The following article was printed in the Brantford Expositor on Wednesday July 28, 2010.

Praising The Virtues Of Christian Radio

A grassroots advocacy group hopes it can convince the Canadian Radiotelevision Telecommunications Commission to keep Christian radio programming in Brantford.

The group has created a web page, http://keepitchristian.ca, and has been urging people to fight two Durham Radio applications to buy Power 93.9 FM and change its format from Christian to rock.

“I personally have been involved in broadcasting for 15 years, and a number of those years were spent in Christian radio and Christian television,” said broadcasting veteran Marc Scott, who developed the website.

The goal of its campaign is to convince people to contact the CRTC before Aug. 12, the deadline for appealing the Durham Radio application.

Scott currently hosts the afternoon drive-time show on the Jewel, CKPC’s FM station. He makes it clear that he is neither speaking nor acting on behalf of that station, but simply as a person who loves Christian broadcasting and sees the need to protect its esence in the Brantford market.

“It’s what I believe,” he said. “I understand the value and importance of Christian radio.

“I’ve had conversations with a number of individuals who feel as I feel (within the media world). And it’s also just a lot of family, friends and so on who want to see Christian radio stay on the air.”

The word is getting out, through the web page, an affiliated Facebook page and appeals to clergy throughout the city.

“I have written a letter to all 47 churches in Brantford, addressing the pastoral leadership and appealing that Christians in Brantford rally together and let their voices be heard before this sale is approved by the CRTC,” said Brad Loveday, the program director and host of Homebound and Lifesongs on Kitchener-based 94.3 Faith FM.

The group faces an uphill battle. Durham Radio has two applications before the CRTC -one to buy Power FM for $250,000 from owner Tony Schleifer, and the other to change the format to rock. It won’t purchase the station, however, unless the CRTC agrees to the format change. And that’s where the campaign comes in.

“It’s important to let our voices be heard as Christians,” Loveday said. “We want people who enjoy Christian radio to speak up and not lose it.

“From a technical-engineering standpoint, there would not be the availability for another Christian music station to open on the (FM radio) dial for another two years. If Brantford loses this, it may not get another.”

The question of format change is only part of the battle, however. The group might also be asked to show that it has a backer of its own that would purchase the station should the Durham applications be denied.

“We have not stated in the intervention that we are in a position to purchase it,” said Loveday, a Brantford resident who attends Shenstone Baptist Church. “But I believe our general manager (at 94.3 Faith FM) has talked to Tony (Schleifer). And our GM has told me there would be adequate funds to back up our application, but there’s nothing on paper at this point.”

Scott also indicated that preliminary discussions had been held with Christian media companies.

Schleifer was not available for comment but his wife, Power FM general manager Vicki Schleifer, said she believes the deal with Durham Radio complicates that idea.

“The CRTC, I think, has to make a decision on this application before it considers another,” she said.

Schleifer said she and her husband were simply looking to get out of the radio business after nine years and were approached by Durham Radio.

“We didn’t have any other offers prior to this,” she said, “and that’s something that has to be realized.”

Nonetheless, she sympathizes with those listeners who would like to maintain the current Christian format.

“The Christian community has an opportunity to voice their opinion as to whether they want to see the format change,” she said. “A lot of people were under the impression it was actually a done deal… and that’s not the case. It’s an application.

“Obviously we’ve been doing this and we believe what this station has done and the message it has delivered. It would be great if it could keep delivering that message -but without us at the helm.”