A Rose by any Other Name

(My random musings on relevancy of GR)

Gospel Rewind has become a bit of a misnomer. In a way it limits what this weblog is all about. At one time the name captured what I wanted to write. Now, in order to expand my subject matter I’ve considered a new blog entirely.

What is ‘Rewind all about? Well, mainly it captures my experiences in radio and music both as a participant and observer. The problem a lot of people see the term “Gospel” differently. Gospel to the mainstream media connotes the work of African American singing talents only, while ignoring the other traditions of the genre. With the exception of the Happy Goodman family in the 60’s and 70’s and some Nashville Network (on cable in the 80’s and 90’s) I can not recall any major television network coverage of Southern Gospel.  The New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles based news media are just unaware.

Playing the Southern format on radio has been for me an uphill battle. This form of music I learned to like as part of my job will probably never have the exposure of some better promoted artists. The one time I delved into a secular format in 1991 I was a fish out of water. I flopped and shortly left the station feeling that I betrayed the Gospel community.

The eclectic collection of music I listen to in my home and car would never work as a radio format. Most Disk Jockeys I’ve known have broad tastes just as I do and will tell you that they don’t necessarily groove to the same tunes you hear them air. It’s the same as a guy who works in a pizza place does not always dine on pizza. The problem with my career path is that I dined on too much of the same things and limited my options in radio. A lot of good Christian folks find the following notion taboo. My insistence on remaining in Christian radio limited me. When I left the business the first time 14 years ago I transitioned into retail. I didn’t sell “Christian” auto parts. I sold to people, without considering their religious leanings. Why then would I feel so guilty playing secular music? Retailing so long has given me a perspective on my former career that I never knew. Branding. Marketing. I can be a Disk Jockey and programmer who chooses to be a Christian working in a secular world. Re-branding this blog is a possibility due to the narrow focus of the name. By the way, when I was on traditional AM radio I never used it for personal music listening, only as a source for news and talk. My mix cassettes and later CD’s kept me entertained. Even then I saw myself as a hypocrite. How could I sell a product in which I did not believe? By the mid 80’s AM radio was mostly abandoned by music providers and was never the choice of audiophiles such as myself. With the exit to FM of most all Top 40 outfits all that was left on AM was religious and talk stations. Understand I love Christian music, just not amid the static and limited audio quality of AM. Plus brokered preaching shows are not my cup of tea. As a matter of fact most radio music lovers would be appalled to know the very common radio expression, “Music is just filler between commercials.” A lot of radio account executives don’t even like music! That indifference may be the cause of the recent (apparent) demise of my beloved radio.

A few have migrated to the Internet for music. I don’t think it spells the end of terrestrial broadcasting as I once thought due to the overwhelming choices and the ‘nets inability to reach the masses as AM & FM so easily does. Use the Internet as a complimentary technology when you want a VERY specific format, such as I attempted with the Classic Gospel on the GRIN.

I’ve rambled on too much in getting to the point that this blog will continue to present readers with my unfiltered views unlimited by the name. I’ll keep Gospel Rewind for now. I do promise transparency and honesty that I was never afforded before when sponsors controlled my world. More than anything, ‘Rewind is all about my coming to terms with maturity through reflecting on the past and how it affects the present and future. Many of the restrictions I learned in my developing years, often self-taught, are completely bogus and serve as an example of what not to do in rearing my own kids, for instance. If no one reads this blog but me it will have served a noble purpose indeed. My search for wisdom that transcends the temporal continues…

What's a peanut whistle?

I'm glad you asked. A peanut whistle is a radio station with limited power or listenership or both. It might have the best staff or talent but simply lacks enough umph to reach a broader audience. These media outlets are usually located out in the sticks. These are the places I've hung my hat as a DJ and programmer most often. I've led some very talented people. Some great and near great talents. 

These places are usually programmed for a rural audience. So, I'm not sure if they exist at all any more due to the consolidation of ownership permitted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC decided to allow ownership of several radio or TV stations in one market. Large corporations have gulped up these peanut whistles at an alarming rate. It wasn't video that killed the radio star, it was corporate greed. More to come. Stay tuned...

Quarter Century in Radio Audio

Southern Gospel Fast Forward

One thing I noticed when I was running the Gospel Rewind Internet radio experiment is how little the Southern Gospel Genre has changed since I began broadcasting in 1983. Imagine taking any new Southern Gospel song recorded in 2009 back with me to the original Gospel 90 in the mid 1980’s in a time machine. I could air the song without any listener noticing a difference! With the exception of some modern production values the styles have not evolved. I can’t apply that statement to any other music form. CCM sounds different. Black Gospel (Urban CCM) has changed. Mainstream Country and Rock are vastly different. Why is Southern Gospel stuck in the past constantly feeding on its heritage and not at all innovative. There have been a few artists over the years that have tried to lead the way to a more progressive sound; Rusty Goodman, Kenny Hinson, the Downings, the Lanny Wolfe Trio, and the Gaither Vocal Band have injected a more contemporary sound into the medium but many of these performers peaked years ago. What about today?

I am calling for a new direction in SG, let’s dub it progressive Southern. Actually, in 1988 I pondered a radio format that combined Christian Country (as it was known then) with southern leaning Contemporary Christian, unfortunately there simply was not enough product to support the new hybrid. Without some sort of change, I’m afraid Southern Gospel will become extinct as the target demographic ages. I will continue listening to classic Gospel from the 70’s and 80’s because I prefer it to the current imitators. I naively thought I could build an Internet radio station around such classic Gospel but made the mistake of diluting the format with new music that merely copied the style of the originals. That is not to say that there aren’t exceptions. My gosh, there are marvelous new artists that break the mold and I was very proud to present their music as an example of a new generation! My point, we need more of you. Don’t imitate, innovate. Grow.

By the way, our Internet radio station, the GRIN, off line now is still incubating in the idea machine. We envision a full service radio station built around the ideas presented in this weblog. It will be a hybrid unlimited by style. All sorts of Gospel music for the eclectic tastes of person such as myself. I invite you to browse previous posts so you can get an idea of what I am all about. Enjoy. May the Good News of the Gospel go with you.

1993 WBKI tour with bonus photos and new narration

For all you technical types here is a new edit of the WBKI-AM tour. Just a brief note about the station. It was the most unusual facility I have ever worked in. For starters, the small building (I estimate less than 1,800 square feet) housed offices, control room, production room, and transmitter  located on a fairly good sized plot of land. Behind the building was the tower surrounded by, no kidding, pasture with at least one cow. In front, only about 40 or 50 feet away were train tracks. Many a train have ruined a few commercial takes there. WBKI typified the term peanut whistle. Most proper stations I worked for had studio/office facilities with transmitter & tower site located miles away. WBKI was definately the only one so close to noisy rail. When working there I was somewhat concerned with so much concentrated RF (radio frequency) passing through me 6 hours a day. I wonder if the airwaves ever fried that cow.