With over 40 years of broadcasting experience, Alan Mason has been on-air, a major-market program director, a group program director, a VP/GM, a consultant and is now the Chief Operating Officer of EMF Broadcasting, owners of the vast K-LOVE and Air1 networks. He’s a major player with Christian Music Broadcasters, and has earned a strong reputation as a go-to guy in the format. It wasn’t always that way.
Alan and I go back a long way, to the days where he held several programming and management positions for the legendary King Broadcasting. We worked together when he programmed KYA in San Francisco. I worked for Frank Magid during those days, and Alan was one of my clients.
I took note when Alan moved into the Christian radio sector and wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Then we started doing our Techsurveys across all formats, and we began to see the power of the Christian radio, especially the loyal nature of the audience.
Case in point: Net Promoter is a measure of the power of a brand to drive audience recommendations. It’s a very big deal, and we’ve included it in every one of our nationwide surveys.
Below is the all-format Net Promoter slide. And that huge gold bar you see on the far left is Christian music radio, miles ahead of every other format.
Eventually, we created a version of Techsurvey just for Christian music stations because in many ways, they are quite a bit different from the other formats you see listed above. Many veteran broadcasters don’t know much about Christian radio, and that’s why we asked Alan to submit a “Guest List” feature, which we think you’ll find illuminating. – Fred
Years ago my friend and King Broadcasting alum Bob Anthony told me he was going to quit his job at KFRC and start a Christian radio station in the Bay Area. The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them, “Why do you want to get out of radio?”
There was a time where that was the sentiment about Christian radio. But the one station Bob started with eventually became the K-LOVE and Air1 radio network, with over 800 signals across the country. Along with Salem’s “Fish” stations, KSBJ, KCMS, KTIS and others, the format has become a “force” in many markets.
Still, we tend to fly under the radar and aren’t on radio people’s minds. But there are some surprises about the modern-day Christian station that a lot of secular broadcasters might be surprised about.
1. Passion + Community = Financial Involvement
We have donors who have been a part of the station for more than 20 years. When you have a large enough donor base, those $40 a month efforts “outbill” many commercial stations.
2. Nielsen is interesting, but not a primary driver.
Non-Commercial Christian stations like K-LOVE look at Nielsen to see what’s going on, but it’s not a driver. We have other, more important measuring points, so our stations don’t have to be “optimized for PPM.”
3. We struggle with many of the same things commercial stations do.
Finding talent is difficult. Listenership can be erratic. Leadership has challenges. People will be people no matter where they are or what they’re doing.
4. We’re not stealing commercial radio’s listeners.
Nielsen and our own research show a very high proportion of our listeners are exclusive to the format. Those random listeners who aren’t exclusive are more apt to be Country listeners. However, a successful Christian station has 60-80% of its AQH come from P1’s.
5. When commercial revenue goes down, ours can go up.
Non-Commercial Christian stations have a history of improved support when financial times are turbulent. During the 2008 struggles, our income actually improved, while many radio stations had a difficult time making goals from “spot sales.”
Thanks to Alan and Seth Resler for putting this week’s “Guest List” together. There’s still time for Christian music radio stations to sign up for CMB3, our third annual Techsurvey. Info and registration info available here.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Hi Fred
Love this piece, I too left secular Hip-Hop and R&B radio sometime ago to create yet another faith-base brand “Rhythmic Gospel” which is a mix of Positive Hip-Hop and R&P(rhythm & praise) targeting the 18-34 African American female.
This station which is in test mode on the internet at https://streamdb2web.securenetsystems.net/v5/IKJZ
unlike EMF will be focusing on capturing it’s share of the $17 billion/year revenue in the US and winning souls all at the same time. Give it listen by clicking on the link above
Thanks for sending and reading our blog.
While I appreciate the professionals in this format, and have no problem with faith based broadcasters, I do think that any comments about the financials of the EMF type networks must be taken with a caveat.
These stations benefit from their national scale. That national scale was enabled by the fact that these organizations are considered “NCE – non commercial educational” which enables them to benefit from a main studio waiver. Were EMF to bear the expenses of local studio and staffing, their finances would be much different.
This is particularly ironic given that in the early stages of the LPFM movement, EMF posted a filing claiming that enacting an LPFM service would carve into their donor base, and harm their ability to provide service to small communities if, for example, local churches were to launch a CCM format on an LPFM in a market EMF was also operating. Yet EMF will also claim when requesting a studio waiver that financial reasons are why they can’t maintain a local studio.
I don’t dispute that EMF has an appealing product to many listeners, or the level of talent it takes to produce it and attract the donors they have. But were EMF required to play by the same rules as independent and local broadcasters that can’t benefit from main studio waivers and tax exemptions. It’s apples and oranges.
John, thanks for the perspective and for taking the time to comment.
Hi Fred,
Duma Tsepane here..i’m together with coupler guys[professionals]in the process of launching a christian radio station in bloemfontein south africa.I need you guidance since we aim at doing justice to these station and of course fill the void and win souls for God.
You know it goes without saying further…A NEED!
Duma, let us know what you need. No promises, but we’ll try.
Hi Fred,
Please tell Alan Mason I formerly worked under him and Pat Evans at KYA Radio in San Francisco back in 1978. It was one of the best experiences I had in broadcasting. I worked doing surveys for them at the time. Mr. Klein was our general manager, Mike Rivers and Dana Michaels were morning drive, Joe Michaels middays, Citizen Bill was afternoons, Rick Scott was evenings, Carol Ford worked 10-2 pm. KYA is now Catholic Radio 1260 today. Thank him for me I would thank Pat but she passed in 2012 I actually found out some ten years later.
Leonard Wong
Hi Leonard. I actually did a research study for KYA when Alan ran the place. I worked with Pat at WXRK in NY. Both great broadcasters. I know Alan reads this post from time to time, and we are in occasional touch with one another. I’ll pass on your regards.