Some have asked me whether or not what I’ve done to lend my support to the cause of keeping Power 93.9FM in Brantford broadcasting as a Christian radio station is a conflict of interest, on account of me working for the competition in town. I admit, I asked myself the same question before I started. What I decided is that, above anything else in my life, personally or professionally, I am a follower of Christ. I believe in His power to transform a life because He has transformed mine. When it came down to it, I felt compelled to lend my support because I believe with all of my heart that Christian radio has the power to share hope, encouragement, and the life changing power of Christ.
Several months back I had a personal encounter with the power of Christian radio. I wrote an article about it and submitted it a magazine called More Radio. This particular publication is for Canadian Christian radio and is sent out each month. Here is a brief excerpt from what I wrote…
The other day I was driving to work and, as I often do, I was flipping through the dial. In Brantford we have Power 93. A small station that no doubt has its struggles, not unlike many small Christian radio stations. But a station that, despite it all, has soldiered through, doing the best they can.
On this particular day I was dealing with a pretty significant struggle in my personal life. One that had me quite upset and feeling completely defeated. I had been praying on my drive to Brantford, asking God to give me the strength I needed to pull off a show that I otherwise would be unable to do. As I said my “amen” I hit preset number 3 on my radio. Power 93. A song was playing that I didn’t recognize. It was a female vocalist. A great pop feel. And lyrics that said…
I’ve had days that felt like a thousand years
And years that just fly by
I’ve had times I’ve been so sure in life
And then nothing worked out right
I put my hope in so many things I thought that I would need
But it doesn’t mean anything, anything, anything to meI’ve been around a crowd of people
And felt so all alone
Tried to give up being different
So that I could just belong
Some have tried to tell me who I’m supposed to be
But it doesn’t mean anything, anything to meOnly You, You satisfy
Only You are the love of my life
If I got everything I want, no, it still wouldn’t do
I got a whole lotta’ nothing if I don’t got YouThat song touched me in a powerful way. It was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. It was God giving me an answer to a prayer I had barely finished praying! I would eventually come to learn that the song was “Only You” by Mandisa, and that night after work, I paid $0.69 to buy it on iTunes. I’ve been listening to it non stop for 4 days!
Christian radio can change your day. It can change your attitude. It can change your heart. Christian radio, when it’s done with excellence, can change your life. I believe that with every ounce of my being. It’s for this reason that I’ve been involved in Christian media and the Christian music industry in various capacities for 12 years.
We have something in the Brantford / Haldimand / Norfolk / Hamilton area that a lot of places don’t have in Canada. We have a Christian radio station. Unlike the States, where there seems to be Christian radio in nearly every city, in Canada, FM Christian radio is a rare find. This is just one of the many reasons why we need to do everything in our power to save it.
The owners of Power 93 in Brantford want to sell their station, and I respect that. I have been friends with the owners for many years and have supported them in many different ways during their time running Power 93. Now they are ready to move on. If the proposed sale and license change from Christian to rock goes through to Durham Radio Inc, we will lose our Christian radio station. But if we let the CRTC know that we want to keep Christian radio, they have the power to stop the license change and sale to Durham Radio. This would, in turn, allow a Christian media company the chance to step up and buy the station and we could keep Christian radio in our area. I know for a fact, that there are Christian media companies waiting for a chance to buy the station.
It’s so easy to be apathetic about things like this. Taking on the government, stopping the sale of a radio station, trying to save Christian radio. It’s all bigger than one person. But we are not one person. We are the body of Christ and collectively, we can do this! All it takes is each one of us writing a letter. A couple of quick sentences jotted down to let the CRTC know that we want to keep Christian radio in our community. A line or two to let them know that we don’t need more rock radio in this area. We need the encouraging, uplifting, life changing power of Christian radio. With just a few minutes of your time, we can do this!
The deadline to submit your letter is tomorrow, Thursday August 12, 2010. Please, lend your support to this cause. A sample letter is provided on the site here, use it as a guide if you need. Step-by-step instructions on faxing your letter can be found here. You can also submit your letter online and step-by-step instructions for that can be found here.
I know we can do this. I believe it with all of my heart. I’ve been on my knees praying for this radio station for the better part of 10 years, and I believe we can save it. I believe our collective voices will speak to the CRTC and they’ll deny the license change from Christian to rock. I believe a Christian media company would come in and buy the station and this entire area would be blessed with the gift that can be excellent Christian radio. We can be changed. Our friends and family can be changed. Our communities can be changed!
It all starts with a letter. My letter. Your letter. Please, take a moment to write yours today.
Blessings,
Marc Scott
