VOA: AM radio stations struggling; CCOG announces more FM stations

As long-term readers are aware, I, Dr. Bob Thiel, AKA COGwriter have frequently been a radio guest.

But in the Continuing Church of God, we also are on commercial radio stations.

In the past couple of weeks, we switched in the USA from being on mainly AM stations to being on FM ones.

Regarding AM stations, Voice of America reported the following:

AM Radio Fights to Keep Its Spot on US Car Dashboards

July 30, 2023

DIMMITT, TEXAS —

The number of AM radio stations in the United States is dwindling. Over the decades, mainstream broadcasters have moved to the FM band — especially music stations — to take advantage of FM’s superior audio fidelity. Now, there is a new threat to America’s remaining 4,000 AM stations. Some automakers want to kick AM off their dashboard radios. …

Unlike FM band stations, which are limited to line-of-sight reception by the laws of physics, lower-frequency AM signals bounce off the ionosphere after sunset, giving them a range of hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers. FM stations have a greater audio frequency range, as they are allowed a wider bandwidth compared with AM stations. The most popular formats for the remaining AM stations in the United States are news/talk programming and sports, followed by country music. …

Recently, some major auto manufacturers announced plans to stop including AM radios in new vehicles, contending electric vehicle motor systems cause interference with reception, making stations unlistenable and, thus, the AM band obsolete. https://www.voanews.com/a/am-radio-fights-to-stay-on-car-dashboards/7202566.html

That was interesting to see. And while the Continuing Church of God remains interested in AM stations for many reasons (including its range), the shift towards FM is something we are taking note of.

This past Sabbath, the Bible News Prophecy began being broadcast on the 50,000 watt WEMM FM 107.9 out of West Virginia.

As it turns out, as a teen in Michigan I used to sometimes listen to Garner Ted Armstrong of the old Worldwide Church of God from a 50,000 watt station AM station out of West Virginia. While WEMM will not have that reach at the time we will be on, it does cover at least part of three states. We are now on WEMM weekly at 3:00 pm on Saturdays. Our first broadcast was on the 29th of July.

We have also signed a deal with Legacy Broadcasting, Inc. to be on twice a day, five days per week at 11:45 am and 11:45 pm. Legacy Broadcasting, Inc. currently has four FM radio stations and is building a fifth, with the intention of ultimately having scores of stations–we have made arrangements for being on up to nine stations with them.

Here are the new stations the Bible News Prophecy radio program is to be on:

WCDG 88.7 FM, Dahlonega, Georgia
WUCG 93.1 FM Blairsville, Georgia
KYMS 89.9 FM, Rathdrum, Idaho
KHKM 98.7 FM, Missoula, Montana

We are scheduled to start on August 1st.

Now, in Europe we are on AM as well as shortwave radio.

European Gospel Radio (EGR) broadcasts the program weekly on its AM station Monday 21:30-21:45 CET on AM/MW 1323 kHz + streaming (CET=Central European Time: local time in Central Europe).

The following is the coverage map for the AM signal for its new 1323 kHz signal location as well as the nations EGR says that station can reach:

We cover a wide area including, but not limited to: Northern and Central Italy, Southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Southern France, Germany, with DX reception so far reported also in Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia.

This broadcast is also on shortwave at the 7295 KHz location from them from late October through late March. And from late March to late October it is 7290 KHz on shortwave. Here is the coverage map that European Gospel Radio provided for the shortwave station:

In North America and Asia we can be reached on Radio Miami International, WRMI.

Here is a map of part of the reach of the frequency 5850 kHz we are now on:

The station owner of WRMI, Jeff White, added:

Unfortunately the map doesn’t go much further than Alaska, but if you follow the beam on across the Pacific, the center of the 315-degree beam is close to many places in Asia, such as Korea, Japan, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and the Russian Far East including Vladivostok and Kamchatka.

Here are some details and times for WRMI:

5850 kHz: 0130 UTC Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

Which would be received in the North America on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 9:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time and 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.

In Asia, this program would begin at 10:30 am Japan/Korea Standard Time and 09:30 China Standard Time on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Radio is a proclamation door that we use to reach those we otherwise would not reach. It also assists us we work to toward doing our part to fulfill Romans 11:25 about the full number of Gentiles coming in (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?).

In addition to online radio and being on EGR and WRMI, we are on the air in the Philippines on one station and Africa on four stations.

Here is the station in the Philippines:

The above station comes from Surigao City. The name of the station is DxMS 107.3 All Star FM. We are on Sundays from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.

In Kenya, we are on one station, with three presenters. The presenters are Grantone Otieno, Joel Owuoti, and Charles Agwenge.

Here is the one we are regularly on:

The above station comes from Migori, also reaches Tanzania, and is a called Radio Milambo and is on 103.8FM. We are on Fridays from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

In addition to being on internet television platforms, we are also on radio and television in Ghana in the language of Asanti Twi.

Here is information on one of the stations:

The above station also live streams the radio broadcast onto television. The radio position 102.9 FM. We are on Sundays from 7. 00 to 7.30am.

Here is information on the other station:

The above station also live streams the radio broadcast onto television. The radio position 98.7 FM. We are on Tuesdays from 6.00am to 7.00am.

In New Zealand, Shirley Gestro continues to handle our Bible News Prophecy online radio channel. That runs 24 hours per day, seven days per week (see also BibleNewsProphecy 24 hours per day radio and other CCOG New Zealand media).

As far as radio goes, it is a door that has been used by the true Christian church since the 1930s. It is a media that still bears fruit and we are grateful for the opportunity to utilize it.

Radio gives us an opportunity to reach people who otherwise would not be as open to hearing the Church of God message (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20).

Of course, being on radio is something that COG leaders have done since no later than the 1930s. Radio was used so much to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and other biblical messages, that after he left CG7, the late Herbert W. Armstrong initially named his group the Radio Church of God.

Here is a photograph that my wife Joyce took in 1994 of a building in Eugene, Oregon that had been used decades before by the old Radio Church of God (I believe it was their headquarters’ building in the 1940s):

One-time Radio Church of God building, Eugene, Oregon

(To see other buildings later used by the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God, check out Joyce’s Pictures of the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and the former Headquarters of the old Worldwide Church of God.)

Notice something published by the old Radio Church of God:

Revelation 3:7-13: “And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that OPENETH, and no man SHUTTETH; and SHUTTETH and no man openeth.” The great door that God has opened to this work is the facility to go into all the world and preach the gospel; the door of radio, the door of the printing press, plus many other such doors. God has set before us an open door and no MAN can shut it. God can shut it, and He will when the work is finished and the Philadelphia Church goes to a place of safety. “I know thy works: Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (verse 8).

Notice that this Church has works. It has works of ZEAL and of REPENTANCE. This Church has only a little strength. But, by contrast, the Church of Laodicea believes that IT is increased with goods and has a great deal of strength. Philadelphia has little strength to do this great work that God has given it to do. God has opened the door, and yet look how insignificant, how weak, how little strength we as a Church have to do that work. How much we lack in every way, and yet God has opened the door and has given us certain vital, supernatural, spiritual gifts. Very often we lack enough money to pay the radio bills and other expenses. WE ARE FEW IN NUMBER, while many other eras of the Church of God numbered in the hundreds of thousands. We indeed have little strength. And yet, look at the great power that God has placed before us. (Neff L. What Is the LAODICEAN CHURCH? Good News, August 1959)

The ‘open door’ to the Philadelphians does have to do with gospel proclamation. Consider the following scriptures:

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord (2 Corinthians 2:12).

8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me (1 Corinthians 16:8-9).

27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27).

We in the Continuing Church of God are going through the open doors in radio as well as with the printing press, the internet, travel, and personal contact. This includes to areas, like Africa, with Gentiles. For more on our outreach programs, check out the Continuing Church of God Multimedia page.

Radio is one of the forms of mass media that we in the Continuing Church of God use to teach people about Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14) and other teachings (Matthew 28:19-20).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Continuing Church of God Multimedia page. What are many of the ways the Continuing Church of God is reaching people around the world to fulfill the commissions from Jesus in Matthew 24:14 and 28:19-20? What about literature, personal visits, the internet, radio, and television?
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here are two related YouTube videos titled Final Phase of the Work: Need and Background and The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles? Some in the West discount God’s calling of Gentiles, but the Apostle Paul wrote about the need for them to come to the truth before Jesus returns. Two somewhat related videos are available: Gentiles and When Will Jesus Return? and Puerto Rico, Trials, and Triumphs.
What is the Ezekiel Warning? Should the end-time descendants of Israel and Joseph be warned? What should the watchman warn about? Regarding a watchman, you can watch the following video: Go, Set a Watchman.