Can Jesus and Christian Radio Co-Exist?

By Brant Hansen
Mornings
WAY FM/CHRSN



(This is from Brant Hansen’s personal blog, and not originally written for an industry site. Brant is host of “Mornings with Brant” for WAY-FM/CHRSN.)

Dan Kimball wrote this book They Like Jesus But Not the Church. Or something like that. It's a great book.

I mean, I suspect it is. I haven't read it. I don't think I need to. I get it: People outside the church think Christians are judgmental, simplistic, etc. etc. Got it. But Jesus? He's challenging, revolutionary, fascinating, insightful, mind-blowing, mysterious.

After working in both mainstream and Christian radio, I think I'm ready to write my own book about the many I encounter: They Like Church But Not Jesus.

I mean it. I wrote before: Based on my observation, Jesus is simply not the most influential guy around. I've seen it over, and over, and over. In fact, I'd say it's a theme at my job: People just aren't that into Jesus. He ticks Christians off.

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I've been corrected many times by church folk -- after reading something Jesus actually said. They don't like it. I'm serious. "You know, all the commandments can be summed up with love the Lord your God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said that, and..."

Ringing phones. "Hello?"

"You forgot one: Evangelize."

Jesus stands corrected.


Ring.

"Well, it's not quite that simple, you see, because..."

No, no. It can't be that simple. Not here.

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You see, we actually talk about Jesus quite a bit on the show. In fact, I’m not sure if there’s another music show that talks as much about Jesus. We do some bizarre stuff, too (like the award-winning game "Is My Head in a Case?" or playing "Rapper's Delight" in German, etc.) but it happens that Jesus – the stuff he said and did and says and does – comes up all the time.

(Not bragging here. I just think we're doing something kind of experimental. If you're in Christian radio, reading this, and you're doing the same thing -- that's cool. I just don't get out much.)

So more Jesus...but less Christian? How can this be?

I'll connect the dots for me: The things Jesus said, the way of life he gave us, his themes and priorites -- they're simply don't seem very Christian.

If we were to sprinkle in some more hey-I'm-on-your-team-here insider terms, or talk about how America is under attack by (you name it) or just stick to quoting Paul, even -- problem solved. Now it's Christian.

Jesus? Mmm -- not so much.

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I know you think I may be exaggerating. I'm not. Not in the least. Today, I read where Jesus told us that when we're praying, we shouldn't babble on "like the pagans do".

I got three very Christian emails of protest, citing scripture to rebut Jesus.

No big deal, but -- so you know -- it happens again and again. This is where my "If Jesus Had a Blog" stuff comes from, by the way. Real conversations with learned Christians, and real objections to stuff Jesus said.

I’ve noticed: People do love the Bible. But not the Gospels. They quote Biblical stuff to me all the time, but it's never the stuff Jesus said.

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I can't tell you how thankful I am for my job. Ironically – we all love irony -- I effectively killed my ambition a couple years ago, and since, my platform has grown. It happened immediately after I stopped caring.

I can't believe how understanding my bosses have been. Those of you who are down on Christian radio would be heartened by some of what transpires where I work.

And we get a remarkable number of emails/facebook messages/texts from people who say, "I have never thought about Jesus this way before. Thank you." It can bring tears to a guy's eyes. I wish those people called more on the phone, to be honest, but most people will never call a radio station and talk to an on-air "personality", especially when his head is in a case.

So that's just it. You've got "How can he say that?" on one side, and "I've never thought about Jesus like this before," on another, and there's quite a bit of both, and hundreds of thousands of listeners, and -- I can’t help thinking something's going to happen. Maybe I'm nuts.

Like, maybe Jesus is too much for religious folk. And they won’t stand for it, even as so many are drawn to him.

Jesus has always scandalized people. What if we do, too? How long can that continue?

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I have to pray every day for God to help me love these people, the frustrating ones, the Christians bugged by Jesus-talk. I've told my wife, and a few friends, that eventually they will come for me. If I keep talking about Jesus, and keep probing the stuff he said, they're going to come for me. I'm only half-joking.

I'm not worried about the A.C.L.U. It'll be religious leaders. I think there's precedent for that.

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Please pray for me. I'm not writing this because I'm desperate, or there's anything new here. I just take my job very seriously. It matters a LOT to me what people think of Jesus. At the same time, I always have my own stupid concerns about me.

I want to do great radio, not great Christian radio.

And I want to convey how remarkable Jesus is. How smart he is. How he understands our nature. How infuriating he can be to those in power. I want to subvert a culture that turns the church into an incredibly expensive and remarkably harmless spectator sport. I want people to understand how revolutionary the love of Jesus is.

I don't want to preach at them. I want to be a friend. Doing this is really, really hard. I know your job is hard, too. Thing is, my Christian radio job comes with its own paradox: If I focus a lot on Jesus, I’m going to upset a lot of Christians.

I may not have put any of this very well, but please pray for me.


Brant Hansen hosts "Mornings with Brant" on the WAY-FM network. His email is brant@morningswithbrant.com.

Do you need a fundraising makeover?

By Don Hughes

President and CEO

Great Plains Christian Radio

Meade, KS

Old habits are hard to break, however, sometimes you need to look at your ways of doing things and ask yourself if the performance is what you are seeking. Now is a good time for evaluation considering the present economic climate. Private giving is three hundred billion dollars a year in the United States. I really don't expect a dramatic decline in donations. This number shows that you don't have to motivate people to give, but you need to attract an adequate level of the giving that is taking place to your organization to meet operating expenses. Sharathons may have had their place in broadcasting, but too many people are skeptical about what we say and do to obtain funds. It seems everyone is afraid or unwilling to raise funds a different way. We know what is available to us with present methods and message, however a new and bigger message, optimism of a greater vision tied to a new message can give you the funds needed for desired ministry goals.

Can anyone imagine promoting a Christian concert the way we conduct sharathons? Can you imagine having announcements on the air saying Concert 2009 is coming to a city near you for about four weeks and then allowing just a few days to obtain tickets? No one uses this type system to promote and sell products. Why do we do fundraising in this way? A fellow broadcaster asked me once how our recent sharathon went and I told him we didn't do sharathons. He asked how we raised money and I told him that we may air a few recorded announcements of sixty-seconds from time to time. He asked if it were possible to raise funds in sixty seconds. I responded, "There are many businesses presenting their products through ads of thirty to sixty seconds why would you think it would not be effective for fundraising?" There is too much time spent resting in this single avenue of requesting funds. There are regular listeners who tune-out during sharathon. The percentage of people with the inclination to phone a station and make a pledge would be smaller still. So, why a method where you have lost most potential contributors before you invite the first phone call?

We need to reach beyond just the bottom-line and what is needed for funding and embrace the listeners as our fellow ministers. Once you have done this you will be able to develop the needed resources for ministry. The key is not obtaining resources for ministry, but in building relationships with the listeners and have them join in a united effort. People want leadership, a sense of unity and family in moving to a common goal.

Look at the sports world and how people develop their favorite teams and cheer for success. You have listeners that want you to succeed and they will also join in the positive feelings of accomplishment to see the ministry's outreach in communicating hope and touching lives.

The number one thing that will motivate people to support your radio station is vision. What do you want to do and how are you doing it? What I hear from most stations is that they play more music on the radio than anyone else. I agree, cut the meaningless chatter and keep the music rolling. However, you end up communicating you are a jukebox and so the listener's reaction is, "Ok, I'll drop a quarter in the slot occasionally." Your vision has to be more than playing music on the radio. I have engaged industry people in conversation over this issue and they become very defensive and then tell me their vision is bigger than a "more music" format. However, their vision for ministry is not communicated very well to the listeners. You must electrify and energize your base concerning why you do what you do.

The second thing you must do is have the listeners take personal ownership in the ministry. I am sorry if I offend anyone, but the tone of most fundraising is, "Give to me so I can conduct my ministry." However, what needs to be said is, "I am a servant to you to help you conduct your ministry. Scripture explains how we have different callings, but one mission. The person on the air has a different role than the person who sends a monthly donation, however both work in the same mission. It is very important for you to embrace this thinking and effectively communicate it to your listeners. Don't just seek donations, but provide leadership. Don't desire your organization to be bigger, but help your listeners to desire growth in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord and what He desires for them.

Think about it! If your listeners really embraced your vision and take personal ownership do you think you would have difficulty raising funds? If you do these two things you will have the funds you need for your ministry without doing a sharathon. It is a daily effort of communicating on the air and expressing yourself in print to your listeners. Each hour you should ask yourself what you have done to communicate vision and personal ownership on the air and also in each piece of mail that you send out.

I mentioned that you must present vision and personal ownership on the air and in print. In order for you to have the audio and visual contact with listeners you need to identify your listening audience by name and address. One of the most effective ways I have seen is by sponsoring special events and selling tickets. If you use an on-line source for selling tickets or the auditorium handles the tickets you need to tell them you need the addresses for future promotion of events. People who purchase tickets to Christian events are also willing to support your station.

The station promotions director and the one who works most closely with funding should have their desks in the same room. Seek to conduct activities that will result in people phoning the radio station or send you an e-mail with their address? One thing we have done is to give away books on the air. We will obtain five hundred to a thousand copies of a good title and author and develop interest in the book over the period of a week and then have a day when we take the first five hundred to a thousand callers for a free copy of the book. You will further develop your ministry by sending quality Christian literature to thousands of people. You will also build your mailing list. You should not be afraid to spend five dollars to obtain a new name and address for your mailing list.

Your first book giveaway in this fashion will result in about fifty percent of the callers as new contacts assuming your already have some kind of mailing list. However, after several years of building your mailing list in this way your net gain may be only twenty to thirty percent of the callers.

Now, I know what you are thinking, "Oh, so you are not giving the hard pitch on the air for funding, but through the mail." No, the mail gives us another opportunity to build relationships and minister to our listeners in print as well as one the air. We like to have a ministry item in the mailing as a gift from time to time. Your mailings cannot appear routine. You need to be creative on what is on the outside of the envelop and what is on the inside. You must be creative. It is also good if mailings are personal. Use mail-merge to create a letter with the person's name on it. Perhaps even sign the letter yourself. Have a team of volunteers hand address the envelop and send it first class. The personal touch will develop the relationship and adequate funding for the ministry.

One size does not fit all when it comes to fundraising. Even though you may vary what you say during your sharathon the tendency is to present a single mindset on funding. People are different in the way they give and you need to direct fundraising accordingly. Developing a mailing list and keeping good records will help you to direct letters according to a person's giving style. You can also watch patterns and move people up in their donations. People that have never given will receive a different mailing than those that have made an occasional gift. Once someone has become an occasional donor encourage them to be a monthly donor. Encourage the regular donor to give through Electronic Fund Transfer. Watch your donors for the periodic large gift by watching when and how much they give and approach them according to the pattern. Instead of sending a gift in appreciation for a donation, get there first with the appreciation gift and the donation will follow.

Let me encourage you to keep moving forward. Be aware of the economic times we are in, but don't be distracted by it. Twenty-five years ago people got along just fine without cable TV, internet and cellular telephones. We have expanded our spending believing that we need these things. We need to understand that most people are still working and receiving regular income and will make donations. The unemployment rate moved from about five percent to seven percent. It is very bad for those affected. Pray for them and focus on the fact they need the encouragement your ministry provides to recover.

I close with a somewhat paraphrased Philippians 3:14, everyone needs your message of Hope to keep pressing on to the goal of the upward knowledge of Christ Jesus.

Great Plains Christian Radio has six full power stations and 38 translators reaching parts of Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico.The flagship station KJIL has been named NRB Station of the Year, GMA Station of the Year, NAB Station of the Year, Focus On the Family Station of the Year and Kansas Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year.Don is a veteran of forty years in broadcasting. He has been involved in contemporary Christian concert promotion for thirty-seven years. Contact Don at don@kjil.com

Don't Worry, Be Happy

By Chris Chicago
Shamrock Media Group


I was asked to write an article for HisAir.Net a few months back and sadly it has taken me this long to sit down and actually write something down. I have been searching my mind for days and weeks now trying to come up with something compelling and interesting for you to read. Unfortunately, I haven’t come up with anything that I think will blow your mind, in fact I plan to just write about what has been impacting me and my business lately and how God’s word gets me though the day!

As you already know our economy isn’t at its best place right now and many people especially those in the music industry are scared. It’s easy to be scared in a time like this, wondering if we are going to have a job next week, wondering if we will be able to afford gas, wondering if food prices are going to shoot through the roof, wondering if our next president is going to raise our taxes. Scary stuff.

So, you might be thinking, is Chris Chicago scared? Well to be honest it is easy to let your mind wander down that road. It is easy to think about things we don’t want to happen to us. I on the other hand don’t think it is wise to be spending time and energy on things we don’t want. The more we dwell on negative things and get ourselves all worked up is less time we can be spending coming up with amazing ideas and focusing on the things we can be thankful for. I know many of us are under paid and over worked and it can be tough to stay positive – but staying in a place of Gratitude and Positivity is key.

When times get tough and I start to wander down that road of worrying, I like to go to several scriptures God has given us that always comfort me.

But seek first his kingdom
And his righteousness,
And all these things will be given to you as well
~
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow,
For tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Maybe you are at a place right now where you don’t feel like being or thinking positive or you feel like God isn’t present in your life. No matter where you are in your faith – whether you have been a believer for many, many years or this following God thing is brand new – the answer is always the same. Seek. It all begins here. Seek and you will find. God’s word in Jeremiah says –

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

So remember that, He promises that if we want to find him, we will.

Everyone’s story is different and the economy is going to affect all of us in different ways but the cool thing is, is that God will always be there – 100 percent – all of the time – he meets us where we are, and in just the way we need. Even if you are in a situation where God seems so far away, know that in reality he is always near. The psalms are jam packed with writings from people who felt this same way:

Hurry with your answer, GOD!
I’m nearly at the end of my rope.
Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me!
That would be certain death.
~
Those who know your name will trust you.
For you, Lord, have never forsaken those who SEEK you.

Go to a quiet place and pour out your heart. Ask Jesus to meet you and come to you. I promise he will show up in your life! I am very optimistic about our future and pray that you will find the same optimism. Thanks for reading and remember don’t worry, be happy.


Chris Chicago has been in Radio for over 10 years and still rocks the mic on 2 very successful syndicated radio programs. Chicago moved to Nashville in 2005 where he started Shamrock Media Group, a radio promotions company that targets the Christian CHR and Rock formats. He works with some of the best artists in the genre and has garnered many top charting singles on the charts.

Lessons from Politics for Christian Broadcasters

By Don Hughes

President, CEO of Great Plains Christian Radio
KJIL, KHYM, KJOV, KJRL, KNGM

If you were to talk to Karl Rove, Dick Morris, Frank Lutz or any of the big names in political consulting they would speak with reverence about the work of Lee Atwater in development of political strategies. Yes, at times they also may talk of his being somewhat questionable in use of what some may call dirty politics. Observations of what we see on the surface of political campaigns are key indicators that behind the scenes it is far worse.

A man that is credited with the development of current political strategies is Lee Atwater. Lee worked on Ronald Reagan's campaigns and engineered the George Bush 1988 campaign against Michael Dukakis. Atwater became the Republican National Chairman before discovering he had a cancerous brain tumor. He died in 1991 at the age of 40. Before his death he became a Christian. Atwater even contacted candidates that were the recipient of some of his political dirty tricks to apologize. A movie is to be released soon titled "Boogie Man" about the life of Lee Atwater.

I graduated from high school with Lee in 1969 and we made contact again in 1984 when I worked for him doing voice work for a number of political campaigns. There were times when I sat around his office between recording sessions with candidates and I listened and learned. There were times when I questioned Lee about how he was conducting a campaign and other times he would just begin to talk about political science. I listened, learned and applied some ideas into my work in radio. I observed and watched the results of what Lee told me as it plays out in political campaigns and in radio.

Here is a fact...the candidate that rises to the top is not the one who has the most qualifications, but rather the one with low negatives. It was a strategy of Atwater to raise an opponent's negatives. It is an understatement to say the process is not very kind. We can see that in the current political race for President. Senator Obama did not have a lot of negative press in the early Democratic Primaries. Accusations have been widespread concerning low key coverage of what may be considered negative aspects of Obama's record. When the negative press began the Senator was able to ride his early lead to gain the nomination. It was low negatives early in the primary process that created success for Senator Obama.

You will notice too that adding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as The Vice Presidential candidate caused Senator John McCain to gain the lead following the Democratic and Republican Conventions. The idea of a conservative Pro-Life female ignited the Republican base. There were women voters attracted to the ticket as well. Since very few people knew much about Sarah Palin she had low negatives. The national media and Democratic Party went into overdrive to raise her negatives as quickly as possible.

The point of this article is not to analyze the campaign for president, but to learn lessons that can be used in Christian broadcasting. I see this principal of the application of "low negatives" play out every day in many walks of life. There are exceptions of course, but in so many ways the person, the movie, the song, the band, the political candidate that emerges on top is the one with low negatives. Outside of politics it is not always something that is planned, but it just works out that way.
Since I learned this principle almost a quarter century ago I have seen it occur in the process of songs in Christian music that rise to the top. Now there are those super hits like "I can Only Imagine" that capture everyone's attention. However, very often at the end of the year when the charts come out we all look at the list and wonder how certain songs end up at the top. Keep in mind these charts are based on radio station airplay. Music directors look for those hit songs that will capture the listener's attention; however there are those songs with broad agreement it is a good song, but perhaps not one that soars to the top of the chart. However, the song is played by many stations not because it is a hit, but because it has what turns out to be "low negatives." Many times the song with low negatives ends up being the top song for the year.

Basically speaking you may have the opinion that you are picking the hits. However, in actuality your listening audience is very diverse and you are picking the hits for only a segment of your listening audience. Programmers without realizing it choose songs outside of "the hits" that are not within the realm of the preference for the overall majority, but rather the tolerance of the majority within a given format. Not everyone has the same "favorite songs." In other words it is the collective impact of an on-air music library of songs with low negatives that creates the biggest impact on the popularity of a given station.

Here is another bit of useful political strategy that comes from Lee Atwater, "Find an eighty percent issue and have your picture taken next to it." My mind started racing with ideas. We as Christians are surrounded with eighty percent issues and even higher. There are all kinds of things we can use to minister to people and show them what the ministry supports. Even if someone does not openly embrace and participate in the things associated with the station they are certainly not offended by these images and ideas. If they were they would not be listening to us anyway. You create a situation where you have an eighty percent theme that also has low negatives.

Here is an example of an application of this strategy we have used at Great Plains Christian Radio. We have sent out copies of the Ten Commandments suitable for framing. Many times we have a public outcry about the posting of the Ten Commandments in class rooms and court rooms. We issued a challenge to post them in our homes and churches. Our listeners were thrilled with the idea and those that did not embrace the idea were at least not offended. There are so many ways you can shape the image of your station by using those things upon which we all agree.
This is nothing new. Even though our founding fathers may not have realized what they were doing, look at the main themes in the Declaration of Independent. Here is the most quoted and remember phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." If you had taken a survey you would have found that colonial America was upset over the Stamp Act, but not ready to die over it. The target of the document is the King and not England or even Parliament. Most colonists maintained a kindred spirit with their homeland and had relatives and friends living there. The King brought the greatest feeling of resentment and their unity of thought among the colonist. The persuasive words of the famous 1776 document and the writings of Thomas Paine changed the course of human events. What will fill your listeners with such vision for your radio ministry?

If you are like most Christian stations you rely on donations for support associating yourself with images and words that illustrate agreement creates a vision of the outreach for your station and creates personal ownership. Vision and ownership are two very keys goals you must voice for people to feel comfortable about sending a donation in support. Low negatives, the illustration of agreement and unity will add to the vision and personal ownership for the radio station adding to the much needed financial support.

John McCain's campaign lacked enthusiasm among the united base of the Republican Party in the early weeks of the campaign, but the addition of Sarah Palin electrified the base. What will electrify the base of your listening audience? So often I see stations that are trying to develop their format to exclude anything that may offend someone. However, in so doing the station is is so passive there is nothing to motivate and electrify their core listening audience. Your goal is to reach for the excitement that Sarah Palin brought to the Republican ticket and maintain that enthusiasm every year. You will need to have a promotion or element in your programming every few months that will renew the vision.

Various studies of Christian broadcasting have shown that seventy percent of the listeners are women. However, you need to consider what pollster Frank Lutz has said in his book, Words that Work, "Myth: American Women all respond to messages like..women. It is true that there are real differences in men's and women's policy priorities, and one great ideological divide: Women typically put more faith in government than men, so they are less hostile toward Washington. Once you get beyond this one generalization, though, women are as different from one another as they are from men. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, a CEO or a salesperson, it's a profound mistake to treat women as a single, monolithic bloc. It should be so obvious as to go without saying that not all women are alike, but you'd be hard-press to find political strategists who recognize it and actually act on it." I can add that this is a truth that Christian broadcasters have not come to realize. You can ask any female about this, except Becky.

Once someone has gained a political office, if they intend on being reelected they need to engage in constituent service. Someone holding elected office needs to do what they said they would do. Whenever someone writes or calls about a concern the staff and system of response needs to be in place. The key element of the contact is that the constituent needs to feel that their concerns have been heard.

In our work in broadcasting we need to relate to our listeners as individuals and not as a block of people. When a listener sends a donation they will of course receive a "thank you note?" What about going beyond the routine receipt and even call the person to tell them, "Thank you." When someone asks you to pray, is there really prayer. We gather every morning to pray at Great Plains Christian Radio and send the individual a card letting them know of our prayers signed by each of those in the prayer circle that morning. In our work in Christian radio it is far more than constituent service.

We can be thankful in implementing these strategies that we do not have to battle the constant analysis of the political pundits in broadcast and print media. However, we do have the "Prince of the power of the air (waves), Eph. 2:2, to contend with. However, we have an advocate in Jesus. Remember always that God can wildly bless a simple act of faith.

Don Hughes Pres / CEO Great Plains Christian Radio Box 991 909 West Carthage Meade, Kansas 67864-0991 620-873-2991 (voice) 620-873-2755 (fax)

I love Radio

By Keith Sanderson

Station Manager

KMOC Wichita Falls, TX

Good Ol' fashioned, tune the dial in, adjust the antenna, and hang the cord over the chair, Radio.

My older brothers first portable radio had 1 transistor (I broke it), my first had 3 transistors (I broke that one too), my little sisters first had 11 or 12 transistors (such an incredibly high number it boggled the mind, and I knew better than to break that one!).

Every morning I would hear my Dad "click" on the radio in the kitchen, and about 30 or so seconds later Joe Tom White on KWFT would come on and do live adds for the likes of "Hornsby Heavy Hardware" (which is now a... shudder... "tea room"). Farm Director Earl Sargent would talk about guilts and barrows, cattle and hay, and any number of other things that must have been extremely important or they wouldn't have it on my Daddy's radio (which I still have, and it still works....always a trip down memory lane to turn it on)

As I got older I discovered KSWO and the world of Top 40 and then AOR and it's varients on KRLG/KATT/96X/KEGL/KKQV etc. The Top 40 fast talking, cool sounding BIG voices, with all the patter and quick wit, (or the "need to clear my throat" raspings of AOR...and that ATTITUDE!), and of course country on WBAP/KLUR/KCCO etc, and the ear catching names like Cajun, One-eyed Jeff Holt, Mondo Bizzaro, Zubeck (he would say "Zubeck back" after a break...way cool! to a teen....and He HATED Disco) Ron Kirby and the (about 20 some adjectives and names and goofiness that I never could completely remember)....and then the names I would hear when I traveled like Dr Don Rose in San Diego, the King Edward Cigar Time guy, Dick Yawl, Bill Mack and the open road show (heard in 20? countries across 3 continents)...and on and on.

Radio was much tamer when I got in it in 1977...more "homogenized" I should say. The "hay day", as I was often told back then, was some 20 years earlier when "rock and roll" was being born....names like Prine, Presley and Holly were always tossed around.

Radio has always been in my life, and has mostly been my profession for 30+ years...in one sense you could say that radio has been my life.

I don't like the changes that are on the horizon for terrestrial radio. Not that I don't look forward to adapting and changing the way we broadcast, but I don't look forward to the most-likely marginalizing of the medium that I grew up with and love like a brother. It'll be around, but in what form? For many years now, the AM's, large and small, don't have the same sound, feel, or life they had in the 60's. Mostly talk. And it works...the reality is just not the same as my memories. And I just need to get over it. Is FM next? Will infomercials take over...we'll see

While I love Radio, "A Rare Medium Well-Done", I love The Message we broadcast more. Be it internet radio, podcasting, satellite, or screaming from a housetop... I am committed to broadcasting The Message of Christ to all who can hear, and in a style that is relevant, using a technology that will reach the most people possible.

Radio as I know it...and grew up with...and still love today...is just another detail.

Terrestrial Radio may be my current ministry platform.....but it is not my God.

Top Five Tips For Fundraising During A Soft Economy

By Mark Kordic
Senior Consultant
Advocace Media

Those of us who serve in Christian media have unprecedented opportunities to communicate the Gospel and network with life-giving ministries. However, as the soft economy in the U.S. continues into the fourth quarter, many Christian radio and television stations are proceeding cautiously with expansion plans.

Overall, non-profit organizations continue to face declines in both revenues and donor counts. The trend over the last three years is down for these measurements according to the Target Analytics Index of National Fundraising Performance. Donor funded Christian media organizations report similar results.

The report said:

"Until now, increases in revenue per donor compensated for donor declines, allowing overall revenue to continue to grow. In the most recent quarter, however, continued revenue per donor growth could not make up for the donor decreases and prevent overall revenue from declining."

What has been your experience in 2008 and how have you adjusted your fundraising strategy to cope with this trend? In order to maintain and grow your support level during this soft economy, I would suggest that you pray for God’s direction and consider five best practice ideas:

1) Ramp up your donor communication, especially online: Your listeners may be watching the numbers from Wall Street but they also have a keen eye looking for opportunities to make spiritual investments to give people hope during difficult times. More often than not, your donors will scan your web site to see how you are responding to urgent needs in the community. A Christian radio station in the Eastern U.S. saw a significant bump in online giving as they combined an invitation to donors to support flood relief efforts with pictures of the effected areas. Timely e-mail communication with pictures or video of your community project along with an invitation for support often achieve similar results. Check out this web resource for ideas: http://www.ephilanthropy.org/

2) Tell concise, motivational stories of how God used your station to save or impact lives: Make this your development All Points Bulletin to search out the personal testimonies of your listeners and let them speak to your donors using their own words. Videotape their stories and use them in personal meetings, group meetings, appeal letters and on the web with the listener’s permission. Need an example? Check out the Stories of Hope on the Portland Rescue Mission home page: http://www.portlandrescuemission.org/

3) Diversify your income sources: As the economy continues to soften, and we enter the final two months of the presidential campaign, stations across the nation are feeling the pinch. Do you rely on Sharathon responses and direct mail as your sole sources of income? Have you noticed your fulfillment rates declining over the last two years? You may want to consider several other sources:

a) Business underwriting
b) Major donor program
c) Monthly giving club
d) Auction
e) Gift-in-Kind items

As you consider these options, remember that diversification does not happen overnight. Along with you leadership team, proceed with patience and practice good planning. Realize that diversifying your income sources is a long-term strategy including a personnel review to identify who could implement the new strategy. This is not a quick fix in difficult times. However, the prayerful investment today will keep your station strong in the future.

4) Personalize opportunities for your top donors: Some experts advise non-profit organizations to tone down or curtail some requests for money during a soft economy. But one station in the Midwest has found that major gift donors are often willing to give, especially when the gift request is specific to the donor’s interest and frequent progress reports are provided. When asked what motivated them to support the cause of this station at a leadership level, they replied:

a) Thank you for being upfront about pressing issues you face to complete the project
b) We appreciate the way you report back on what our giving has accomplished

c) We feel valued as you deliver superior service, error-free data, and quick receipting Check out an organization that sets the standard in this area: http://www.genevaglobal.com/.

5) Brainstorm new prospective donor names with staff, board members, and major donors: Buy a pizza and have fun identifying people who have raised their hand in some way as if to say “Notice me…I want to get involved!” Plan to contact them personally and invite them to a “Vision Breakfast” with an opportunity to meet some of the staff. Offer an opportunity to participate as a prayer partner of event volunteer. Here are some tell-tale signs that a listener has more than a casual interest in your station:

a) They have effectively used their community role to advance your cause

b) They are monthly or major donors to one of your affiliate partners

c) They referred someone who became a board member, staff member or key contact for our station

Will economic conditions improve considerably in the days to come? We can hope so, but it is possible they will not. Regardless, as Christian leaders, we must keep pressing forward in courage for the cause of Christ just as the first century onlookers “saw the courage of Peter and John…were astonished and…took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). May we have the same courage and may their tribe increase!

With 24 years of experience in corporate and non-profit leadership positions and almost a generation of experience in listener supported Christian radio, Mark Kordic helps radio stations and associated ministries grow income from major donors and pledges. Contact Mark at mark.kordic@advocace.com

I Don’t Know…I’m Just Making This Up As I Go

By Jeff Brown
Operations Director
WAY-FM / Nashville

Who am I? Nobody special.

What do I know? Nothing you probably don’t already.

So why am I being asked to write an article for this publication? Excellent question.

Guilt by association? Sure, it’s possible. WAY-FM has a pretty solid reputation in the industry.

Is HisAir.net running out of people to ask? Now that was my first thought.

Look, there’s nothing I can say that will rock your world. My name isn’t Alan Mason, John Frost or Tommy Kramer (three men I love dearly, by the way). I’m no Mark Ramsey, Seth Godin or Greg Stielstra.

What I am is a 21-year veteran of this business we call radio. That’s half my life (makes me feel old). What I know is this: unless we change the way we think about how we do what we do, we’re not going to be doing it for much longer.

For my entire career, the radio station’s terrestrial signal has been the hub around which everything else revolves. In case you haven’t already noticed, this is quickly changing. The internet is the new hub. Your station is just a spoke, or at least it soon will be.

I’m not smart enough to suggest how you should plan for your company’s future, but as I try muddle my way through this where I live and work, I’m at least smart enough to try and learn from those with forward-thinking point-of-views. My suggestion to you is if you’re not following blogs from the likes of Mark Ramsey, Seth Godin and Fred Jacobs, then now would be an excellent time to start (consider signing up for an RSS reader like “Google Reader” that brings the posts right to your door).

We as an industry are going to have to swallow our collective pride and stop holding on to the “golden” past. “Convenience” is no longer solely radio’s strength. The distribution advantage we’ve owned for so long is slipping away. To quote Mark Ramsey regarding radio’s future:

“Either…FM/AM ‘chips’ need to be installed in every device that moves, whether it resembles a ‘radio’ or not – or…radio as an industry needs to translate its content to everything that moves in original ways, and those are unlikely to be in the same form as that content currently lives on air.”

If you’re not in the latter category, you might want to rethink your career choice.

See, I told I wasn’t going to rock your world. I hope though that I nudged it a little bit.

In his 8+ years at WAY-FM, Jeff has served on the air in afternoon drive and then mid-days, followed by a six-year stint (June 2002 – June 2008) as co-host of the Christian Hit Radio Satellite Network (CHRSN) and WAY-FM / Nashville morning show (including the award-winning “Marcia and Jeff” and “Jeff and Stace in the morning”).

Additionally, since January 2005, Jeff has served as Operations Director for WAY-FM’s four middle Tennessee stations (WAYM / Nashville, WAYQ / Clarksville, WAYD / Bowling Green and WAYW / New Johnsonville).

He can be reached via e-mail at jeff@wayfm.com and by phone at 615-261-9293. Connect to Jeff via Plaxo at http://jeffbrown.myplaxo.com/