the christian artists might make people more apt to listen in. Tell me what you all think... I will post this in another rom too...
 
Will it work? There are probably some issues in the equation of "will it work" that go beyond the music. It would make a difference whether the station will be financed by advertising or financed by listener donation fund drives.

Times are changing, but a few years back it was quite obvious that if you expect people to sit down and write a check to the station as a donation, people who would do that sometimes were not receptive to the idea of having music on the air done by artists who also did secular music.

I think your question was really about: would people listen to your format. My question is: would people put their money into your format.
 
The only answer I can give, is that which has been written in God's Word:

JAMES 3:10-11

(10) "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and bitter?"

EPHESIANS 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]."

2CORINTHIANS 6:14-15
(14) "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

What more can I say?

Willie...
 
Willie: I spent three years in Christian Radio some time back. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I met people I would never had met under other circumstances. And because of all these people I was exposed to views and concepts I may not have ever faced under other circumstances.

AllInGoodTime316 makes it clear in his original question, he (she?) loves music. In Christian Radio one of the groups I met were the concert promoters. Think how many people gather around Christian Radio because they love concerts. It may be Southern Gospel with the quartets, with Bill Gaithers. It may be todays contemporary/rock Christian music with stars I don't even know. The faithful 'music lover' often doesn't want to get too wrapped up in theology issues or some Scriptures.. because it can mess with your favorite music.

I met a lot of people who are in love with theology. Theology is supposed to tightly coupled to scripture, but when differing theology causes people to clash, then it becomes obvious they choose to differently couple with Scripture.

I met a lot of people who are in love with Scripture. Now in theory, all Christians and seekers are connected tightly to scripture, but as a practical matter they are not. A lot of people who are in love with Scripture do not want to hear claims that there is tension between some passages of scripture.

It was a turning point in my life, Willie. I learned to butt heads every day with the tension between the love for Christian music, the love of theology, the love of worship, the love of favorite scripture verses.

There may be valid reasons for a Christian Radio station to not mix Christian music with secular music, not to mix artists who only do Christian music with artists who also do pop music..... but let me propose to you that the Scriptures you have quoted are not the valid logic for those decisions. If we took the Scriptures you quoted by themselves, we would live in little communes and we would never, never go out and mix with the outside world and share out faith with them.
 
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
There may be valid reasons for a Christian Radio station to not mix Christian music with secular music, not to mix artists who only do Christian music with artists who also do pop music..... but let me propose to you that the Scriptures you have quoted are not the valid logic for those decisions. If we took the Scriptures you quoted by themselves, we would live in little communes and we would never, never go out and mix with the outside world and share out faith with them.
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That would, of course, be totally exaggerating the intent of those verses. It's specifically relating to PARTNERSHIPS of Christians with Heathen. Mixing Christian music like that with secular stuff is like making a partnership between Saints and Heathen. Its the fountain spewing both bitter and sweet... it shouldn't be happening.
 
In the world but not of the world.

The secular response to the question would be to give their listeners what they expect. If you run a station that plays all messages of music and do not claim a particular message as the reason your station exists your confused listeners (what's this all about) will expect the confusion to continue. If the station message is "let's party" your music will likely fit that mood ... with variations depending on how hardy you want to party. If the station message is "let's cuddle" you'll probably be playing a lot of romantic music. Pick a message and keep the music on message. Give people what they EXPECT and they won't be turned off. Give people what they WANT and they may even support the format and come back for more.

So what is the message of this "Christian" station? "We love God"? Is it a "we love God with all our hearts, minds and souls and cast off the world" or is it a "we love God but also like K D Lang and the Backstreet Boys"? I'm not judging the message ... I'm just (rhetorically) asking the station to pick one.

And then stick to it.

If the station chooses the "family safe" format instead of "Christian" (which requires slightly fewer theological arguments as to whether your format is Christian enough) then look at what you're putting on the air. Are you following a "family safe" pledge in a liner with something some mother is going to complain about their children hearing? It all falls into picking a message and sticking to it.

If you want or have a station like Willie speaks of that doesn't mix "Christian" and "secular" messages then great! It's not easy to keep the secular out of the format.

Would a mixed format work? It depends on the promise ... the message of the station. Christians are generally happy to hear a Christian song on a secular station --- and not so happy to hear an anti-Christian song on what they thought was Christian. Neutral songs (no positive values but no anti-God message) seem to be acceptable everywhere.

What's the message? Pick a message ... stick with it. That usually works as a format.
(Whether or not people will support it with cash and advertiser support is a separate question.)
 
allngoodtime316 said:
My concern is how boring christian music is today. I have read on other forums on the site and other internet sites how the christian radio stations are losing touch with their audience.
Click to expand...

It is the multi-year effort by the CCM industry to foist praise and worship cr@p as "CCM". It is not, almost nobody under the age of 50 likes it, it sounds like bad spiritual medicine. Now - CCM stations that played that garbage are paying the price in reduced audiences and revenue. I've been saying this for years, nobody listened to me. Now it comes home to roost.

Pick up the tempo, dump the praise and worship off of CCM stations, and give listeners what listeners want. Then you will have some revenue coming in. You don't need to mix in secular, you just need to play the upbeat stuff that has always existed but been passed over in favor of "holier".
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
It is the multi-year effort by the CCM industry to foist praise and worship cr@p as "CCM". It is not, almost nobody under the age of 50 likes it, it sounds like bad spiritual medicine. Now - CCM stations that played that garbage are paying the price in reduced audiences and revenue. I've been saying this for years, nobody listened to me. Now it comes home to roost.

Pick up the tempo, dump the praise and worship off of CCM stations, and give listeners what listeners want. Then you will have some revenue coming in. You don't need to mix in secular, you just need to play the upbeat stuff that has always existed but been passed over in favor of "holier".
Click to expand...

Give me some help here on terminology and definition. (It has been a little over 30 years since I had a hand in what was programmed on a station involved in Christian music.)

CCM Industry = ?

praise and worship cr@p = ?? (example titles would be good)

holier = ? (as in "passed over in favor of "holier")

CCM music liked by people under 50 = ?
 
The foot and the hand do not agree on the operation of the body. Does this make everything flow correctly?

True here. True in the Church, True in the world.

Fix this and we are in for great things.

Now, how do we fix this???... then we can decide on piddly things like "music".
 
ChiefEngineer said:
The foot and the hand do not agree on the operation of the body. Does this make everything flow correctly?

True here. True in the Church, True in the world.

Fix this and we are in for great things.

Now, how do we fix this???... then we can decide on piddly things like "music".
Click to expand...

I think that if you and I were to sit down face to face on all these issues, we would have a lot of agreement.

For some of us, we don't know where church stops and Christian radio begins. We want the same taste, the same values both places. For some of us, that is a totally foreign idea.

One of the things driving "church" today in so many places is that the "piddly thing called music" is the tail that is wagging the dog. I follow another discussion group where some of the people who are responsible for operating the sound and lights system for worship sometimes seem to think THEY should run the church and that the board, the stewards, the deacons, the session, ... what ever they might be named in a local church, should look to the sound team and praise band for leadership in ALL areas of church life. (O.K. maybe I am stretching that one just a little bit.)

That 18 year old up there, the one strumming the bass guitar, wonder how many years he has spent at the seminary so far.
 
I started this post and first as I read a few of the posts it surprises me how a couple posts never made any mention of the artists that were mentioned. I think a mixed station would have to be very christian friendly but have a strong emphasis in trying to reach people who would not usually listen to christian music. A few of the artists I mentioned like Natasha Beningfield LifeHouse and One Republic would be good examples for anyone but are mostly played on mainstream CHR and the like stations. I truly feel that as long as the people in the christian music industry that control the stations are so afraid to even think about this shows me that the Christian Music Business is in trouble. I do know there are many good R&B artists that deserve a place on Christian radio and never get a chance. I think just the little I have read right here shows me that until we as the christian community are willing to reach out and embrace the people who need the word of god and accept these people are not just the ones that are already saved but the ones that are searching. On any format as of this I truly would think it is important to have an understanding of the artists from the mainstream venue before you play them, but it seems some would not even take that leap.
 
Actually, I find the irony that all of the artists allngoodtime316 mentioned profess to be Christians. Granted, some of them record primarily romantic love songs (Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks), yet some of you have called your family members heathens. ::)
 
allngoodtime316 said:
I started this post and first as I read a few of the posts it surprises me how a couple posts never made any mention of the artists that were mentioned. I think a mixed station would have to be very christian friendly but have a strong emphasis in trying to reach people who would not usually listen to christian music.

····/ snip /····​

I think just the little I have read right here shows me that until we as the christian community are willing to reach out and embrace the people who need the word of god and accept these people are not just the ones that are already saved but the ones that are searching.
Click to expand...

I sense that maybe you are a bit frustrated at what some of us have posted in response to your message that originated this thread. I have contributed to that frustration. Let's see if we can all reach across to each other.

First, not to claim I am anything special, but to assure you I have been exposed to just about every direction Christian thinking can wander, let me share some resume points.

After high school I entered a very respected liberal arts college founded by a major national denomination where I explored the possbility of entering the Gospel Ministry. (I didn't). I worked in radio for 15 years including 3 years a general manager of a Christian programmed radio station. Because of maturing understanding of faith issues and because some church groups are NOT fully nationwide, I have been a member of, and ordained as a lay officer in FOUR different denominations. I was a member of the search committee that spent the last year doing what turned out to be a world-wide search for a new pastor for our local church. We presented our results to the congregation yesterday and voted their approval. This man will be my 37th pastor in my lifetime.

There are a lot of church fights in our society. My personal opinion that the largest cause of fights and church splits revolved around the MUSIC of the church. So don't take it as some kind of failure that this discussion thread brought out some differing opinions.

Granted, I am older so you can guess that my tastes in church music may be a bit bent ::), but let me tell you one of the reasons the artists you originally listed may not have been mentioned by others and by me. I've never heard of any of them except Casting Clowns. (Oh, I didn't mention in the biography: back in the dark ages I was the Music Director of one congregation.)

When it comes to cars, we all seem to want one that is our own very personal choice. When it comes to cell phones we all want our own very personal ring tone. And yet there are those who seem to expect us to all to share one rigid interpretation of the Bible, one rigid view of theology, and maybe one taste is Christian music.

Keep up the exploration, my friend. You have a vision of Christian music that indeed will bring comfort, joy and inquiry to some. But it won't speak to everyone.
 
Yes i know in today's world there will never be agreement. I just want Christian music to come across as more accessible. There are so many great artists out there and i will have to say have to look in the background of Jonas Brothers a bit more.. they came over from the christian market and well if you know Jordin Sparks I do believe she came from a christian family as well. I even read a christian website from Focus on the family people i believe that liked where she stood morally in her songs. That is why chose those two. I just think it very funny how people jump to conclusions about artist without knowing anything about them. I truly have gotten many more frustrations about where people are with their walk than i was before. It does not turn me away just makes me understand better. It saddens me to understand why there is so little acceptance on both sides of the aisle when it comes to music. What is being hurt the most is some very good artist are being swept under the rug and never given much listen to which is sad. I think what needs to happen is what i see happening. The local not for profit stations are not making their totals during their sharathons and sadly when the money is not coming in the stations will look at why. I have not supported any station locally because they do not reach play music i want to hear and i have to go on line to hear it. So i thank you all for your comments. My eyes have been tragicly opened much more...
 
allngoodtime316 said:
I have not supported any station locally because they do not reach play music i want to hear and i have to go on line to hear it. So i thank you all for your comments. My eyes have been tragicly opened much more...
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Music will be a significant factor in who listens to which station.

Who pulls out their checkbook and supports a station is much more likely to be guided by theology and doctrine than it is by music.

You have not included theology and doctrine as part of your discussion. How do your choose which songs and artists are the ones you expect to hear on a station or a streaming source. Is it strictly melody and artistic matters? Do you examine the lyrics of the songs to see if they are compatible and supportive of Scripture?
 
I can't help but wonder about someone who would call Praise and Worship, "Cr@p".

'nuff said.
 
I really have to say, what defines P&W? I am under 50 and I do enjoy Hillsongs, The Vineyard as well as some songs by Delirious?, Mercy Me, etc.
 
Now that I've had a little time to recover from the shock...

Scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people.

PSALM 22:3 But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

(We, the Body of Chirst, are "Spiritual Israel")
PHI 3:3 For we are *the circumcision*, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

In fact, to call Praising and Worshipping God "cr@p" is 100% contrary to Scripture!

PSA 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: [for] praise is comely for the upright.

PSA 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth [his] conversation [aright] will I shew the salvation of God.

PSA 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for [it is] good to sing praises unto our God; for [it is] pleasant; [and] praise is comely.

JOHN 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
JOHN 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.


OK... NOW I can say, 'Nuff Said!
 
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