The Fish on the Airwaves
Published Sep 20, 2000
In the late 1960s and early '70s, a handful of young hippies had a radical idea: to combine their devout Christian faith with rock music. What if they took that music into the mainstream music culture, playing clubs and getting played on the radio?
Two of these artists, Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill, borrowed $6,000 and made two records. They were talented musicians who didn't know much about distribution, but they were joined by people who did, but who didn't share their passion for getting their music heard by non-Christians.
An industry sprang up around these young artists and many soon found their music targeted, not at the mainstream culture they longed to reach, but at fellow believers. Many celebrated the Christian retreat. Since then, others have come to realize the mistake and have worked to correct it, choosing instead to make music made by Christians easily accessible to people who would never tune into a radio station labeled "Christian."
One such visionary is media mogul Edward Atsinger, president of Salem Communications, which owns hundreds of radio stations across the United States.
When Salem recently purchased a Southern California rock station, Atsinger was faced with a choice: Would he continue to perpetuate the retreat by calling his station a "Christian radio station," running advertisements by "Christian" businesses and playing only music that came out of the Christian music ghetto, effectively alienating non-Christian listeners?
That was the formula that had worked successfully, and Atsinger had plenty of reasons for doing the same thing. Salem had recently purchased a media empire called CCM Communications and it was clearly in his interest to promote the genre known as contemporary Christian music, at the expense of non-Christians who are not in the habit of tuning into Christian music stations.
But Atsinger has chosen a different course. Renaming the old rock station, The Fish, he has turned 95.9 on the Southern California radio dial into a station that plays the hippest, freshest music that reflects his Christian world view without labeling the music CCM.
What is missing from The Fish is almost as notable as what is heard. Gone are the silly advertisements from those businesses using the term "Christian" as a marketing strategy -- "Christian" lawyers, "Christian" doctors and "Christian" gynecologists. Instead, Atsinger airs ads that don't unnecessarily alienate non-Christians who may have tuned in. So far the station is winning rave reviews.
"My 12-year old is no longer listening to KIIS," raves one parent in an on-air promotion, referring to L.A.'s mighty mainstream pop radio station.
The Fish is Atsinger's courageous attempt to break out of the Holy Huddle and allow artists of faith to be heard by real live, non-believers, and its success will depend on listener response.
To be sure, the Fish still has a way to go before it can attract vast numbers of mainstream listeners. Though it doesn't announce them as CCM artists, The Fish still plays mostly music that while hip, is unknown to most non-Christians. But Atsinger has also allowed songs by artists like John Anderson of the rock band Yes, the popular song "Kyrie" by the group Mr. Mister and hit songs from pop sensations Leann Rimes and Faith Hill to be played -- all songs that reflect a Christian world view.
But The Fish will be tested the first time a listener calls to request Van Halen's Fire In The Hole, a song written by the group's Christian singer, based on James chapter 3, or the popular rock band Creed's Arms Wide Open, a song that addresses the abortion issue from a Christian world view.
In the meantime, Atsinger has shown himself to be a man of courage and vision, for whom reaching non-Christians with the Gospel does not take a back seat to making profits for his company. In the process, he may just prove that both can be accomplished simultaneously.
Two of these artists, Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill, borrowed $6,000 and made two records. They were talented musicians who didn't know much about distribution, but they were joined by people who did, but who didn't share their passion for getting their music heard by non-Christians.
An industry sprang up around these young artists and many soon found their music targeted, not at the mainstream culture they longed to reach, but at fellow believers. Many celebrated the Christian retreat. Since then, others have come to realize the mistake and have worked to correct it, choosing instead to make music made by Christians easily accessible to people who would never tune into a radio station labeled "Christian."
One such visionary is media mogul Edward Atsinger, president of Salem Communications, which owns hundreds of radio stations across the United States.
When Salem recently purchased a Southern California rock station, Atsinger was faced with a choice: Would he continue to perpetuate the retreat by calling his station a "Christian radio station," running advertisements by "Christian" businesses and playing only music that came out of the Christian music ghetto, effectively alienating non-Christian listeners?
That was the formula that had worked successfully, and Atsinger had plenty of reasons for doing the same thing. Salem had recently purchased a media empire called CCM Communications and it was clearly in his interest to promote the genre known as contemporary Christian music, at the expense of non-Christians who are not in the habit of tuning into Christian music stations.
But Atsinger has chosen a different course. Renaming the old rock station, The Fish, he has turned 95.9 on the Southern California radio dial into a station that plays the hippest, freshest music that reflects his Christian world view without labeling the music CCM.
What is missing from The Fish is almost as notable as what is heard. Gone are the silly advertisements from those businesses using the term "Christian" as a marketing strategy -- "Christian" lawyers, "Christian" doctors and "Christian" gynecologists. Instead, Atsinger airs ads that don't unnecessarily alienate non-Christians who may have tuned in. So far the station is winning rave reviews.
"My 12-year old is no longer listening to KIIS," raves one parent in an on-air promotion, referring to L.A.'s mighty mainstream pop radio station.
The Fish is Atsinger's courageous attempt to break out of the Holy Huddle and allow artists of faith to be heard by real live, non-believers, and its success will depend on listener response.
To be sure, the Fish still has a way to go before it can attract vast numbers of mainstream listeners. Though it doesn't announce them as CCM artists, The Fish still plays mostly music that while hip, is unknown to most non-Christians. But Atsinger has also allowed songs by artists like John Anderson of the rock band Yes, the popular song "Kyrie" by the group Mr. Mister and hit songs from pop sensations Leann Rimes and Faith Hill to be played -- all songs that reflect a Christian world view.
But The Fish will be tested the first time a listener calls to request Van Halen's Fire In The Hole, a song written by the group's Christian singer, based on James chapter 3, or the popular rock band Creed's Arms Wide Open, a song that addresses the abortion issue from a Christian world view.
In the meantime, Atsinger has shown himself to be a man of courage and vision, for whom reaching non-Christians with the Gospel does not take a back seat to making profits for his company. In the process, he may just prove that both can be accomplished simultaneously.
Originally published September 20, 2000.
