Moody Radio Turns 100
On Tuesday, July 28, Moody Radio officially celebrated 100 years of broadcasting in Chicago. The first broadcast of WMBI (90.1 FM Chicago), one of the first noncommercial Christian radio stations, took place on July 28, 1926.
“As we celebrate a century of broadcasting, Moody Radio stands at the intersection of a rich history and a dynamic future,” said Wes Ward, vice president of Moody Radio. Moody Radio is the broadcast ministry of Moody Bible Institute, a Christian Bible college founded in 1886 by 19th century pastor D.L. Moody, and education leader, Emma Dryer. “Moody Radio continues to be an industry leader and a trusted voice in broadcast ministry. When Moody Bible Institute went live on air via Moody Radio it was pioneering new ways to reach wider audiences. We continue in that same spirit today as we seek to reach new and existing audiences with podcasts, social media, apps, websites and other digital channels.”
For the past year, Moody radio has been celebrating a century of broadcasting. In addition to specials such as “52 Names You Should Know” airing weekly across Moody Radio’s network of stations and numerous affiliates, it launched a special web page, “Celebrating 100 Years of Proclaiming the Unstoppable Gospel”, at www.moodyradio.org/100years.
Staff, leadership, and former colleagues of Moody Radio gathered this morning for a special chapel to celebrate and recommission themselves to the future of media ministry for which we all play a role. Additionally, Moody Radio premiered internally The Unstoppable Gospel, a short film telling the rich history of pioneering Christian radio as well as the future related to digital content. Coupled with that, Moody’s publishing division Moody Publishers released This Is Moody Radio which tells the incredible story of Christian broadcasting through the eyes of its pioneers. Written by Kevin Mungons and Phil Shappard, this book is a fast-paced, visual history with hundreds of photos. Readers will quickly grasp Moody Radio’s long commitment to encouraging, uplifting content and community service.
To conclude its 100th year of broadcasting, an open-house style special event at Moody Radio’s home office on the Chicago campus will be held in the Chapman Center. The Unstoppable Gospel will be shown at that time. This event will take place during Moody Bible Institute’s annual Founder’s Week (Oct. 21 – 23), the largest, longest-running free Bible conference in the nation. As details are finalized, they will be shared via www.moodyradio.org, as well as via Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
For more information about Moody Radio and its centennial celebration, please visit www.moodyradio.org/100years.
For a more in depth look at how Moody Radio was started, please visit www.moodybible.org/news/2026/the-inventors-of-christian-radio.
