Since the 1999 and 2000 meetings, Christian radio news directors have also initiated an email list-serve to promote dialogue and improved news coverage. To participate in the list-serve, contact: Greg Yoder gyoder@gospelcom.net
At the 2000 Inspo Conference, the leaders of the National Religious Broadcasters at that time sat down face to face with the Christian radio news directors to discuss the future of news. Then NRB chairman Wayne Pederson and NRB vice president Michael Glenn heard first hand
the eagerness of news veterans to develop an expanded news presence within Christian broadcasting.
...
News is just starting to come into its own within the realm of Christian
broadcasting. The opportunity to bring together these two top executives with
almost two dozen of Christian radio's most experienced news hands was the
highlight of this year's SCRIBE Conference. The SCRIBE Conference is also
known as the News Track of the annual SkyLight INSPO Conference.
...
There were other promising sessions, of course. "How to talk Minnesotan" at the Plymouth Playhouse was instructive. The dialogue with Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission was insightful. The Internet workshop, with the trading of helpful website addresses, was also very informative.
...
But it was truly inspiring to get a vision for where Christian broadcasting might be heading in terms of news coverage. Especially to hear Michael Glenn
say that news has to be more than one workshop within the NRB convention. At
least somebody said it.
...
As monumental as this event was for NRB news trends it's important to
acknowledge two things. Number one, some significant progress has already been
made in terms of news in Christian broadcasting. And number two, significant
developments take time and patience is important.
...
One of the most significant developments within NRB has been the regular
news workshops that have been a part of the last three national conventions.
The news awards that have been given for two years were also acknowledged,
although admittedly the selection process needs to be improved.
...
Michael Glenn suggested to the news broadcasters that, in terms of the NRB,
they should at least temporarily stay under the authority of the Radio
Committee where they have been represented for the past two years by SCRIBE
editor Gordon Govier. He added that the confusion over just how organized the
group was could be dealt with by disbanding the "Christian Radio News Association" (see part two of this article) in favor of a more informal name such as the News Forum.
...
Such an informal group might get a more receptive hearing from NRB's
executive committee related to the possibility of its own future NRB
Committee. Glenn reiterated that such initiatives take time to develop, and
gave several recent examples.
...
Glenn reported that two thirds of the NRB memberships come from radio
ministries. The remaining third come from television, the internet, etc. And
while news within Christian broadcasting has primarily developed within radio
there is a news program at CBN television. News is also becoming a part of
some Christian websites.
...
A number of ideas were thrown out for draw more attention to news within
NRB:
-- highlighting news issues & innovations in NRB magazine, either through a
regular column, in Trade Talk, or a news themed issue of the magazine.
-- improve the process of selecting NRB news award winners.
-- create a Christian radio news website with links and resources and link it to the NRB website.
-- try to get more vendors of news related tools to NRB convention, to attract more news people.
-- develop a news category of listings within the NRB directory.
...
-- instead of a news workshop at the NRB convention, some year do a news
bootcamp.
-- develop a listserv so that Christian radio news people can network by
Email.
As stated above, the latter idea was implemented right after the INSPO conference by Greg
Yoder, of Mission Network News. To become a part of the Christian Radio News
List, Email Greg at:
gyoder@cornerstone.edu
.
The first executive committee of the new organization consists of broadcast journalists with experience in both covering local news and serving radio news clients: Chad Bresson of CDR Radio, Cedarville Ohio; Pierre Chestang of WMBI & the Moody Radio Network, Chicago; Greg Yoder of Mission Network News and WCSG Radio, Grand Rapids Michigan and Gordon Govier of SCRIBE newsletter and WNWC Radio, Madison Wisconsin.
Gordon Govier is serving as the interim president of the new organization until elections can be held. He has been an award-winning news director at WNWC radio for the past 18 years and has published SCRIBE newsletter as a resource for Christian radio news professionals for the past 13 years. He is a member of the National Religious Broadcasters Radio Committee, the Radio Television News Directors Association and president of the Madison Wisconsin Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Govier said that this meeting, which served as the news track for the Northwestern College/SkyLight Network INSPO conference for Christian broadcasters, may have been the largest meeting of Christian radio news people in history. "People often ask me how many Christian radio news people there are," he said. "Up until now there's really been no way to tell. But news is a very important component of broadcasting and it's finally getting the recognition and attention it deserves among Christian broadcasters. I believe it plays an important role in the viability of commercial and non-commercial stations. I also think it's also impossible for Christians to be the kind of salt and light Jesus commands us to be, without being adequately informed."
The Christian Radio News Association will be developed under the authority of, and with the guidance and cooperation of, the National Religious Broadcasters, headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. It's anticipated the next meeting of the CRNA will be at the INSPO 2000 conference in St. Paul Minnesota, at which elections will be held and by-laws approved.
Other participants in the two day conference, on the St. Paul campus of Northwestern College, included:
Jim Bennett, KJLY Radio, Blue Earth MN
Jeff Rupp, KNWC Radio, Sioux Falls SD
Ted Miraglia, Family Life Network, Bath NY
Margaret Caldwell, WCTL Radio, Erie PA
Bob Kellogg, KWBI Radio, Morrison CO
Harlan Reinders, WHEM, Eau Claire WI
Monte Larrick, WMBI, Chicago IL
Bill Nance, WFCJ, Dayton OH
Don Rupp, SkyLight Network, St. Paul MN
Chuck Pollak, Northwestern College, St. Paul MN
Bruce Kinde, KWIM, Window Rock AZ
Brenda Campbell, WHPL, Lafayette IN
Douglas Poll, WSMR, Sarasota FL
Gary Bittner, WCRF, Cleveland OH
For more information on SCRIBE and/or news in Christian broadcasting, contact Gordon Govier: scribe@broadcast.net