Dedicated to Revival

A Pledge Day and Studio Dedication will be held on Saturday 5th August at the new Cumbernauld studio complex for Revival FM, Scotland's first Christian community radio station.

The studio will be open from 10am to 2pm and light refreshments will be available for all visitors. For more information about this event, including directions, contact studio@revival.fm

After ten years of broadcasting as Revival Radio on temporary licences, the new full-time station will take to the airwaves at 2pm on Sunday 3rd September on 100.8 MHz FM.

A Celebration Concert and Buffet will be held in Craighalbert Church, Cumbernauld, the evening before the station's launch with tickets for the event being £15 per person.

Vandal Attack

Radio New Vision in the Mexican town of Nogales, across the border from Nogales, Arizona, has been off the air since Friday June 16th due to massive vandalism.

Drug and occult forces had been threatening the ministry for several years, even putting a price on the life of Station Director Hector Manuel López Delgado, a local lawyer/pastor.

Two previous attacks in 2005 were thought to be thieves stealing copper wiring, but were recently revealed to be part of the effort to close down the station.

In the most recent incident, vandals climbed to the transmitter and used axes and other tools to destroy the facility.

With 85,000 listeners, XHEN, a rented medium wave AM station, at times reached a No. 1 ranking in area ratings.

The ministry began broadcasting in February 2002 and was funded by church offerings and charitable donations.

WMBI’s 80th Anniversary

In 1926 Chicago became the birthplace of Moody Bible Institute’s WMBI, the first non-commercial Christian radio station in the U.S.

Despite changes in technology and formats, WMBI upholds a familiar presence as the oldest and most renowned Christian radio station in the country.

Moody Radio is hosted a concert to celebrate 80 years of radio ministry, featuring artists such as First Call and Larnelle Harris who have been encouraging WMBI listeners for more than 20 years.

"Few radio stations have been around 80 years, and even fewer have been owned by the same company for that entire time," said Marketing and Promotions Director Colin Lambert.

WMBI is one of 35 commercial-free radio stations owned and operated by Moody Bible Institute under its Moody Broadcasting Network.

Stolen Transmitter Returned 10 Years Later

An FM transmitter stolen by marauding soldiers from Radio Kahuzi, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 10 years ago, was returned to its rightful owners in time for the ministry’s 15th anniversary.

Richard McDonald, a missionary with Believer’s Express Service, Inc., who operates Radio Kahuzi with his wife, Kathy, said the 200-watt transmitter was returned on Tuesday, July 4, exactly 15 years after the station received a broadcasting license from the country’s former president, Mobutu Sese Seko.

"Praise the Lord!" McDonald exclaimed. "Another answer to years of prayer and waiting. What an anniversary present for the Radio Kahuzi team and all our prayer warriors!"

Radio Kahuzi, the country’s first non-governmental radio station, went on the air in 1992, making it one of the first stations in the "radio planting" outreach of HCJB World Radio that has resulted in more than 300 Christian stations going on the air in more than 100 countries. The transmitter was provided by the HCJB's Engineering Center in Elkhart, Indiana, USA.

The story of the stolen transmitter began in 1996 during the country’s eight-year-long war. The king of the Bashi tribe of 2 million wanted his people to hear the "good moral teaching" that he was hearing on Radio Kahuzi, so he invited McDonald to bring the FM relay to his mountain home. Together they placed the antenna on his rooftop so the signal from the station could be picked up and aired to his people on the other side of the mountain.

"Shortly after they completed installing the equipment, there was a surprise attack and invasion by foreign forces," McDonald explained. "There was much pressure placed on the Bashi king to involve his people in the ongoing fighting, but he refused."

The soldiers then began using the king’s home as their headquarters, forcing the king to go into hiding. When the soldiers decided to leave his home, they took the radio equipment with them.

As they were marching through the remote village of Walungu, the soldier carrying the transmitter and coax cable was tired and offered to trade it for an old man’s goat. "The old man feared that the equipment had been stolen from the Bashi king, so even though he had no desire to have the equipment, he exchanged it for the goat, considering it an offering for his king," McDonald said.

Fearing the marauders would return, the old man abandoned his home and village and fled to a distant, isolated location to wait out the war. He carefully buried the transmitter in the ground beneath his hut.

During the long years of war, the old man’s wife died. The king remained in hiding, but the old man stayed faithful to his king, carefully guarding the transmitter during the entire time.

Now 80 years old, the man recently contacted the king, saying he was waiting for him to return to his home so the equipment could be returned to him. But the king had not come back to his mountain home. Instead, after years of hiding, he had gone to serve in the senate in Kinshasa and was preparing for federal elections July 28-31. He will continue to be an automatic member of parliament along with other tribal kings.

The king has offered part of his home near Bukavu to set up and test the transmitter. A new tower for the antenna has been erected outside his home.

Years of being buried beneath the hut had ruined the carton containing the transmitter, but the equipment itself only suffered minor damage, McDonald added. "With some external cleaning, we hope the transmitter will soon be back on the air, broadcasting [in Walungu] at 102.1 MHz!"

Mike Axman, the engineer in Elkhart who designed HCJB World Radio’s FM transmitters and helped install a shortwave transmitter at Radio Kahuzi in 2001, said he’s amazed the equipment was returned after being missing for so long.

"We’re just happy that after all these years in can be put to good use again."

Fighting Complicates Ministry

Israel's border assault into Lebanon has complicated the ministry efforts of Christian television channel SAT7.

The station's staff, dedicated to serving the Middle East with the hope and peace of Christ, don't plan on leaving the area.

That's both good and bad SAT-7's Debbie Brink tells us. The good part is their decision shows dedication to their mission.

The bad part is figuring out how to get their programs from Beirut to Cyprus. Because roads are dangerous, the airport has been destroyed and other courier means have been shut down, delivery of their programs is now the major concern.

With traditional delivery now a non-factor, they're circumventing ground transport via technology. Brink says they're going to satellite distribution. "We have some contacts with Mission Aviation Fellowship to help us locate the equipment and install it for us."

This was a move that had been in the planning stages--but necessity spurred by the war has moved the project up on the timeline by lightyears. That also presents its own problems, Brink adds. "the finances--we were not prepared to do that right now. [But], our programs have become a very important part of people's lives all across the region. The children's program, in particular, children have grown very accustomed to watching every single day."

Brink says they are broadcasting Christ's hope during a time of crisis, but they also need support. "Definitely pray for safety, and for the morale of our staff. Please pray for the equipment that we need and the finances that we need to get it up and running and that there'd be ability to even find equipment and get it into Lebanon right now."

"First" DRM Radio

After a long wait, a major manufacturer has at last announced plans to release what it calls 'the first DRM Radio' in Europe in October 2006.

The Sangean DRM-40 will have DRM coverage on longwave, mediumwave and shortwave.

The radio will also have DAB coverage, which the manufacturer describes as “the digital alternative for the FM band.” This is probably a misleading description, since the DRM Consortium is working on extending the DRM specification to include the current FM band, whereas DAB uses frequencies which are in totally different bands.

According to Sangean the radio will have RDS, a USB connection and an SD-card slot, meaning that the radio can play and record MP3 files.

The DRM-40 uses the same case as the existing Sangean DPR-1 DAB receiver, which means the size will be 180×260x90 mm. Sangean says the weight will be 1700 gramm.

The recommended retail price in Europe, including VAT, will be 299 euros.

The Sangean website gives the following capsule summary of the features:

• RM / DAB Band III / FM / AM / LW / SW
• RDS, AMSS and Radio text or DLS
• MP3 Playback and recording on SD
• Wake-up System on Radio or Buzzer Alarm
• 12 Alarm Settings
• Timed recording
• Clock with Auto Update
• EPG, Pause Plus, SPDIF and Key Lock
• 6 Presets for each Waveband
• with SD slot and USB connection
• RF-antenna and BAR Antenna
• Audio Out and headphone Connection
• With AC-adapter / operates also on DC (Batteries not included)
  

In the UK, this radio will be sold as the Roberts MP40 although it is not clear if there are any differences in the specification.

HCJB Tops Survey

For the second consecutive year Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, was named "Best International Station" in the 2005 survey of Portuguese-speaking shortwave listeners conducted by the Santa Rita DX Club in Brazil.

DX is a telegraph term for distance, and DXers are listeners who enjoy hearing signals from distant stations.

HCJB was one of 19 shortwave stations mentioned by respondents to the survey. Others in the top five included Radio Japan, China Radio International, Chile-based Voz Cristã (Christian Voice) and Radio Canada International.

"This is exciting, especially when one considers that two Christian broadcasters placed in the top five," said Allen Graham, director of indigenous and international broadcasts at Radio Station HCJB. "Praise God for allowing us this opportunity to touch Portuguese-speaking listeners!"

HCJB, the flagship station of HCJB World Radio, an international ministry founded in 1931, also topped the "Most Listened-to Station" category.

Shortwave listeners from Brazil and other parts of the world who took part in the survey also chose HCJB for having the "Best Female Presenter," Ingrid Winter of Curitiba, Brazil. Mário Miki, also of Curitiba, placed second in the "Best Male Presenter" category.

Respondents again named program producer Eunice Carvajal for having the "Best DX Program"—the seventh consecutive year for that honor. She is the sole program producer at the ministry’s studios in Quito. Most of the programs are produced at HCJB World Radio-Brazil’s studios in Curitiba.

Portuguese-language programs air from Quito 7½ hours a day in three programming blocks. Preaching, interspersed with music and informational programming, proclaims the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to listeners across Brazil.

A brief program in the indigenous language, Culina, was recently added to the beginning of the evening Portuguese broadcast. A small group, the Culina people live in southern Brazil and northern Peru.

Carvajal added that shortwave continues to play a key role in reaching people for Christ. Referring to the Portuguese broadcasts that reach various regions of Brazil, she said, "The audience is growing, and the average age of our listeners is 30. That means the majority of listeners are young people, and they like our programs and voices. The statistics seem to support our motto, ‘We’re more than a voice, we’re friends who care.’"

(HCJB World Radio)

Beirut TV Keeps Going

Israeli air strikes in Beirut are provoking fears of war, but the offices of Christian satellite TV ministry SAT-7 have remained undamaged so far.

The station continues to minister despite the ongoing unrest.
"It’s very difficult for people who are themselves depressed to radiate hope," said SAT-7 Chief Executive Officer Terry Ascott. "I would ask prayer for all the Christians in Lebanon that they would be beacons of light and hope and optimism . . . that the love and the peace of Christ that is in their hearts would radiate through."

How does the station operate when the power is off in much of the country?
"The Lebanese are quite resourceful, having been through 20 years of civil war and disturbances." Ascott explained. "Many of the areas do have back-up generators so they can keep essential appliances working, and television is one of the ‘essential appliances.’"

Gay Police Attack Christians

A very nasty advert, submitted by the Gay Police Associaion and published in the Diversity supplement of The Independent newspaper on Thursday 29th June 2006, accuses Christians of bloodshed.


Click here to view a larger image of this advert

This virulently anti-Christian advert was placed by the Gay Police Association (GPA).

The grossly offensive and wholly unsubstantiated message of the ad is that Bible believers are causing an explosion of violent attacks on homosexuals, and that the bloodshed has to stop.

The advert plainly implies that Christians are responsible for violence against homosexuals. But violence or abusive behaviour towards any person – homosexual or otherwise - is totally incompatible with the Christian faith. A violent person cannot be a Bible-believing Christian.

The advert stereotypes Christians as violent and hateful people. Citizen's of the United Kingdom need to be concerned because the Police are there to protect our liberty, yet an officially recognised Police group is parodying Bible-believers as violent thugs.

Statistics - or Lies ?

The advert refers to a 74% increase in ‘homophobic incidents’ reported to the GPA. Earlier this year the GPA announced that telephone calls about “faith-based homophobia” made to its helpline had increased from 8 to 14 in one year. Maybe this is where the 74% in the advert comes from. Certainly this is not an official figure.

What is a Homophobic Incident ?

A ‘homophobic incident’ is not the same thing as a crime. It is an administrative record of a complaint to the police (not the GPA). The technical definition of a ‘homophobic incident’ given by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) for England and Wales is “Any incident which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person.” So merely saying that homosexuality is wrong could constitute an incident if someone perceives it to be ‘homophobic’.

This has happened to the Bishop of Chester, Phillip Jenson (Dean of Sydney Cathedral), Joe & Helen Roberts and Lynette Burrows. It seems they were all thought to be “perpetrators” of a "homophobic incident". None of them committed any crime. All believe that homosexual practice is morally wrong.

How to complain about this advert

If you wish to complain about this advert, you can complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA says of itself, “if an ad’s harmful, misleading or offensive the Advertising Standards Authority is here to get rid of it.”

The ASA publishes the British Code of Advertising. This code applies to newspaper adverts. We have extracted the appropriate pages of the code and highlighted the points which we believe are relevant to the Gay Police Association’s advert.

Any complaint you make should refer to how, in your view, the advert contravenes the Code.

Click here to see the Code’s relevant sections (highlighted)

Click here to see the Code in full (not highlighted)

Complaints can be made via the ASA website. To do this, click here.

To send a complaint by letter, write to:

The Complaints Department
Advertising Standards Authority
Mid City Place
71 High Holborn
London WC1V 6QT

Gay OK, Catholic No Way

• A decision by Canada's broadcast regulator, the CRTC, on 5th April approved a new all homosexual radio station in Toronto, the first new English-language radio station approved by the CRTC since 2001.

• In 2003 the CRTC rejected the application for an all Roman Catholic radio station in Toronto. This, despite the fact that about 2 million of Toronto's population of 4.5 million identify themselves as Catholic and surveys have demonstrated that only 1% of Canadians identify as homosexual.

Evidence of homosexual activism at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) can be seen in their recent decision, since one of the conditions, set out by the CRTC, under which the radio station was permitted its licence, was that the station would fund gay 'pride week'. "The licensee shall contribute a minimum of $30,000 in each broadcast year to payments to musical artists showcased at the Pride Week celebrations"

In 2003, the CRTC rejected the application of the Catholic Radio Endeavour which attempted to commence an English-language all-Catholic radio station in the city, home to some two million Catholics.

Tony Gosnach, a member of the Catholic Radio Endeavour, said

"After putting in lots of hard work, not to mention large amounts of money, toward an ultimately unsuccessful application for a full-time Catholic radio station in Toronto, I and others involved in that effort are appalled to learn that our federal broadcast regulatory body approved a gay FM radio station for Toronto."

Gosnach, a Catholic writer, assistant editor of the Interim and a member on the editorial board of Catholic Insight, has called on Catholics to express their concerns to their members of parliament, the Canadian Heritage Ministry and the CRTC.

TWR Guam weather damage

Last Friday, part of the wire antenna system for Trans World Radio's transmitters on the Island of Guam fell due to the effects of very heavy weather, putting at least some of the station off air.

TWR staff needed extra help to reconstruct the antenna system and were assisted by members of a US church who had been on Guam for other work.

On Wednesday TWR reported that half of the antenna was back on the air, with the rest expected to be fully restored by today.