‘Christianity’ on TV

A Christian television programme called "Christianity" and produced by Studio 865 in Sofia, Bulgaria, is now being broadcast on four television stations including the Orthodox channel Faith and the Romanian satellite Christian channel, Alpha Omega TV, as well as on Bulgarian cable stations TV Europe and Centrum Group TV.

Stoyko Petkov, President of Studio 865, said that the expansion of the ‘Christianity’ broadcasts is an answer to the prayers of staff and other Christians in Bulgaria where it is still not possible for minority religious groups to broadcast on national public television.

Web Links

• Studio 865
• Studio 865 on Christian Broadcasting
  

New UK Stations Launching Soon

Shine FM will be back on air from Banbridge in Northern Ireland on the 26th March 2007 at the start of their new five year community license.

Started by Youth With A Mission, Shine FM has now been taken over by the local community and formed as an independent Ltd company.

The New Shine FM is run completely by volunteers from all parts of the Banbridge District.

Official Launch of the full time service will on Monday 2nd April 2007


The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, recently launched the new faith-based Hope FM local radio station, whose licence to broadcast will come into force in mid May.

Hope FM is the broadcasting arm of Bournemouth YMCA and has been broadcasting for 13 years under a restricted service licence, and was recently awarded a five year community radio licence.

The station is non-profit making, operating from a Christian ethos and plans to provide a mix of family entertainment, giving a high level of input into programming by community groups and residents in the area.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The mere title of the station sends signal that is both uplifting and forward thinking. As a practising Christian myself there are many times when I need time to reflect and reassess and Hope FM with it's combination of faith, music and community interest will be the perfect catalyst."

Web Links

• Shine FM
• Hope FM
  

Radio Station's 75th Anniversary

75 years of Sydney Australia's 2CH

Australian Christian radio station 2CH based in Sydney celebrated its 75th anniversary on Sunday February 18th.

The stations has been broadcasting on 1170kHz AM/MediumWave since 1931.

Originally the primary license holder was the New South Wales (NSW) Council of Churches. In 1989 the station was sold to John Singleton.

CH stands for “churches” and the Council of Churches continues to have significant input into the format of the station. Along with the NSW Council of Churches and the management of affiliate Macquarie Radio Network, 400 guests and officials attended the celebration held in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

According to General Manager Ian Holland, the station is known for its award-winning personalities, easy-listening music and low-key Christian programming that presents the gospel in a “pleasant unobtrusive and entertaining style.”

Web Links

• 2CH Easy 1170
  
• New South Wales Council of Churches
• St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, Sydney
  

Word Outreach on the Internet

Word Outreach Radio is now broadcasting from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire to the world!!

Word Outreach Radio provides a blend of contemporary and cutting edge Christian Music, and hopes to develop into a station reflecting the Christian Community not only in the local area, but further afield too.

In its first week of broadcasting, listeners have tuned in from Scotland, New Zealand and Holland. For more information please reply to this email.

The Word Outreach Radio audio stream can be reached on www.live365.com/stations/soulforjesus

Web Link

• Word Outreach Radio
  

Commercial Radio Stream at UK Conference

The UK's annual Churches Media Conference will take place at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire from 11th to 13th June.

This year the Conference will feature a special “stream” focusing on commercial radio.

On each day of the conference, people working in commercial radio will be invited to special sessions where they can share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about commercial radio in general and what place Christianity has in their workplace and on the air.

Practitioners and key figures from the commercial radio industry have been invited to encourage, challenge and inspire, and there will be plenty of time to meet fellow professionals currently active in this fast-changing arena.

The stream producer is Colin Lowther from HCJB-UK and Whistling Frog Productions. Colin said “Christians working in commercial radio can often feel isolated in such a competitive field and this new stream will be a great chance for us to meet and learn from each other. It’s also an opportunity for those who’ve had little contact with the Churches Media Council in the past, to find out about new ideas which are coming forward for the future.”

The annual conference will take place at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire, June 11-13. For details of the commercial radio stream contact Colin Lowther at clowther@hcjb.org.uk

Best Broadcast Website award

At the National Religious Broadcasters annual convention in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday 17th February OnePlace.com will be named the “Best Broadcast Website” for 2007.

The award recognizes excellence in design and content, creativity in presentation and effectiveness in fulfilling its mission.

OnePlace, owned by Salem Web Network, offers access to the ministry and teaching of more than 200 speakers, pastors and Bible experts such as Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Kay Arthur, Hank Hanegraaff and Greg Laurie.

“For nearly a decade OnePlace.com has been providing a first-class experience for listeners all over the world to hear the best Bible teaching available online when and where they want it,” said Rick Killingsworth, vice president of the Salem Web Network.

“OnePlace.com represents the best of what can happen when today’s technology and the timeless good news of the gospel are effectively combined.”

"The Light" Open Evening

The Light Radio - serving Rhyl and Prestatyn

The Directors of The Light Radio have formed the Limited company The Light Christian Media Limited.

With extensive experience in RSL's, the Directors of The Light Radio feel directed by the Lord to pursue a 5 year community license.

To this end, an open meeting is being held on 22nd March 2007 to unveil the plans God has given, and will give, to us. Everyone with an interest is most welcome.

For further details contact Tony Humphries by e-mail at info@thelightradio.co.uk

Web Link

• The Light Radio

Reaching out to flood victims

Christian radio helping in Jakarta

More rains over the weekend made an already miserable situation worse. Residents working in waist-high mud salvaged family photos from washed-out neighbourhoods in Jakarta as fresh rains triggered more flooding.

Up to 60% of the city was under water at one point, but rains had slowed enough to receded in many middle-class districts. Conditions remain grim in narrow riverside alleys where the city's poor live. The government indicates between 240,000 and 400,000 people were unable to return home.

Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) Indonesia is reaching out to disaster victims, distributing water and food to those stranded on the outskirts of the city. They are also collecting blankets, clothes, soap, and medicine to assist the 430,000 displaced persons battling dehydration, diarrhoea, skin infections, and influenza due to water-borne illnesses from the floods.

As an extension of their broadcast ministry, FEBC-Indonesia reaches out to people in need through an emergency program called Heartline Care, offering aid in the critical hours following a disaster. The ministry has been instrumental in helping survivors of other recent disasters, including 2 major earthquakes in the past couple of years and the 2004 tsunami.

Web Links

• FEBC Indonesia
• FEBC International

Canadian access to Christian TV

Canadians have access to wide variety of channels through Sky Angel

Sky Angel, the U.S. direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider of Christian TV and radio channels plus family programming, and ShifTV Inc. of Toronto, Canada, a pioneer in providing Broadband TV (or IPTV, Internet Protocol Television) which can be watched on any television via a set-top box, have launched the Sky Angel multi-channel television service throughout Canada.

Sky Angel has agreed to provide more than 30 TV and radio channels of Christian and family programming to ShifTV for delivery via a high-speed Internet connection to Canadian consumers' televisions using a set-top box provided by ShifTV. The advantage for audiences is access to a broader range of programming within the parameters of their interests, as well as the ability to watch programming through their TV set and surf the Internet on their computer simultaneously using the same high-speed connection. In addition, audiences can view Sky Angel on computers using most Internet browsers.

Among the TV channels that are currently available in Canada via Sky Angel IPTV are Sky Angel's exclusive kids and teens channel KTV; the 24-hour Christian music video channel TVU; Trinity Broadcasting Network's full suite of channels that includes TBN, JCTV youth network, Smile of a Child children's network, The Church Channel and TBN Enlace Spanish network; plus Safe TV, Familyland, Faith TV, Angel One and more. Additional TV and radio channels are expected to be announced next month.

"After years of receiving thousands of requests from Canadian Christians for access to the Sky Angel television service, we are pleased to now be able to say, 'Yes, you can receive Sky Angel TV in Canada!'" said Rob Johnson, CEO of Dominion Video Satellite Inc., owner-operator of Sky Angel.

"As the clear leader in providing viewer access to Christian programming, we will continue to provide the widest variety of Christian-inspirational channels through direct-to-home satellite in the U.S.," added Johnson, "but we are excited about this opportunity to partner with ShifTV in utilizing this emerging IPTV technology to deliver quality Christian and family programming geared to all ages and interests onto the television screens of homes, churches and businesses across Canada."

"We are pleased in becoming Sky Angel's exclusive IPTV partner in Canada as it provides thousands of Canadians an opportunity to view Christian programming that is currently not offered through other broadcasters. Sky Angel is a perfect partner in our ongoing strategy to provide programming to niche audiences on a reliable platform," said Morey Chaplick, CEO of ShifTV. "Subscribers with high-speed Internet access can simply plug their television into a set-top box, connect the box to their high-speed cable/DSL, and enjoy the programs that they are truly interested in."

Web Links

• http://www.skyangel-iptv.com

The Word - Bible Radio 24/7

Satellite radio listeners throughout the UK and Europe have been able to listen to continuous readings of the Bible 24 hours a day for several years.

In New Zealand, Radio Rhema is now broadcasting scripture, using three different translations of the Bible, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on a terrestrial radio frequency based in Hamilton

The station has been named The Word – Bible Radio 24/7 on 576 kHz AM (medium wave) . The broadcasts went on air just before Christmas 2006 and will continue at least until the end of the year.

The opportunity to use the frequency arose last year after Radio New Zealand increased its parliamentary coverage to include the Waikato region, making its 576AM frequency, shared with Southern Star, superfluous and enabling Radio Rhema to reassign the frequency for the new station.

Another frequency, 1026AM, has also been freed and a second Bible station will start next month in Invercargill.

Informal monitoring through feedback on the Radio Rhema website will be ongoing and a more formal survey of the new programme will be undertaken within the first six months to gauge its impact.

One woman reported she had turned on the radio in her car expecting a quick 15-minute reading. An hour later she was still in her stationary car, glued to the radio.

New Station for Philippines

FEBC - Far East Broadcasting Company - operates a number of broadcasting stations in the Philippines, but are now planning another radio station that will be unique to anything else they are doing.

FEBC's 9th radio station will be specifically designed for an evangelistic outreach to 14 different tribal groups in the northern part of Luzon Island.

Evangelism in this part of the world is difficult. A local missionary indicated that it consisted of a 10 hour bus ride, three hour Jeepney ride, into a canoe and travel two hours up stream, then a one hour hike that would only get him to the home base of where he was going to conduct his mission trip.

FEBC are currently raising $300,000 for this 10,000 watt AM radio station with the goal of being on air on 1st July 2007 with four language groups.

As support for the station develops and they get the right kind of people producing the programs, the ultimate goal is 14 different languages broadcasting from that one location."

FEBC is providing the leadership in terms of the hardware and the operation of the station, but the programming is going to be done in cooperative partnerships with many different mission groups and local churches.

75 Years - and on to the future

HCJB GLOBAL WRAPS UP 75-YEAR CELEBRATIONS WITH NOD TO FUTURE

The year 2006 marked 75 years of ministry as pioneer broadcasting ministry HCJB World Radio became HCJB Global. With the yearlong theme, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” echoing the historic first broadcast in Quito, Ecuador, on Dec. 25, 1931, celebrations and honors spread throughout the year.

Highlights included the dedication of a $1.00 Ecuadorian postal stamp in honor of the ministry on Oct. 26, and an open house celebration Dec. 7-9 with more than 7,000 in attendance at the site of Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador.

A special service hosted by the mission’s Quichua Language Service on Dec. 9 was attended by 2,000 people representing a number of languages and dialects. HCJB Global was credited with helping preserve native languages and cultures, receiving special honors from several active indigenous tribes and organizations.

Former Ecuadorian President Rodrigo Borja and Quito Mayor Paco Moncayo were among those present for a special celebration held primarily for Ecuadorian government officials. Congratulations also came from the City of Quito, CONARTEL (the Ecuadorian communications regulatory agency) and the Federation of Evangelical Ecuadorian Indigenous Nations (FEINE) as President Marco Murillo presented the mission with a plaque.

The ministry’s present and former staff members also celebrated the occasion with about 1,200 people attending three two-hour receptions in Quito on Dec. 15. A special reception was also held at the mission’s Hospital Vozandes-Shell in Ecuador’s Amazon region on Dec. 16.

A “Forever Family” reunion celebration in May drew 120 former staff members to the HCJB Global Ministry Service Center Colorado Springs, Colo., and nearly 30 former staff gathered in Quito in September to celebrate various festivities held in conjunction with the mission’s 76th Annual Members’ Meeting.

The mission also produced a special 100-page coffee table book that is filled with numerous photos and historical accounts to commemorate the organization’s 75^th anniversary. It is called Vision to Reach the World.

Other notable events included a special newspaper supplement about Radio Station HCJB published in the Quito newspaper Hoy, the production of eight Ecuadorian music CDs, and seven special donor events in the U.S., Ecuador, and the U.K. In addition, the anniversary celebration was incorporated into the annual Quito Day Concerts.

As the ministry celebrated its rich heritage, it also took bold steps toward the future. In order to better reflect the worldwide reach and diversity of ministry that it had become in the last 75 years, the mission officially became HCJB Global on Jan. 1, 2007.

The media arm of the ministry is now called HCJB Global Voice, and the healthcare outreach is called HCJB Global Hands. The organization’s mission is to “empower dynamic media and healthcare ministries that declare and demonstrate Jesus Christ.” The ongoing call is to put “Truth in Motion.”

(HCJB Global)