A Christian NPR
I wish I could make a Christian NPR. I know that may mean I’m getting old, but I love listening to NPR. More specifically, I love KUT, our public radio station here in Austin. It’s a great meshing of NPR/PRI programming and a cool mix of music as well. I just love how intelligent it is. I would love to have an avenue for brilliant believers to talk to me about business, and the economy, and news, and art, and music. I know there are really intelligent Christians out there but I don’t get to benefit from them. I’m not talking about political talkshows, just smart educational programs.
I found myself sitting in the car in my driveway the other morning, because I wanted to hear the end of an article on organic tomatoes. Tomatoes! I don’t know anything about tomatoes. Nor have I ever cared. But this guy did, and he was fascinating. I thought how much more fascinating would this be if it affected my walk with Christ. What if the organic tomato guy was followed by some information on sustainability and a believer’s responsibility in and to the world?
The thing is when I want information on what’s going on in the world, I go to NPR or maybe to BBC. When I want theology, I go to other places, but not on the radio. But what if there was a place that did both well? A group of really intelligent believers, some who focused on theology and some who specialized in other areas. People who could clearly relate their faith to their life and their world.
I definitely would love to have some news, some educational, but some theology and methodology as well. It would be great to hear a segment on the arts or the economy, and then hear a show about grace, with some thoughts from Matt Chandler, or Mark Driscoll, or fill in the blank with whatever Christian teacher or thinker you like.
What if they used the great background music they have on NPR and KUT? That would be awesome. Just cool little snippets that perfectly fit the topic, that pace the whole show. It’s great.
My favorite show is This American Life. As a storyteller, I love the show where they pick a topic and approach it, usually, with three very different stories. A while ago I listened to an episode called Enemy Camp 2010. It was about the idea of being “behind enemy lines”. The first story was about a Catholic monk who would go in after a priest’s debacle and try to put things back together. Then they went to a story about parasites. What? Who would think of that? But it worked. And I just thought about being able to tell stories in creative ways, and then being able to make the point in a more direct way. That would be really effective for me.
And of course, here at KUT, we have two midday music shows that play such a huge variety of music. One day for national barbershop quartet day, the guy played all barbershop music. Weird, but brilliant. We have the Austin music minute were they take a quick look at a band playing in town that week. What if we had a show where they took a half hour or an hour and dig into the story, life, and music of a band or artist you’ve never heard of? What if they took a three hour show and said we’re going to go with a theme. Today all our songs are about The Name of God, and then they played Your Name by Paul Baloche, and No Sweeter Name by Kari Jobe, and Calling Out Your Name by Rich, and The Glory of Your Name by Watermark, and The Name by Aaron Ivey, and Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman, and Call My Name by Third Day, and… You get the idea. And maybe they’d put in a few scripture readings or quotes about the Name of God.
Anyway, that’s just what I’m thinking about. A Christian NPR. Because I listen to NPR and the music stations in town. I wouldn’t ever want to replace KLOVE, or the River, or whatever station is in your town. Both would be needed and good. But I would do the NPR one. Couldn’t call it Christian Public Radio though, because then it would be CPR. And I think that means something else already.
What do you think? If you had an endless supply of funds, what kind of radio station would you start?
Todd
15 Comments
I agree. Moody is somewhat like that although they need to do alittle more!
LOVE IT!
Hey Todd, I know more younger people than old who like NPR, so maybe you’re not as ancient as you think…then again…[jk] 
My husband (both 32 years old) love NPR and think you have a great idea. Especially staying out of the political arena..just intelligent talk mixed with some great music.
If you start something like that (when you run across those unlimited funds), I hope you stream it live, because I’d like to listen.
That would be awesome & even more awesome if it could be broadcasted on satellite radio with the other NPR channels.
Hi Todd. We were blessed to have you in Newport Oregon on the Better Questions tour.
Your thoughts on a Christian NPR are good. There have been many times when I’ve pondered that it would be fun and exciting to work for NPR, because they do produce such a good product. Radio can be a kick!
As for the themes of songs, we do that a lot at Winds of Praise (when we’re there, because we’re so small that we all have to work full time jobs to put beans of the table).
When your in the studio, and in the Spirit, and not subject to a particular playlist, it can be a very powerful time.
If money was no object, that’s where I’d be.
Great idea! I’d love to lend some programming and sales experience if this gets off the ground.
I’m blessed where I live to have several Christian radio stations and two of them are actually talk radio too. One is mostly political the other is not. Then we have 4 music focused stations that also play some talk shows. The concept of christian NPR is great but would never fly in reality due to government funding of all NPR stations. So we are responsible for privately funding our own talk radio stations. I do from time to time listen to local NPR but usually find more worthwhile listening on the listner funded Christian talk stations
I hear ya, but I’m not sure I agree. If there were a Christian NPR, then we might all abandon the other one and find another way to segregate ourselves and “our” music and “our” news.
Maybe K-LOVE and the other stations just need to amp it up a bit, so we can have a wide range of choices!
I am a big time NPR fan. It is the only place to get unbiased news mixed in with a wide range of eclectic interviews! Today I was listening and heard a great interview with Kirk Franklin (yes, on NPR)!
Unfortunately, “Christian” broadcasters think they have to be about one political view point if they include any news or interviews. KLOVE has good music but very few interviews.
Like other posters, I would love to be part of a Christian NPR station! I was on radio/tv for 25 years and yes, I started at an NPR station in Buffalo. My career ended when I wasn’t one-sided or hateful enough. The powers that be did not want even handed balanced interviews so I gave up that part of my life.
Todd you have a great idea … run with it! Hey, I never planned on ministry but God made the call and at age 54 I am second career.
How about Publicly-Christian Radio?
The thing is, I think there are Christians in NPR and in the topics that they cover–but it is just “not done” to have Christians give their beliefs/opinions/facts about anything remotely interesting or informative because the people in charge of the programming think that “the public doesn’t want to hear that stuff from that point of view”. And the few times I’ve heard a Christian given airtime on a Public station (read anti-Christian here) the segment had either a “Christian” who was really way out there in their beliefs (I wondered if they read the same Bible I do) or came off totally crazy/opinionated/uninformed etc. Probably due to editing, but possibly just the selection of the spokesperson. I’ve seen it happen on TV a lot–especially CNN.
It would be great if it could be done though….I would listen to it.
You could do it, Todd. With all of your access to recording equiptment, I bet you could actually do an online station now. The station I used to work for, WWIB, has a sister station, WOGO. It is a talk station, but has some of the aspects you’ve mentioned. http://www.wogo.com/programschedule.asp If you ever seriously want to do it, I could get you some contacts. Another station that has some of the things you’ve mentioned is AFR.
I like the idea of having songs with themes, and then reading scripture, etc. It is difficult to do if the station is a reporting station, because you are supposed to choose from the specific playlist they program each hour.
I would like to listen to the type of station you have suggested. I also think it’d be neat to have some air time, maybe late at night, where you have spontanious worship, or maybe you could stream in the prayer room at the International House Of Prayer.
But really, Todd, you could do it. I’d really like it if there could be a “story time with Todd” program, too! I’d be sure to catch that one! Many times after going to one of your concerts I’ve thought how it’d be so great if you could have a radio program with your messages!
Todd,
That’s sweet, your heart and ideas are shining bright.
CPR – hilarious! 
Hi Todd,
It’s been done:
Moody radio’s Greg Wheatley (sp?) does
“Sounds of Majesty” which is great sacred choral and orchestral music (not musack). He also hosted Moody’s “Prime Time America” which was a weekday news magazine much like NPR, but from a distinctly Christian perspective. Unfortunately, it sounds as though it has gone south. Probably a lot of people, like me, took advantage of the programming, but did not support it. One good thing about Moody is it’s orthodox trinitarian yet broad based support, from 5 point Calvinists to Arminians and Charismatics.
Leave a Reply