Nationwide song research provides the answer. Listeners score individual songs, and the groups with the most highly rated songs overall rise to the top.

Coming in at No. 1 is Casting Crowns, a group known for powerful storytelling songs that continue to resonate with listeners.

Right behind them is MercyMe, whose long list of radio favorites still scores strongly in listener testing.

Third place goes to Elevation Worship and Elevation Rhythm, followed by legendary band Third Day.

Rounding out the Top Five is global worship favorite Hillsong Worship.

If you love singing along in the car or at church, chances are these groups are already on your playlist.

Coming up in July:  We take a look at the 10 artists Christian listeners love most.  Any guesses on who holds the top spots?

Want to see the latest research on Top Female and Male Christian artists? Catch up with the other articles from this four-part series on our FINNEY’S FAST FIVE page.

The post The Bands Christian Radio Listeners Love to Turn Up first appeared on CMB.

The post The Bands Christian Radio Listeners Love to Turn Up appeared first on CMB.

As jam-packed and exhausting as the week was, the learnings and takeaways were numerous. Here are 3 that have really stuck with me from the week:

The creator economy is booming.

Greg Ashlock from iHeart Media talked about this in session #1. This is a fantastic time to allow the creators on your team to do what they do best – after all, it is their personalities, individual insights, and perspectives that make your station unique. Greg encouraged a focus on micro connections as opposed to macro connections – and I agree. Building strong connections with smaller groups of fans who share similar hobbies/interests or live in the same neighborhood will create much deeper bonds between your personalities and your brand. The win for this coming year will be in empowering your talent to be free to create all they can, and then to encourage them to merge their interests and passions with their air work (more on this in point #3- the value of community).

***This presupposes one key factor***… that you have talent on your team who are dynamic, 3-dimensional people who have opinions and a sense of humor and are fun to be around at parties. If your talent don’t naturally possess these qualities, get them coaching (99 times out of 100 your talent do possess those qualities, it just takes the right person to unlock it in them) or find new talent. Boring, vanilla, or syrupy-spiritual won’t cut through and grab the attention of your busy listeners.

Leaving the margin to create space for the divine intervention.

Tania Bright spoke of creating more margin in our life – stemming from the biblical principle of gleaning. When our schedules are so packed with no white space and no breaks, we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to see the Holy Spirit do something special in us or through us. As a person who is goal oriented (to a fault) and who can drift toward validation in life and work coming from a full schedule, jumping from meeting to meeting and call to call, this point touched a nerve. Being busier than the other guy doesn’t make you a better PD, and it doesn’t make the Lord any happier with you than He already is.

The Value of Community.

The opportunity to reconnect and be present with people I know and love is invaluable. Throughout the week, I was thankful to talk programming challenges and strategy with really smart people, as well as share about significant life events taking place in my world with people who care about us. Simultaneously, I feel honored to help carry burdens of others walking through extreme difficult seasons. Others tell me this too – that beyond access and education, community is one of the most valuable aspects of CMB membership.

The reality is that none of us are unique in our desire for connection. We all need it. Just as you and I long for meaningful relationships, so do our listeners. And Christian radio occupies a unique position to help grow those connections. This year, let’s be intentional about creating opportunities for community, both within our teams and among our listeners. If your station becomes the catalyst for friendships, encouragement, and lasting relationships, you’ll earn a place in people’s lives that goes far beyond what comes through their speakers.

Cheers to a productive programming week!

The post 3 Takeaways from Momentum 2026 first appeared on CMB.

The post 3 Takeaways from Momentum 2026 appeared first on CMB.

But there’s another meaning.

In code, everything that follows the symbol belongs to what came before it. What comes next is part of something larger than itself. 

As broadcasters, programmers, leaders, and storytellers, that’s the question we should be asking ourselves: What comes next? Not what inspired us. Not what challenged us. Not what we learned. What will we do because of it?

Our community is no stranger to uncertainty. Every year brings new technology, new platforms, and new predictions about what will replace us.

Yet one message continues to surface:

The greatest threat to radio is not technology.

It’s settling. Settling for outdated playbooks. Settling for safe content. Settling for assumptions about our audience. Settling for the belief that our best days are behind us.

Let’s reject that narrative. Because while the world is changing, people are still searching. They are searching for hope. Searching for belonging. Searching for meaning. Searching for truth.

Gen Z is showing renewed interest in faith. College campuses are experiencing revival. Young adults are asking deeper questions and looking for authentic answers. They are searching for something real.

The challenge for broadcasters is simple: Will we be ready when they tune in? Will we continue creating content for the audience we used to have, or will we learn how to connect with the audience God is bringing us today? Will we spend our energy defending radio, or demonstrating its value? Will we focus on preserving what was, or building what could be?

Innovation begins long before technology. It begins with courage…the courage to try something new, to tell better stories, to rethink assumptions, and to create content that connects rather than content that merely fills space.

People don’t need more content. They need more connection. 

In a world overflowing with information, authentic human connection has become increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.

That’s where radio still shines. Because a trusted voice, a meaningful story, and hope still matters. And because listeners are looking for more than entertainment. They’re looking for someone who understands them.

Consider this:

What is one thing you need to stop doing because it’s no longer serving your mission?

What is one risk you’ve been afraid to take?

What is one listener you’re not reaching today?

What is one story waiting to be told?

What is one conversation God is inviting you to have?

Because the future of Christian radio will be built by the people who are willing to change. The greater than symbol does not compare. It points forward, marks a threshold, and signals that something new is about to be revealed. 

We believe that God’s plans for our industry are far greater than what we can imagine. The greater than symbol points forward. So should we.

The post Greater Than first appeared on CMB.

The post Greater Than appeared first on CMB.

In Christian media, it can be easy to spend so much time creating encouragement for others that we forget our own need to be encouraged. We spend our days serving audiences, leading teams, solving problems, navigating change, and faithfully showing up for the mission God has given us. Momentum gives us the rare opportunity to pause and gather with people who truly understand that calling.

That is what makes Momentum so meaningful.

In just a short time, broadcasters, programmers, air talent, digital leaders, fundraisers, and ministry partners from across the country will gather in Orlando—not simply to attend another conference, but to reconnect around a shared purpose. We come from different organizations, different markets, and different experiences, yet we are united by one mission: using media to point people toward Jesus. Who has a better mission than that?

And let’s be honest: for many of us (me!), attending a conference requires at least three internal pep talks, one canceled plan to “protect our energy,” and a promise that we can hide in our hotel room for exactly 17 minutes after a meal. Christian media may be powered by extroverts on-air, but behind the scenes? A surprising number of us would happily communicate entirely through carefully worded emails.

And yet, we come anyway. Because this matters.

What excites me most about Momentum 2026 is the combination of inspiration, practical growth, and authentic community. The CMB team has put together a lineup that reflects the challenges and opportunities we are facing. We will hear from leaders who understand culture, leadership, spiritual health, innovation, and the importance of staying rooted in Christ while navigating an ever-changing landscape and the future of our work.

But if you have attended Momentum before, you know the real impact often happens in conversations over coffee. In hallway discussions after a session sparks a new idea. In the moments where someone shares a challenge you thought only your team was facing. This is our reminder that none of us are carrying this work alone.

There is something powerful about being surrounded by people who believe deeply in the mission of Christian media. Momentum reminds us that what we do is not just programming, marketing, fundraising, or content creation. Lives are impacted every single day through these ministries. Thank you, God!

I am looking forward to seeing you and pray that Momentum 2026 rejuvenates your vision for the work, enabling you to lead more effectively when you return home.

And if you see me quietly standing alone with a caffeinated beverage before the first session of the morning, just know I’m emotionally preparing to network. One brave conversation at a time.

The post Why This Community Matters first appeared on CMB.

The post Why This Community Matters appeared first on CMB.

“Time is short.  People need Jesus.”  

The Holy Spirit used those six words to prick my heart about reaching our Spanish-speaking community with the Gospel.  For years we had talked about reaching Hispanics for Christ by starting a Spanish Christian radio station, but as I ran the numbers on my spreadsheet, the math just didn’t add up.  How could we fund it without endangering the rest of the ministry?  We don’t even have one Hispanic on our team, Lord!  We don’t have money to purchase a signal, and there’s not one available anyway.

We took the leap of faith and God continues to faithfully provide our every need along the way:  the signal, the team, the finances.  He is always faithful.  Seldom early, by our standards, but always on time by His.

The need for Spanish Christian radio is so great!  

Hispanics are the fastest growing group in the United States and they love radio!  According to the Nielsen Audio Today 2026 report, 93% of Hispanics still listen to the radio.  With the growing number of Hispanics and their passion for radio, this is a fresh opportunity for the Gospel to be spread in a meaningful and real way.  God has brought the mission field to our door steps!

A recent Katz Radio Group study shows that radio is the most trusted media platform among Hispanics and that the connection they have with on-air personalities is greater than any other demographic group.  Listening to Christian radio in their heart language, they feel that connection with one another and with the Lord as well.  We hear story after story bearing that out.  Even if they have learned English, bilingual Hispanics pray and worship the Lord in their heart language of Spanish.  

San Juana, a Fuzión listener, explained it to me like this, “When I listen to KVNE music, I can understand part of it, but not everything.  It’s not the same as listening in our language.  Now with Fuzión we can understand everything!  There are no missing words that we don’t understand.  It makes me cry, makes me lift my hands, and even though I don’t dance, sometimes it just makes me dance because of the emotion and connection with the music.”

San Juana shared, “My husband had a lot of bad experiences at church, so he just stopped going.   My opportunity for him to listen to the Gospel is when I turn on Fuzión radio in his truck in the language he understands.”  Her story is a great illustration of just how powerful a tool it is to share encouragement, hope and the Gospel through music in the heart language of Spanish. 

As we took that leap of faith and started Spanish Christian radio, I never could have never imagined all that God would do to touch so many hearts.  Fuzión radio now extends to stations across Southern California, Las Vegas, Albuquerque – and this summer we launch Fuzión in Dallas/Fort Worth!  This seven-year journey has been an incredible reminder that, “Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.”  (Ephesians 3:20)

The post Time is short. People need Jesus. first appeared on CMB.

The post Time is short. People need Jesus. appeared first on CMB.

As Hispanic communities continue to grow throughout the U.S., ministries are recognizing new opportunities to serve listeners through faith-filled, culturally relevant programming. 

By the Numbers:

• 1,300+ U.S. radio stations air some type of Spanish Christian content
• Hispanic Americans make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population
• 72% of Spanish-language media consumers regularly listen to radio
• One of the fastest-growing presences in major and emerging markets

Ministries like Fuzión, Inspiracom, Kinship Radio Español, La Z, MyBridge Español, Radio Luz, Radio Nueva Vida, Tu Familia Network, Vida Unida, and many more are faithfully serving their communities while helping shape the future of Spanish Christian radio. Through local outreach, music, teaching, and community engagement, these ministries are creating spaces where listeners can find hope and grow in their faith.

And the momentum continues to build.

More ministries are exploring how to launch Spanish-language platforms, strengthen existing stations, and better serve Hispanic audiences in their local communities. That’s one reason we’re excited to continue the conversation at Momentum later this month.

Whether you’re already serving in Spanish Christian radio or beginning to explore what a Spanish-language ministry platform could look like, Momentum is designed to create space for ministry leaders to learn from one another, share ideas, and discover practical next steps together.

Sessions will include conversations around:

• Building a Spanish CCM station
• Learning from established ministries
• Serving Hispanic communities effectively
• Exploring opportunities for future growth

We’d love for you to join us at Momentum. Registration closes this Friday, May 15.

The post Celebrating Spanish Christian Radio first appeared on CMB.

The post Celebrating Spanish Christian Radio appeared first on CMB.

The rankings come from song testing, where listeners score songs they hear on the radio. Artists with more songs that consistently receive strong scores naturally climb higher on the list.

Landing firmly at No. 1 is Chris Tomlin, whose massive catalog of worship favorites continues to resonate.

At No. 2 is Jeremy Camp, followed by Phil Wickham.

Rounding out the Top Five are Matt Maher and Zach Williams, two artists whose heartfelt songs keep scoring high with audiences.

In short, these artists have built impressive catalogs of songs listeners love — and that keeps them near the top of Christian radio research.

Last month, we reviewed the top female artists. Coming up in June: We take a look at the bands Christian listeners can’t get enough of. Which bands do you think will top the list?

The post The Guys Who Rule Christian Radio (According to Listeners) first appeared on CMB.

The post The Guys Who Rule Christian Radio (According to Listeners) appeared first on CMB.

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. 

The post What Artists Wish Programmers Knew first appeared on CMB.

The post What Artists Wish Programmers Knew appeared first on CMB.

Here are a few takeaways you should be thinking about right now:

1. 1. Talent is still the ultimate differentiator. The talent you hire today looks completely different than it did even five years ago. 
   2. Being good on air isn’t enough anymore. Talent MUST think like content creators, not just DJs. This needs to be part of their job description.
   3. AI isn’t the threat. Complacency is. How are we responding to AI driven discovery and content consumption? 
   4. Radio is still a powerful tool for discovery, but it is no longer the center. Listeners are also finding music through social, streaming, and culture.
   5. Content is greater than platform. Hits are built across radio, streaming, social, culture and touring. We have to think in terms of content ecosystems, artist storytelling, and multi-platform amplification. 
   6. The opportunity is greater than what we’ve known. Younger audiences won’t come automatically. We have to intentionally create content that invites them in. 
   7. Great programmers now think in terms of stories, moments, and experiences.
   8. Artist partnerships are more important than ever. The strongest stations help tell the artist’s story, not just play their songs. 
   9. Discovery still matters, but it’s evolving. Radio breaks artists early, but social, streaming and fans now shape traction. 
   10. The opportunity is still massive for radio, but the window is now. Radio is at a crossroads, yet still holds unmatched reach, trust and influence. 

The stations that win will:

• Invest heavily in talent development
• Think beyond the mic 
• Be intentional about audience growth
• Move faster than the industry’s comfort zone
• Recognize that the future won’t be decided by technology, but by talent and content. 

These are the conversations we’ll continue at Momentum. What’s ahead is GREATER THAN where we’ve been, and it will require us to think differently and take some risks.

The post 10 Things Every Programmer Should Be Thinking About Right Now first appeared on CMB.

The post 10 Things Every Programmer Should Be Thinking About Right Now appeared first on CMB.

In recent weeks with the release of Techsurvey 2026, we have published a lot of updated data about radio’s journey. And because this is the 22nd year Jacobs Media has conducted this national study of core radio listeners, some of these trending reports are absolutely breathtaking, generating comments and theories from all corners of the industry. And some of them are full of vitriol and anger, casting blame for radio’s supposed demise in lots of different directions.

The chart above, for example, should make everyone in radio—from corporate execs to the part-time voicetracker—hit the brakes. This year in TS 26, we set a new record for “connected car” ownership. Now, four in ten respondents (40%) drive these vehicles. You can clearly see how having more in-vehicle options while driving has impacted radio listening. Given that even entry-level vehicles are now “well-connected,” this trend will only accelerate as consumers replace their older cars, SUVs, and trucks.

So, how do we think about radio’s future, amidst challenging financial quarters, companies flirting with bankruptcies, and mega-mergers on the horizon?

First and foremost, I am of the belief that radio has many more chapters ahead of it. They may end up being different from the past stories of glory and they will undoubtedly star a different cast of characters (myself included). On the face of it, this is a healthy circumstance. But as new leadership emerges, it may be helpful for them to have a strong grasp of how radio got here. And even better, how a newly imagined radio platform can avoid the speed bumps, sand traps, and most certainly the black holes that have characterized many past missteps.

That means studying the past few decades to not only identify some of the root causes of broadcast radio’s travails, but to also provide a hierarchy—identifying the most impactful events, circumstances, and decisions that have disrupted the industry over these years.

Today’s blog post is wonkier than most. And I purposely posted it on a Friday to provide for the possibility of some weekend reading and processing. When you consider some of the tectonic shifts that have most affected the health and well-being of the broadcast radio industry over these many years, it turns out there are many factors at play.

Enter Robert Minton. We may have crossed paths at one point or another, likely while both of us were working with WIMZ in Knoxville. But as I’ve learned, Robert’s background is more diverse than most of us who have spent the prime of our lives in one form of radio or another.

Robert’s career accomplishments include national network strategy, sponsorship, promotions, audience development, SaaS, and agency operations. He has been in leadership positions with Disney, the ABC Radio Networks, and Citadel Media among others. As he explained to me, Robert has focused on developing “a broader view of how technology, agencies, brands, and audience behavior have reshaped the media business.”

JacoBLOG readers know I am fascinated by these big picture analyses of where we are and how we got here. The work of Evan Shapiro and his dynamic media maps have been featured here numerous times over the years because they help our broader understanding of radio’s place in the media and entertainment universe.

Robert reached out to me earlier this week with a chart and lots of theories. His premise is to list the factors that have contributed to the diminishment of broadcast radio over the years, and create a hierarchy of their importance. In other words, what has been the relative rank of their impact on the industry? Which of these tectonic shifts are the true “smoking guns?”

The version he sent me (posted below) is an update on the original, leaning harder into the premise that radio’s rough patch hasn’t just been due to tech disruption (i.e., the smartphone, streaming, satellite radio, podcasts, etc.) but also to “self-inflicted wounds” that include some of the following policies and factors:

• the loss of emotional differentiation
• the weakening of local identity
• defensive programming strategies and behaviors
• reduced novelty and discovery
• sameness fatigue
• the erosion of companionship and community feeling

Robert’s new model also places greater weight on the following:

• locality
• playlist narrowing
• discovery reduction
• artist ecosystem collapse
• physical market presence

These are indices, so the closer to 100, the greater the impact on the radio industry. Robert didn’t just assign these numbers via gut. He has developed an elaborate “methodology” that shows his work and his thought process. I’ve linked it here.  

So, on the one hand, digital disruption gets the most weight (blame) for negatively impacting radio, while “reduced DJ autonomy & curation authority” earns the least impact (of those included) in radio’s big picture.

What’s missing from Robert Minton’s list of tectonic shifts? I wonder about the external global factors that have taken their toll on the radio broadcasting industry, and where they might fit into the above group of “culprits.” The “Great Recession” of ’08/’09 comes to mind, as does COVID and its impact on lifestyles, media consumption, and commuting patterns. And is it too early to start factoring in AI to Robert’s weights and measures?

I also believe sweeping changes in automotive dashboard technology belong on Robert’s list. Tectonic shifts in the auto industry impact radio’s future. As our Techsurvey 2026 chart above clearly shows, there appears to be a relationship between the proliferation of “connected cars,” and slipping time-spent listening to AM/FM radio in vehicles. Considering the car is still the #1 listening location for radio, this strikes me as a key factor.

Whether you agree or disagree with Robert Minton’s premise, choices, and methodology, his work aims to frame the conversations taking place every day in and out of radio circles. As he noted when he first sent me his materials, his work would make for a great “super session” at a conference where perhaps a “town meeting” style discussion could be moderated to lend more clarity to where we’ve been, and how the medium can best progress.

I hope this post is the start of those conversations—within companies, on social media, and throughout broadcast radio’s many organizations.

The world may be shifting underneath our feet. But understanding these quantum changes and factoring them into our future strategic work can produce better outcomes for radio.

Thanks to Robert Minton. Chris Brunt created a stylized version of his chart (below):

Link to Original Source

The post Radio’s Tectonic Shifts first appeared on CMB.

The post Radio’s Tectonic Shifts appeared first on CMB.