Editing Christian radio

{{short description|Category of radio formats}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more footnotes needed|date=April 2012}}
{{globalize|date=December 2010}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
'''Christian radio''' refers to [[Christian media]] [[radio format]]s that focus on [[Christianity|Christian]] [[religious broadcasting]] or various forms of [[Christian music]]. Many such formats and programs include [[contemporary Christian music]], [[gospel music]], [[sermon]]s, [[radio drama]]s, as well as [[news radio|news]] and [[talk radio|talk]] shows covering popular culture, economics, and political topics from a Christian perspective.<ref name="CT-what">{{Cite news|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/januaryweb-only/whatsupwithradio.html|title=What's Up with Radio?|work=ChristianityToday.com|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref>

== History ==

=== American evangelicalism ===
In the first part of the 20th century, American [[Christian revival|revivalists]] saw radio as a tool for spreading [[the gospel]]. Christian radio pioneers included [[Aimee Semple McPherson]], [[D. L. Moody]], [[Charles E. Fuller (Baptist minister)|Charles E. Fuller]], [[Donald Barnhouse]], [[Walter A. Maier]], [[Paul Rader (evangelist)|Paul Rader]], [[Lightfoot Solomon Michaux]], and [[Percy Crawford]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Payne |first=Leah |title=God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music |date=2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-755524-8 |location=New York |chapter='The Magic Power of Song': The Roots of Contemporary Christian Music (1897–1950)}}</ref>

In addition to preaching and sermons, other content such as news, children's programs, and gospel music were broadcast. Scholar Leah Payne states "In the 1920s, [Christian] broadcasters featured gospel quartets and trios who upheld the traditional [[social order]] and contrasted with images of '[[bright young things]]' and [[Flapper|flappers]]."<ref name=":0" /> Patriotism during the World Wars, [[teetotalism]], and [[Protestant youth ministry|youth ministry]] were also common topics, and American [[celebrity culture]] spread to Christian radio, making celebrities of radio revivalists. [[Youth for Christ]] founder [[Torrey Johnson]]'s radio program brought evangelist [[Billy Graham]] to American homes, helping launch his career.<ref name=":0" />

Christian radio was also used to encourage political action; major broadcasters such as [[CBS]] and [[NBC]], however, aired [[mainline Protestant]] content and avoided controversial themes. While Catholics, Jews, and mainline Protestants had their own broadcast organizations, various evangelical groups and [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalists]] banded together to form [[National Religious Broadcasters]], which "spread conservative, white political views and [[Premillennialism|premillennial]] [[Dispensationalism|dispensational]] theology". With its ability to reach significant numbers of people for potentially hours each day, at home and away, Christian radio had a formative impact on the direction of Christian media.<ref name=":0" />

==Business models==
[[File:WWOC-LP Christian Radio Broadcast Station and Seventh Day Adventist Church.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|A church with its own radio station]]
[[File:Radio Maria Studio in Adliswil.jpg|thumb|[[Radio Maria]] studio in Switzerland.]]
[[Brokered programming]] is a significant portion of most U.S. Christian radio stations' revenue, with stations regularly selling [[block programming|blocks]] of airtime to evangelists seeking an audience. Another revenue stream is solicitation of donations, either to the evangelists who buy the air time or to the stations or their owners themselves. In order to further encourage donations, certain evangelists may emphasize the [[prosperity gospel]], in which they preach that [[tithe|tithing]] and donations to the ministry will result in financial blessings from God. Others may have special days of the year dedicated to fundraising, similar to many [[NPR]] stations. Although the solicitation of donations and the sale of airtime may resemble a commercial enterprise, such actions do not necessarily constitute a [[call to action (marketing)|call to action]], and thus this does not forbid them from airing on [[non-commercial educational|noncommercial]] licensed stations in the U.S. A minority of stations, typically music stations, use the traditional model for music radio and allow traditional commercial advertising.<ref name="CT-what" />

Numerous religious broadcasters own many of their own stations. In the U.S., religious radio stations are exempt from certain rules requiring radio stations to have some local operations, which allows them to have massive networks of transmitters covering far larger areas than a radio station would otherwise be allowed and may not face the same restrictions on the number of signals a broadcaster can own within one geographic area.

==Radio formats==
Most Christian radio stations transmit a mixture of Christian music and Christian talk and teaching.

===Christian music===
Christian [[music radio]] outlets mirror [[commercial radio]] in many ways, and music in a variety of different [[music genre|genre]]s is available.  Many stations play primarily [[gospel music]], including [[Urban contemporary gospel|Black Gospel]] and [[Southern Gospel]], or [[contemporary worship music]], while others play all formats of [[contemporary Christian music]], including Christian pop, [[Christian rock]], [[Christian rap]], [[Christian country music]], and [[Christian alternative rock]]. Many artists within the [[Christian music industry]] criticize Christian radio for only playing "safe" music, and not taking enough chances on new artists, or in some cases older artists, that may not be as appealing to the largely conservative [[Gospel Music Association]].<ref name="CT-what" />

Many non-religious radio stations devote some of their weekend programming to Christian music; for example, Black Gospel programming is common on Sundays on many stations featuring the [[Urban contemporary music|urban contemporary]] format.

===Christian talk, radio drama, sermons===
Other Christian stations will present a no-music format that features [[talk radio]]-style programming (sometimes including live radio call-in shows) and/or long-form "preaching and teaching" programs.  Notable examples include ''[[Focus on the Family]]'' with host [[Jim Daly (evangelist)|Jim Daly]], ''[[Amazing Facts]]'', ''Living Way'' with pastor [[Jack W. Hayford|Jack Hayford]], and [[Rick Warren|Pastor Rick's Daily Hope]]; an example of an inspirational program are ''[[Moments of Melody]]'' and ''[[The Voice of Prophecy]].'' [[Radio drama]] programs, long dead in most other radio formats, continue to be transmitted on Christian radio; notable examples include long-running ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]]'', ''[[Patch the Pirate]]'', and ''[[Unshackled!]]'' and relative newcomers such as ''[[Down Gilead Lane]]'' and ''[[A Work in Progress (radio)|A Work in Progress]].''

==Denominations==
Christian radio, particularly in North America, is dominated by [[Protestant]] ministries, particularly those associated with [[evangelical Christianity]]. The predominant [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] radio services are the [[WEWN|Eternal Word Network]], founded by [[Mother Angelica]] as a spin-off of her television service [[EWTN]], and [[Radio Maria USA]].

The [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], a sect whose [[Mormonism and Nicene Christianity|place in Christianity is heavily debated]], maintains some limited radio evangelical operations through [[BYU Radio]], which owns a single FM station. The [[Seventh-day Adventists]] are most closely associated with [[Three Angels Broadcasting Network]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

==North American and international availability==
Most Christian radio stations as well as programmers based in the United States are members of the [[National Religious Broadcasters]], a Christian organization. There are reportedly 1,600 Christian broadcasting organizations in the U.S. They range from single stations to expansive networks. It is common for religious broadcasters to purchase many small [[broadcast translator]]s to create networks that stretch across large regions. [[Moody Radio]] was the first example, and still one of the largest, though most of its stations broadcast stand-alone programming as well as network feeds. [[WPOZ|Z88.3]] in Orlando, Florida, the [[WAY-FM Network]], [[K-LOVE]], [[Air 1]], [[WJIS|The Joy FM]], [[WXHL-FM|Reach Radio]], [[3ABN Radio]], [[Radio 74]], and the [[Bible Broadcasting Network]] are other notable examples in the world.

Christian radio expanded in the early twenty-first century. It became available in the United Kingdom with changes to broadcasting regulations. [[Premier Christian Radio]] is based in the London area where it is available on medium wave and DAB; elsewhere, it is available digitally or by Internet. [[United Christian Broadcasters]] is an international broadcasting and media company; radio stations are based in Albania, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. [[Trans World Radio]] is an evangelical media distributor broadcasting Christian programs in 190 countries in more than 300 languages, [[TWR-UK]] can be heard in the United Kingdom on Sky, Freeview and online.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About TWR-UK |url=https://www.twr.org.uk/about-twr/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=TWR |date=November 24, 2011 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Christian radio programs==
* ''[[Focus on the Family]],'' an internationally syndicated daily interview produced by Focus on the Family
* ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]],'' a scripted radio comedy/drama for children produced by Focus on the Family
* ''[[Patch the Pirate]],'' a scripted radio musical comedy for children produced by [[Majesty Music]] 
* ''[[Back to the Bible]]'' with [[Woodrow M. Kroll]]
* ''[[Unshackled!]]'' produced by [[Pacific Garden Mission]] in Chicago

==See also==
*[[American Catholic Radio]]
*[[Christianity]]
*[[Christian media]]
*[[Christian pop culture]]
*[[Religious broadcasting]] – information on UK-based Christian TV & Radio, as well as overview of US-based networks.
*[[Sermonette]]
*[[Televangelism]] - the equivalent in television
*[[Radio Maria|The World Family of Radio Maria]]
*[[:Category:Christian radio stations]]
*[[List of Christian radio stations in Canada]]
*[[Islamic radio]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite book|last=Lochte|first=Bob|title=Christian Radio: The Growth of a Mainstream Broadcasting Force|year=2005|publisher=McFarland and Company|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina|Jefferson]], [[North Carolina]]|isbn=0-7864-2239-4}}

==External links==
* [https://www.billboard.com/charts/christian-airplay Billboard Christian Airplay Charts]
* [https://gospelradio.me/ Gospel & Christian Radio Stations]
{{Christian music articles}}
{{clear}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Radio}}
[[Category:Christian radio| ]]
[[Category:Radio formats]]
[[Category:Christian music media]]
[[Category:Christian radio stations]]