UCB to extend DAB reach in England and Wales

United Christian Broadcasters Limited (UCB) has secured DAB Digital radio capacity on MXR, covering five major regions and potentially reaching another 17.6 million people with the Gospel.

UCB is to extend its DAB Digital radio broadcasting reach across England and Wales with the addition of five regions which, with its existing London and Stoke licences, will mean that many of the UK's major cities will now be able to hear Christian radio, most of them for the first time.

UCB will commence broadcasting in the new regions on October 1st 2007 taking UCB's potential audience for its Christian radio output on the DAB Digital radio network to just under 30 million adults, according to Ofcom.

MXR Limited, which operates the five DAB Digital radio networks, covering almost 18 million adults, invited UCB to apply for access to their North East, North West, Yorkshire, West Midlands and Severn Estuary regions in March.

'We are really pleased to see UCB become a content provider on our multiplexes,' says Diane Wray, MXR Limited's Managing Director.'UCB is a quality broadcaster and they are bringing something new and exciting to these regions.'

Two Radio Stations
UCB is actually launching two radio stations across the five regions: UCB UK and UCB Inspirational. UCB UK is UCB's 'flagship' station which is currently being broadcast on DAB Digital radio across London and much of Staffordshire.

UCB's 21-year vision for national Christian radio broadcasting remains a driving force for the organisation and its many supporters.

'We set our sights on providing national Christian broadcasting back in 1986 and more recently determined we needed two very different radio formats to ensure we were able to meet the needs of all our supporters, regardless of their age,' says Ian Mackie, UCB's Chief Executive.
'This breakthrough takes us a long way to achieving both objectives.'

Towns and cities able to receive UCB's DAB Digital radio broadcasts for the first time will include Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Lincoln, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and Bath.

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Radio Pulpit Licence Application Published

After years of struggling for a broadcasting-license, details of the Radio Pulpit license-application were published in South Africa's Government Gazette on 9 July.

In this official publication, Radio Pulpit’s application is described as an application for two high-powered medium wave transmitters, one in Western Cape and one in Gauteng and a number of FM frequencies in the other provinces.

The radio station’s core listeners are described as a “community of interest of Christians from all nine provinces in South Africa.”

Stakeholders were invited to make representations known with regards to the application, which means that objections to the application can be lodged, or that support for the license-application can be submitted. The closing date for such representations was the 31st of July.

At the eleventh hour one objection was submitted by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

At the same time a whole lot of letters for support was received by mainstream churches and other organization that support Radio Pulpit’s application. Some of the churches include, Apostolic Faith Mission, Evangelic Alliance, and Independent Churches in Africa, the Reformed Church and Dutch Reformed Church Family. These churches represent thousands of Christian congregations and millions of church members throughout South Africa.

The complaint that the SABC lodged is mainly to do with the fact that they dispute the right of Radio Pulpit to broadcast nationally. This complaint comes despite the fact that the SABC sold airtime to Radio Pulpit for the last seventeen years form 1989 to 2000 to broadcast nationally via the frequency of Radio 2000. This contract came to an end earlier this year.

The SABC also states that with a national broadcasting license Radio Pulpit will have a negative impact on stations such as SAFM and RSG, this despite the fact that the broadcasts of Radio Pulpit is specifically aimed at the Christian Community in South Africa.

The complaint lodged by the SABC has been handed over to Radio Pulpit’s legal team who is preparing Radio Pulpit’s comments. This complaint will probably mean that Icasa’s final decision with regards to the station’s license application will be postponed even further.

According to a spokesperson at Radio Pulpit, the publication of the application by Icasa in the Government Gazette is a breakthrough and has important implications for this Christian broadcaster. For the first time in the twenty seven years of the station’s existence, a measure of legitimacy and acknowledgement is given to the concept of a Christian Radio station that are not limited to a small geographical area but rather extended to an audience that has a multiple listener groupings from all cultural groups and all church denominations.

The application also includes the fact that Radio Pulpit will broadcast in all eleven official languages once the license has been awarded to broadcast nationally - the only station in South Africa to do so.

The publication of the license-application in the Government Gazette is one of the last steps before Icasa makes a final decision about the awarding of the broadcasting license.

Dr Roelf Petersen, CEO of Radio Pulpit, says that the station is keen and ready to implement the license when it is approved. The management and Board of Directors of this Christian broadcaster had the vision years ago to provide for a radio development fund in order to be able to establish a national radio station when the license is awarded and sufficient resources are now in place for this purpose.

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Christian radio BLEW IT!!!

A bloggers opinion

It pains me to say this but Christian radio BLEW IT!!!

Yep, they had their chance and they completely dropped the ball.Remember a few years ago when Mercy Me came out with "I can only imagine" and "Word of God Speak"?

Great songs...huge hits...millions of records sold. "I can only imagine" was being played on Top 40 radio!!! People by the scores were tuning in to Christian radio to get more, more, more...People were hungry for the Word through music and Christian radio didn't deliver.

Why? Money.

Christian radio refuses to put quality programming on their stations because they have to pay for it!

Nothing against the local guys here...I love Cleve Walker to death and think he is one of the most talented and dependable people I have ever worked with. I'm talking about radio on a national level. Have you ever heard Howard Stern?

Ok Ok Ok don't faint.I'm not a regular listener nor do I advocate anyone listening to his show, but, Stern is an incredible talent...yes he is vulgar, yes he is crude, yes his bits are disgusting...but in between that it is compelling radio. It's radio that draws the listener in...no matter the content you are compelled to keep listening!

What does Christian radio have to compare?


Didn't think so.

We have the likes of "Way of the Master" radio. A radio show that takes great pride in blasting preachers, belittling non believers and making Christians doubt their salvation. Sometimes it sounds like they think the only people that are going to be in Heaven are them and Jesus and they're not real sure about Jesus. Honestly I would rather listen to Howard Stern than than these guys.

Actually it doesn't matter whether I listen to Stern or Way of the Master Radio, in both cases I feel like I'm going to hell.

Radio is a huge medium that the Christian world has failed to capitalize on! Think about it, what non believer would listen to 99% of what's on the air today?

According to a Barna study only 16% of adults in the United States listen to Christian radio on a daily basis, and that's in a nation where 86% of people say they are Christian!!! Sadly 46% say they never listen. Ever.

Radio is the most widely used medium in the world and we are failing to use it to its fullest potential so we can save a tax free dollar.

Wake up Christian Radio...the world needs you.

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