What is the best question you’ve been asked in a radio interview? What’s the worst question?

• Artist 1: Best: David A Dein once asked about a specific lyric in one of my songs. It made me feel so cared for, and I had a great story to tell about it too! Worst: “So, do you think you’ve peaked in your career?”
• Artist 2: Best: Sarah Taylor once asked me about something from my childhood, it wasn’t even in my bio, She had CALLED people at the label to get special stuff to ask me. It made that interview so much fun. Worst: “So, what do you wanna talk about today?” I felt like I was interrupting their day and wasting their time. 
• Artist 3: Best: Oooh, I can’t think of a specific question off the top of my head – but my favorite questions are thoughtful and specific. There was a wonderful interviewer years ago that would really do their research and find out personal things about us and that was always really fun bc of the intentionality behind it. We appreciate that effort quite a bit. Worst: What does your band name mean?  lol (& every night of tour). Or any other generic question we get every day. 

What makes you feel valued when you go to a station visit? What makes you feel devalued?

• Artist 1: Valued: I love being taken around to meet the staff. Everyone coming out of their offices for a moment and getting to look in their eyes. It’s fun to meet everybody. Devalued: It’s not always fun to be rushed in like cattle and rushed out. I know everyone’s busy, it’s rare, but there’s a station or 2 that felt more cold than a visit with a lawyer.  
• Artist 2: Valued: Anything that shows planning. To be thought of ahead of time makes me feel valued. Devalued: It’s somewhat hurtful when a meeting has been set for sometime and for whatever reason they haven’t even listened to the song I’m there for. I get in my head and in my feelings when that happens. “They’re probably right, I’m not even worth 3 minutes of their time” the voices in my head say. 
• Artist 3: Valued: Intentionality conversation, seeing and greeting all those behind the scenes that we don’t get to see as often, catching up with everyone on a personal level. It’s also always really nice when they know the song we are promoting, haha!  Really, it’s just the best to genuinely connect with people over our shared passions of Jesus and music. Devalued:  No interview, not knowing the songs, not well prepped for interviews. PD’s not coming out of their offices. (Lol – it’s happened  ) It’s rare though! 

What has been the most meaningful or memorable thing to happen during any radio related activity?

• Artist 1: A kid that won a special meet and greet through the station passed out 30 seconds into the meeting. We later came to find out the kid had medical issues that this happened somewhat regularly… but I’ll never forget it!
• Artist 2: I love being part of memorable moments in people’s lives. A station once worked it out with a couple of their super fan listeners that I got to be part of a couple’s proposal. I had the MOST fun. 
• Artist 3: I think hearing the stories from local listeners about how songs have impacted their lives. It’s never lost on me what an incredible privilege it is to be able to do what we do and I’m so humbled that God continues to use all of us for this work. 

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– Emily Thevarajoo, Digital Content Director, KCBI

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Prefer to read? Here’s a summary:

A recent Yahoo Finance headline said it all — “Streaming Faith: How Cedarville Alumni Are Expanding Christian Radio Reach.” It’s a reminder of just how much momentum this industry is carrying right now. Cedarville alumni are making their mark through outlets like Caleb, the River, Air One, and Way FM, and it’s exciting to see the next generation of media leaders already making such a significant impact.

And there is truly a lot to celebrate. Stations like KLRC in Fayetteville, K-LOVE’s KLTY in Dallas, and 104.9 in Spokane are all hitting number one. Artists are experiencing major life moments — Ben Fuller is engaged, Emerson Day is pregnant, and Peter Burton landed his first number one! On a more personal note, many in the community have been praying for David Leonard’s daughter River, and seeing her home and healthy after her heart issues is a beautiful reminder of the power of prayer.

The excitement doesn’t stop there — the data backs it all up. According to the mainstream Jacobs Media Techsurvey, personalities continue to outpace music as the primary reason people tune in. And Christian radio’s net promoter score sits at an incredible 82, with the next closest format, public radio, coming in at 70. People don’t just support what you do — they love it. Christian radio isn’t just the fourth largest format, it’s the fastest growing, and there has never been a better time to be part of it!

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– Craig Vinson, Instructor & General Manager of Resound Radio, Cedarville University

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Jerry Woods, Director of Marketing & Morning Show Host, WGTS 91.9
“One of the most powerful things we get to do is point the spotlight at big needs and ask our audience to help meet those needs. In 2025, when the government shut down, many people in the Washington, DC, region didn’t get paid for more than a month. We had people with six-figure salaries who hadn’t been paid in six weeks and were having problems putting food on the table. WGTS listeners stepped up and donated over 20,000 pounds of food, and Convoy of Hope gave another 50,000 pounds, and together we were able to feed thousands of people in our community.”

TJ Jackson, Community Engagement Director, Life 88.5
“One in seven families in Kansas City experiences food insecurity and may not know where their next meal will come from. During the eight Tuesdays leading up to Thanksgiving, Life 88.5 hosted eight Terrific Tuesday food drop-off locations across the listening area, encouraging listeners to care intentionally for their neighbors. Listeners responded by providing a record 10+ tons of food (20,096 pounds) throughout Terrific Tuesday. All food remained in the communities where it was collected, strengthening neighborhood food networks.”

Jennifer Bailey, VP of Marketing & Community Connections, Encouragement Media Group
“While larger cities often get most of the attention, we made a deliberate effort this summer to show up in smaller communities across our listening area. Through consistent on-air promotion, we invited listeners to meet us in their towns, with each stop also featured online so people could easily see when we’d be nearby. Partnering with local coffee shops, our promotions team and on-air personalities created space for prayer, conversation, and genuine connection over a cup of coffee. The response was incredibly encouraging – we even marked each stop on a large office map to visualize the reach. Because of that strong engagement, Small Town Summer Stops is becoming an annual outreach, with plans to expand through a Summer Stop Tour T-shirt and listener voting to help choose our next destinations.”

Haley Radeka, Director of Brand & Marketing, The JOY FM
“Miracle on Your Street was a promotion new to The JOY FM in 2025.  We had over 6500 entries, thousands of real families and individuals who responded to the opportunity to have their rent or mortgage paid for 3 months in 2026. The winners included a single mom of twins, a dad supporting his wife through cancer and job loss, a sister raising her nephews, a widow and soon-to-be grandma, and a single mom recently out of a tumultuous relationship. With support from a local credit union, The JOY FM awarded 5 families across our 5 states, totaling more than $30,000. The best part, though, was that we got to step into the lives of everyday listeners, share their stories, and be the answer to prayers for provision that have been prayed for a long time. Our hope is to expand this promotion in the future and share more stories with our listening community.”

Marina Rojas, Promotions & Marketing Director, Spirit Radio
“We worked with our local Minor League Baseball team to co-host Sunday Family Fun-days. We promoted all the Sunday games, and were given 200 tickets a game to donate to local youth groups and churches. It was a great way to connect with the local church and provide an experience for smaller congregations that wouldn’t normally be able to have a group outing like that. The ballpark saw a spike in attendance on a day they usually do not, our local churches got a free experience, and we got brand exposure on a larger scale.”

Inspired by these stories? Noise Makers Vol. II is packed with creative ideas from across Christian radio to help you bring moments like these to life in your own community.

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– Joe Pitt, National Music Director, Moody Radio

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Simmons is also widely recognized for her heart for service. As the founder of the “I’m Me Foundation”, she has dedicated herself to empowering middle and high school girls through leadership development. A graduate of Houston Christian University, she is currently deepening her impact by pursuing a Master of Divinity at Fuller Seminary.

“Joining Hope Media Group feels both humbling and exciting,” said Simmons. “I have long respected the organization’s commitment to meeting people where they are with messages of hope and faith. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve listeners and contribute to this incredible ministry.” The move marks a significant addition to the KSBJ and Worship 24/7 talent rosters, blending professional broadcast excellence with a profound commitment to spiritual growth and community engagement.

“J.J.’s love for people and her passion for sharing Hope make her a natural fit for our ministry,” said Jeff Evans, Vice President of Radio for Hope Media Group. “We’re excited for listeners to experience her heart not only on KSBJ but also through Worship 24/7, where worship continues to draw people closer to God.”

About Hope Media Group

Hope Media Group is a family of brands that engage people to love Jesus, serve others, and spread Hope through radio, events, online content, and mobile apps. Its platforms include KSBJ/Houston, the WayFM and Worship 24/7 national networks, Spanish-language Christian network Vida Unida, digital content outlets NGEN Radio (Christian hip-hop and pop), Hope Nation, WAYLOUD (Christian rock), the God Listens Prayer App, and a concert and event producer, Hope Events. For more information, visit www.hopemediagroup.com.

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Wright Media Group is not rolling into Spring, 2026 quietly. The firm announced a major expansion this week, assembling what President Brian Wright calls a “street-level alliance team” designed to help broadcasters win in ratings and revenue right now, in what he believes is radio’s most critical and opportune moment in decades.
Wright says, “Local radio, done correctly, has its greatest opportunity in nearly a century because many are satisfied with just being average and listeners don’t gravitate to average.”

“For the last few years I have been looking for the right timing and the right people,” Wright said. “All of this came together within the last few months.” Wright didn’t hedge on the industry outlook.

“We all believe local radio has its greatest opportunity ever, starting right now. While others debate the challenges, WMG is conquering them. We build custom plans that help stations reach their highest levels of ratings and revenue. Many radio stations are moving away from what makes radio great. We do just the opposite.”

This expansion brings together nearly two centuries of combined experience across programming, ownership, sales leadership, marketing, newsroom management, and digital strategy.

The New Team:

Scott Meier: A 50+ year industry veteran with experience in markets ranging from 2,000 to 17 million people. He has strong experience in ownership, management, and strategic growth leadership across radio and television.

Kevin Walker: A 30+ year broadcaster with senior leadership experience in programming and sales. Background spans multiple markets plus video production and podcasting, aligning programming and revenue in today’s evolving audio ecosystem.

Wes Bleed: A 30+ year broadcaster including the legendary WGN Radio in Chicago. Wes is a specialist in podcasting, video & Marketing & Communications. Wes brings executive-level media strategy and brand clarity expertise in all forms of media.

Rebecca Wildeboer: Client Relations Director specializing in integrated marketing strategy, community positioning, and measurable engagement growth.

Wright says the firm’s philosophy is simple: Strategy without execution doesn’t move ratings or revenue. “Our industry does not need more commentary,” Wright said. “It needs leadership, precision, and belief. Local radio wins when it decides to win.”

Contact Wright Media Group at 616-498-2651 or brian@wrightmediagroup.net. Website: wrightmediagroup.net

*Photos in the link below

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Why It Matters

The weeks surrounding Easter consistently represent one of the most significant times of the year for Christian music engagement. Listeners are naturally drawn to songs that point them to hope, redemption, and the resurrection story.

Christian Music Month builds on that momentum by encouraging fans to listen, share, and rediscover the music that strengthens their faith. It’s also an opportunity for stations to spotlight the artists and songs that continue to shape the Christian music landscape.

How Stations Can Participate

Christian Music Month is a collaborative effort across the Christian music industry, bringing together artists, labels, streaming platforms, tours, and radio. Stations have a unique opportunity to help amplify this celebration within their community.

Stations can participate by:

• Highlighting Christian Music Month on-air and online
  
• Featuring artists and songs that have impacted listeners’ faith
  
• Sharing stories about the role Christian music plays in people’s lives
  
• Encouraging listeners to engage with and share the music they love
  

By leaning into this moment together, Christian radio can continue to lead the way in connecting audiences with music that points them to Jesus.

Resources for Stations

To help stations participate, Christian Music Month resources and artist liners are available for download: https://christianmusicmonth.com/resources 

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