Radio Heroes

We were the morning team at WNWC radio when the Journal decided to follow what was then a national trend and allow its readers to select the most popular radio announcer or announcers in the city. When the contest was originally announced in January 1987 Donna and I weren’t even on the ballot. Probably it was an oversight. Although the station had been on the air for over 25 years, Christian radio wasn’t on the radar screen for the media elites.

Somebody spoke up and we were added to the ballot. And almost immediately we started to climb the standings. The contest was arranged to allow ballot stuffing by enthusiastic fans and Christian radio, at that time, had a more enthusiastic following than any other format.

Eventually we won the contest, getting one quarter of all the votes cast, beating out all the other stations in town. The coolest benefit? Well, the winners of a similar contest in Los Angeles were eligible for free tattoos, which they declined. For me, it was the week’s worth of limo rides. I let my kids come along for one day. As Drew clilmbed in he said, "Neat, a play room in back." He was about six years old and that’s the way it looked to him.

Actually the coolest benefit was feeling the love from all of our listeners. It was lots of fun while it lasted but it wasn’t really about me or Donna. It was about the radio station where we just happened to work. It had built up a legacy of serving the Christian community and listeners responded when they had a chance to express how meaningful the station was to them.

The newspaper editor, Frank Denton, said they would try the contest again but we never heard a peep about it after that. Christian stations were winning similar contests across the country, not only Los Angeles, but also Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere. That apparently took all of the fun out of it for the newspapers.

Donna retired a few years later and I left in 2004. Christian radio has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Listenership has increased, but is that necessarily a good thing? The cover story in this month’s issue of Christianity Today suggests maybe not.

Christian radio as a whole operates much more professionally today than it did a quarter century ago when I left my career in Top 40 and signed on with WNWC. But along the way a personal dimension of ministry may have been lost. CT’s article highlights the dominant role that Salem Communications plays, with clusters of stations in most major U.S. markets.

"As a publicly traded company, one of Salem’s goals is to increase is revenue annually," the story says. That gets in the way of ministry decisions. However, Salem does provide significant audiences for the Christian programs carried by its stations. And it sometimes outshines its non-commercial competitors with its commitment to ministry.

Several years ago when I was on the National Religious Broadcasters Radio Committee with Joe Davis, then a station manager and now Salem’s COO, he talked about how hard he worked to make WMCA-AM a successful Christian station in New York City. He offered a promotion called "Church of the Week," in which he would air a church’s Sunday morning service and interview the senior pastor. In return all he asked was the chance to speak in the Sunday service and distribute a station guide to all attendees.

Within three years Davis had visited 154 congregations. I don’t know of any non-commercial station manager who’s ever done anything like that. Today stations that used to provide a lot of live programming are using computerized recordings and satellite services to cut corners and shave expenses. It’s too easy for Christian radio (and evangelical churches in general) to say "here it is, come and get it," rather than get involved in the community.

Another interesting revelation in the CT article, Salem’s CFO David Evans observed that "Salem’s research indicates that when listenrs leave its Christian talk stations, they tend to tune in to news or talk." Salem’s conservative (non-Christian) talk format is presented as one way to try to hold on to its target audience.

One of my main concerns with Salem and Christian radio in general is its weakness in news, particularly news focused on the communities its radio stations serve. Salem owns SRN, one of the most popular national Christian radio news networks. It used to be a rare Salem station that actually utilized Salem’s own network, perhaps there are more that use it today. There are also several other good Christian networks, including USA and American Family Radio. But with rare exception, which can be counted on the fingers of one hand, there are virtually no Christian radio stations that have a news department that goes out and covers the news in the community populated by its listeners. That’s despite clear research which supports David Evans’ statement about the interest of Christian listeners in news. Another example of the tendency to stay in a cocoon rather than reach out to the community.

Well there’s lots more to the story by CT associate editor Madison Trammel, and I recommend its reading. Christianity’s Today’s website also recently carried a four part series called "What’s Up With Radio" by Mark Geil, which should be of extreme interest to any Christian radio listener.

Segment #1 has some great historical background on Christian radio. There’s an interesting comment, "Christian radio is about five years behind mainstream radio," from Chris Hauser, radio promoter and president of Hauser Promotions and Marketing. That’s on target in my experience, including the fact that Christian radio has sometimes accepted programming trends of secular radio without analyzing whether they really fit in radio ministry.

Segment #2  dealt with Christian radio’s flirtations with target demographics. (See David Evans comment I reference above.) This is not just Salem, but many non-commercial Christian stations. The comment I hear most often about the station where I used to work is "I don’t listen much anymore." But that’s because I’m not in the target demographic. The article states:

"The gospel has no target demographic," notes Derek Webb, who has admittedly given up efforts to get his songs played on Christian AC radio. He further suggests that because radio is targeting Becky, songwriters are too. "Anything Jesus is Lord of, our artists should be writing songs about it. We’re only covering about 2 percent of it."

Shaun Groves, another artist who has experienced more radio airplay in the past than now, fears the approach of non-commercial stations in fundraising efforts might even be hypocritical. "The bulk of listeners are Christians," he says. "This is music by Christians for Christians, and that’s great. It’s a valuable ministry. The trouble is, Christian radio tells stories to make you feel they’re evangelistic, but they’re not. Say what you are. Don’t lie to me and tell me I’m saving teenagers."

Sidenote on Shaun Groves’ comment. I find it interesting that Dawson McAllister, highly dedicated to ministering to youth through radio, has left Christian radio and is now broadcasting to teens directly through the secular stations that they listen to.

Another concern mentioned in this segment is that many Christian stations are now pronouncing themselves "Safe for the whole family." Which reminds me of Mr. Beaver’s comment in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe about Aslan, "Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good."

Chris Rice worries about the evangelistic potential of a station that’s branded as safe and upbeat. As he has stepped beyond the Christian AC boundaries with a mainstream single, he has encountered a more diverse audience and been reminded of how insulated Christian circles can be. "I’ve been surrounded for so long with narrow categories that must be palatable and won’t offend," he says. "I feel like we’ve dumbed down the gospel so much that it only makes sense if kids hear it."

Segment #3 focus on how songs are chosen to play on the air. Most stations have expanded efforts in music research and testing, which can be a good thing. But like a lot of commercial secular stations they can rely too heavily on research and de-emphasize ministry.

Segment #4  looks at radio’s future and asks the question:

In the face of a world of iPods and technology, is radio doomed to obsolescence? It’s not just the size of playlists and methods of choosing songs that may be changing in radio. Emerging technologies, including but not limited to the iPod, are causing program directors to ponder the very future of their format.

It’s been my observation (though not original with me) that radio programming has gotten stale and repetitive just as new options like iPods and satellite radio have come along to challenge radio, virtually driving people to such alternatives. Bottom line, radio programming needs to get more interesting in general and Christian radio should focus more on live ministry, along with the music. The listeners deserve it, especially those who support non-commercial radio with their hard earned dollars. People will sacrifice to support ministry, they don’t tend to sacrifice to support entertainment.

One final link for those who are really interested in radio and where it may be heading. This one is in the New York Times:

Is Radio Still Radio if there’s Video?

Contact Gordon Govier: gordon[at]madisonchristians.com