United Christian Broadcasters
Encyclopedia
United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) is an international Christian
broadcasting and media group. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass
's free daily devotionals The Word for You Today and word4u2day. It was founded by Richard Berry in the early 1960s in Christchurch
, New Zealand and UCB International is headquartered in Auckland
, New Zealand. In July 2010, UCB TV partnered with the mobile TV and video on demand network Yamgo to launch the world's first ever live Christian mobile TV channel. UCB TV is a product of UCB in the United Kingdom.
, and by the Biblical passages of Matthew 7:7, Matthew 19:26 and John 14:12, to develop a plan for Christian broadcasting in New Zealand. Private radio was neither a reality nor a possibility at the time, and many people were sceptical of his plan. However, with a friend from the Salvation Army
Berry started a studio in the garage of his Banbury Street home. This studio was initially called Banbury Recordings Incorporated and later became Gospel Radio Fellowship; it was a small evangelical ministry which believed in the value of prayer and recorded preaching.
In the mid 1960s the group started preparing to begin broadcasting in New Zealand. Radio Hauraki
had begun illegally broadcasting as a pirate station, and a government unable to enforce its regulations on the industry was forced to allow private broadcasting. Gospel Radio Fellowship used an old church building on Glenfield Crescent, Christchurch to set up new studios and a transmitter. The station failed to obtain a license in 1972 as Gospel Radio Fellowship, because the Broadcasting Authority believed there was not public interest in such a station, and that the station lacked professional staff and finance. The group changed their name to Radio Rhema and gained the endorsement of Pat Robertson
, but still failed to obtain a license in 1974.
The station did obtain licenses for a one day broadcast in Christchurch
in November 1974, Petone
in October 1975 and Christchurch
for 10 days over Christmas in 1976. It had funding to employ Berry and twenty other staff by 1974. At a hearing for a full license in 1978, after the three broadcasts, it had 7,235 members and 48,433 other supporters, as well as endorsement from churches and community groups. The application was successful and Radio Rhema, since relaunched as New Zealand's Rhema, was officially launched by then Prime Minister Rob Muldoon in November 1976. Muldoon described the evangelical faith that inspired Rhema was "a faith that moves mountains". By 1980 Christchurch station obtained an 18-hours-per-day license and had thirty five full time and ten part time workers; by 1982 it had gained a license in Wellington and had property and six staff in Auckland.
In subsequent years the Rhema station group expanded throughout New Zealand, and the Rhema model was used to establish UCB affiliates in Australia, the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and beyond.
written by Bob Gass
and distributed internationally by United Christian Broadcasters as a daily radio programme, as website
content, as an email newsletter and as quarterly print editions. One million copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed each quarter to hospitals, rest homes, care facilities and UCB supporters. Other regional editions are distributed to subscribers, churches and Christian organisations in other parts of the world.
Bob Gass has described the devotionals as "a kick start for cold mornings, when you don't feel like reading your Bible or find it a bit dry". He started writing The Word for Today devotional readings in 1992 as various inspirations he had received in forty years of being involved in Christian leadership and from the Biblical principles instilled in him by his mother. After positive response in the United States, he offered international rights to the devotionals to United Christian Broadcasters CEO Gareth Littler, with a successful first print run of 3500 copies in 1994 being distributed to UCB supporters in the United Kingdom.
Following requests and planning, a contemporary youth version, The Word 4U 2Day, was introduced in August 2003 in conjunction with Manchester
Christian youth ministry The Message Trust. About 250,000 copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed quarterly. The version is distributed by UCB youth stations as a radio programme and website
content.
UCB Media broadcasts Christian radio
nationally on DAB
, Sky Digital
and Virgin Media
platforms, and internationally through internet
streaming. Youth station the Word is Music, Bible reading station UCB Bible and local station UCB Ireland are all streamed online.
, In Touch with Charles Stanley
, Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll
, Different Perspective with Bernie Dymet, Precious Word of Truth with James McConnell
, and Word For Today with Bob Gass
.
(breakfast), Ruth O'Reilly-Smith (afternoons), Craig Wakeling (drive), Trevor Kirk (evenings), David Piper
(overnights), Jo Langley (weekends), Carl Finnan (weekends). Programmes include Foundations 21, Hymns of Faith, Deovox, Gospel Greats, Worship Without Words, Faith 4 Today, 66/40 with Chuck Missler
, Unlocking the Bible, and Insight 4 Living.
satellite on Sky Digital
channel 586 and online. UCB TV is the world's first ever live Christian mobile TV channel following its launch on the Yamgo mobile TV network on July 6, 2010. Programmes include Bayside TV, Hillsong TV, Edges with Mal Fletcher
, Turning Point with David Jeremiah, Living Truth, Hope City TV, Way of the Master and Dreams for Living. Music programmes include the Gaither Gospel Series, UKCMC, Hillsong and Planetshakers
.
UCB Media hosts a large and rapidly growing online community on Facebook,Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo. The word4u2day publication is also on Facebook and available as a daily podcast
.
media organisation, broadcasting four radio networks and a television station
, and publishing the quarterly The Word for You Today devotional publication, from the Rhema Broadcasting Centre on Upper Queen Street in the central Auckland
suburb of Newton
. UCB previously owned, but never utilised, a network of UHF stations now used by Prime Television New Zealand
.
Christian
talk
and music radio network
started in 1978. Its week-day line-up includes Aaron Ironside (breakfast), Peter Shaw (mornings), Diane Campbell (afternoons), Alan Lee (drive-time) and Rosemary Jane (nights). Pre-recorded daily preaching from Joyce Meyer
, James Dobson
, Jeff Lucas, Tak Bhana, Berni Dymet, Chuck Swindoll
and Chuck Missler
is broadcast daily. UCB correspondents Steve Johnson (United States), Ruth Price (Australia), Jeff Fountain (Europe) and James Totton (Asia) and commentators Paul Sanders, Sarah Field, Kris Baines, Steve Taylor and Nick Tuitasi appear on the network breakfast each week.
Rhema, which take its name from the Biblical word rhema
, is the founding network of United Christian Broadcasters. The initial programme/station manager, John McNeil, laid the groundwork for what became the network's relaxed talk and music format, in which a limited number of teaching programmes are intermingled with music, news and interviews and donation requests are limited to an annual "Rhemathon" campaign drive. Anna Wilkinson was the first breakfast announcer, Bob McCroskrie hosted the breakfast programme between 1997 to 2006 before leaving to set up lobby group Family First New Zealand
, and Tim Sisarich presented the morning programme before becoming Executive Director of Focus on the Family New Zealand.
and hymns. Southern Star programming is broadcast on stations in rural centres, and on AM Network
stations when Parliament is not sitting. The Southern Star Breakfast (06:00 to 09:00) with Dudley Scantlebury includes teachings from Derek Prince
at 06:45 and Max McLean
at 07:10. Glen Stephenson (09:00-14:00), Rosemary Jane (14:00-19:00) and Ross Browne (19:00-24:00) round off the weekday line-up. Saturdays are hosted by Dudley Scantlebury, Rosemary Jane and Andrew Urquhart, while Sundays are hosted by Glen Stephenson, Andrew Urquhart and Ross Browne. Former announcers include Cathy Jenke (1997–2003), John Cordery (2003), Brian Ferguson (2000–2003), Rachel Thomas (2001–2003), James Totton (2004–2005) and Rob Holding (2004–2005).
frequencies. Since being set up in 2006, it has expanded to Dunedin
on 1377 AM and Te Anau
on 88.4 FM and 107.0 FM.
contemporary hit
radio network
which sponsors the Parachute Music Festival
. Life FM started 14:00 March 6, 1993 on 99.3 FM in Christchurch
to the sound of U2 "In The Name Of Love" as a station broadcasting a mix of Christian and secular music, but it closed 18:00 Friday 11 July 1997 after the frequency lease with More FM
expired. It was restarted in Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty shortly after as a 100% Christian
network
and has since expanded to frequencies across the country. Listener contributions, mostly raised during an annual Lifeathon campaign drive, make up 80% of the network's budget. The Morning Wake-Up breakfast programme is hosted by Burns and Tarsh; weekday announcers include Holly (daytime), Clint and Asher (afternoons) and Dan and George (nights); New Music Pulse and dance
Remix are broadcast on Saturdays; The River worship music
, The Forum talkback
with George Penk (previously the Green Room with Frank Ritchie) and Underground Christian hardcore
are broadcast commercial-free on Sundays.
Shine TV is a Christian
television channel broadcast on Sky TV
channel 111, Christchurch
UHF 56, Nelson
UHF 44, Telstra Clear Digital TV and Freeview Channel 25. It has produced and broadcast weekend newsmagazine
Nzone Focus with Allan Lee since 2009; it produced and broadcast daily newscast Nzone Tonight with Rachel Thomas, Asher Bastion, Andrew Curtis, Brooke Dobson and Allan Lee in 2007 and 2008; and it produced and broadcast current affairs
programme Nzone with Tim Sisarich and Bob McCroskrie from 2004 to 2007 before the presenters went on to set up Focus on the Family New Zealand and Family First New Zealand
respectively.
documentary film God on My Side
, publishes The Word for Today and word4U2day, coordinates the PrayForMe prayer ministry and provides mailorder Christian resource service UCB Direct. However, the core operation of UCB Australia is the nationwide Vision Radio Network, previously called Vision FM. UCB's motto is "Connecting Faith to Life" and the radio network aims to make Christian Radio available for every Australian as a means to that end. As at the close of 2008, Vision operated on over 360 licences, including low powered services in metropolitan suburbs and rural towns. It also operated some higher powered services in some regional areas and in Western Melbourne on 1611 AM. By the end of 2010, Vision had expanded to over 460 relay stations, mainly LPON licences (low power open narrowcast) but also including Adelaide 1611 AM. Vision's talk and music programming is aimed at "unpacking" what it means to follow Jesus Christ in an understandable way.
In the twelve months following March 2001 a rapid expansion began, seeing the number of relay stations 'on-air' triple from around 30 to 90. Also in April 2001, UCB Australia introduced Australia's first nation-wide news service from a Christian perspective - UCB News. UCB News is heard across the Vision Radio Network, as well as being accessed by a growing number of community stations who don't have the resources to produce their own news content. During 2003 UCB had opportunity to secure its first high powered open narrowcast licences, which were soon put on air. The network quickly reached 150 relay stations by the end of 2003, and in the following year would see its first foray into AM radio sites in Shepparton, Bunbury and Kalgoorlie. Just prior to Christmas 2004 a further 17 High Powered licences were secured to be on air the following year. Vision's 200th relay station was powered up on Australia Day 2005 at the Central Australian town of Yulara - right next to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Yarrawonga in Victoria had the honour of station number 300 in late 2007 and a significant development occurred in late 2008 with the unexpected acquisition of a medium powered AM service in Melbourne (1611AM).
, United Christian Broadcasters operates internet radio station The Edge Media in partnership with the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries. The station is an advocate for a Christian worldview
and is used as a training ground for students from 15 Asian nations to learn how to open low cost stations in their countries. It plays contemporary Christian music including pop, hip hop, alternative, praise and gospel songs. It plays music from a wide range of Christian artists of various nationalities, including local contemporary Christian artists which fit its format.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
broadcasting and media group. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass
Bob Gass
Bob Gass is an American-based Christian pastor, broadcaster and author of several books who was raised in Northern Ireland. He writes a daily devotional, published by United Christian Broadcasters in the United Kingdom, called The Word For Today which has a circulation of over one million copies...
's free daily devotionals The Word for You Today and word4u2day. It was founded by Richard Berry in the early 1960s in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand and UCB International is headquartered in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand. In July 2010, UCB TV partnered with the mobile TV and video on demand network Yamgo to launch the world's first ever live Christian mobile TV channel. UCB TV is a product of UCB in the United Kingdom.
History
The group was started in New Zealand by Richard Berry. In the early 1960s, the Christchurch evangelical was inspired by Ecuadorian Christian short-wave radio station HCJBHCJB
HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes", was the first radio station with daily programming in the South American country of Ecuador and the first Christian missionary radio station in the world. The station was founded in 1931 by Clarence W. Jones, Reuben Larson, and D. Stuart Clark.- History :Radio...
, and by the Biblical passages of Matthew 7:7, Matthew 19:26 and John 14:12, to develop a plan for Christian broadcasting in New Zealand. Private radio was neither a reality nor a possibility at the time, and many people were sceptical of his plan. However, with a friend from the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Berry started a studio in the garage of his Banbury Street home. This studio was initially called Banbury Recordings Incorporated and later became Gospel Radio Fellowship; it was a small evangelical ministry which believed in the value of prayer and recorded preaching.
In the mid 1960s the group started preparing to begin broadcasting in New Zealand. Radio Hauraki
Radio Hauraki
Radio Hauraki is a New Zealand radio network, specialising in album-oriented rock and classic rock. It was the first private commercial radio station of the modern broadcasting era in New Zealand and operated illegally from 1966-1970 to break the monopoly held by the government...
had begun illegally broadcasting as a pirate station, and a government unable to enforce its regulations on the industry was forced to allow private broadcasting. Gospel Radio Fellowship used an old church building on Glenfield Crescent, Christchurch to set up new studios and a transmitter. The station failed to obtain a license in 1972 as Gospel Radio Fellowship, because the Broadcasting Authority believed there was not public interest in such a station, and that the station lacked professional staff and finance. The group changed their name to Radio Rhema and gained the endorsement of Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
, but still failed to obtain a license in 1974.
The station did obtain licenses for a one day broadcast in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in November 1974, Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
in October 1975 and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
for 10 days over Christmas in 1976. It had funding to employ Berry and twenty other staff by 1974. At a hearing for a full license in 1978, after the three broadcasts, it had 7,235 members and 48,433 other supporters, as well as endorsement from churches and community groups. The application was successful and Radio Rhema, since relaunched as New Zealand's Rhema, was officially launched by then Prime Minister Rob Muldoon in November 1976. Muldoon described the evangelical faith that inspired Rhema was "a faith that moves mountains". By 1980 Christchurch station obtained an 18-hours-per-day license and had thirty five full time and ten part time workers; by 1982 it had gained a license in Wellington and had property and six staff in Auckland.
In subsequent years the Rhema station group expanded throughout New Zealand, and the Rhema model was used to establish UCB affiliates in Australia, the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and beyond.
The Word for You Today
The Word For You Today is a free, daily devotionalPrayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
written by Bob Gass
Bob Gass
Bob Gass is an American-based Christian pastor, broadcaster and author of several books who was raised in Northern Ireland. He writes a daily devotional, published by United Christian Broadcasters in the United Kingdom, called The Word For Today which has a circulation of over one million copies...
and distributed internationally by United Christian Broadcasters as a daily radio programme, as website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
content, as an email newsletter and as quarterly print editions. One million copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed each quarter to hospitals, rest homes, care facilities and UCB supporters. Other regional editions are distributed to subscribers, churches and Christian organisations in other parts of the world.
Bob Gass has described the devotionals as "a kick start for cold mornings, when you don't feel like reading your Bible or find it a bit dry". He started writing The Word for Today devotional readings in 1992 as various inspirations he had received in forty years of being involved in Christian leadership and from the Biblical principles instilled in him by his mother. After positive response in the United States, he offered international rights to the devotionals to United Christian Broadcasters CEO Gareth Littler, with a successful first print run of 3500 copies in 1994 being distributed to UCB supporters in the United Kingdom.
Following requests and planning, a contemporary youth version, The Word 4U 2Day, was introduced in August 2003 in conjunction with Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Christian youth ministry The Message Trust. About 250,000 copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed quarterly. The version is distributed by UCB youth stations as a radio programme and website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
content.
UCB United Kingdom
UCB in the United Kingdom is a registered charity and the country's largest Christian media company. It aims to broadcast quality Christian radio programming, provide practical and insightful Christian television, and act as a support ministry for Christians. In pursuit of this it operates broadcast networks, publishes The Word For Today and word4u2day, operates the prayer support call centre UCB Prayerline and provides accredited industry training. The company is based in Stoke-on-Trent.UCB Media broadcasts Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
nationally on DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
, Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
and Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
platforms, and internationally through internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
streaming. Youth station the Word is Music, Bible reading station UCB Bible and local station UCB Ireland are all streamed online.
UCB UK
National network UCB UK is available on DAB, Sky 0125, Virgin 914, online and via free iPhone app. UCB UK is broadcast nationally across the UK through formats of entertainment, the latest Christian music, news and current affairs, as well as thought-provoking interviews and discussions. Presenters include Robbie Frawley (breakfast), Paul Hammond (mornings), Abi Gregory (afternoons), Luke Weston (drive), Juls Martin (evenings), Trevor Kirk (overnights), Catherine Hassall (weekends), Deanna Fletcher (weekends), Dudley Anderson (weekends) and Paula Cummings (weekends). Programmes include UCB Unsigned, 20 the Countdown Magazine, Just Thinking with Ravi ZachariasRavi Zacharias
Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias is an Indian-born, Canadian-American evangelical Christian apologist. Zacharias is the author of numerous Christian books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner Can Man Live Without God? and bestsellers Light in the Shadow of Jihad and The Grand Weaver...
, In Touch with Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley , is a US preacher, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.Charles Stanley may also refer to:*Charles H...
, Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll
Chuck Swindoll
Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, currently headquartered in Plano, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages...
, Different Perspective with Bernie Dymet, Precious Word of Truth with James McConnell
James McConnell
James Edward McConnell was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway . He was Locomotive Superintendent of the LNWR's Southern Division at Wolverton railway works from 1847 to 1862 and oversaw the design of the "Bloomer" and "Patent" locomotives...
, and Word For Today with Bob Gass
Bob Gass
Bob Gass is an American-based Christian pastor, broadcaster and author of several books who was raised in Northern Ireland. He writes a daily devotional, published by United Christian Broadcasters in the United Kingdom, called The Word For Today which has a circulation of over one million copies...
.
UCB Inspirational
Christian teaching and easy listening music network, UCB Inspirational is available on DAB, Sky 0136 online and via free iPhone app. Presenters include Anne HendersonAnne Henderson
Anne Henderson is an Australian writer, best known as the Deputy Director of The Sydney Institute and editor of The Sydney Papers....
(breakfast), Ruth O'Reilly-Smith (afternoons), Craig Wakeling (drive), Trevor Kirk (evenings), David Piper
David Piper
-References:...
(overnights), Jo Langley (weekends), Carl Finnan (weekends). Programmes include Foundations 21, Hymns of Faith, Deovox, Gospel Greats, Worship Without Words, Faith 4 Today, 66/40 with Chuck Missler
Chuck Missler
Charles "Chuck" Missler is an author, evangelical Christian, Bible teacher, former businessman and US Navy officer. He is the founder of the Koinonia House ministry based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.-Biography:...
, Unlocking the Bible, and Insight 4 Living.
UCB Gospel
Playing a selection of gospel music from the UK, US, Africa and the Caribbean, the UCB Gospel network is available on DAB, Sky 0135 online and via free iPhone app. Presenters include Richard Kays.UCB the Word is Music
Playing a selection of un-interrupted Rock, Pop and Urban music from across the UK and the World, the UCB the Word is Music network is available online.UCB TV
Christian television station UCB TV is available via the Eurobird 1Eurobird 1
Eurobird 1 is a Eutelsat operated Eurobird satellite, used primarily for digital television. It is located at 28.5° east in the Clarke Belt, just within the range of most satellite dishes pointed at SES Astra's Astra 2A, 2B and 2D at 28.2° east...
satellite on Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
channel 586 and online. UCB TV is the world's first ever live Christian mobile TV channel following its launch on the Yamgo mobile TV network on July 6, 2010. Programmes include Bayside TV, Hillsong TV, Edges with Mal Fletcher
Mal Fletcher
Mal Fletcher is a media social futurist and commentator, keynote speaker, author, business leadership consultant and broadcaster currently based in London...
, Turning Point with David Jeremiah, Living Truth, Hope City TV, Way of the Master and Dreams for Living. Music programmes include the Gaither Gospel Series, UKCMC, Hillsong and Planetshakers
Planetshakers
Planetshakers is a Christian youth movement that began as an annual conference and grew into an international ministry and large church in Melbourne, Australia. The conference was born out of Paradise Community Church in Adelaide, South Australia by Pastor Russell Evans...
.
UCB Media hosts a large and rapidly growing online community on Facebook,Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo. The word4u2day publication is also on Facebook and available as a daily podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
.
UCB Prayerline and Forces Prayerline
UCB provide a confidential telephone service called UCB Prayerline with trained Christian volunteers who pray for callers' issues over the telephone. The service is supported by churches from across the United Kingdom, manned 7 days a week and receives around 100,000 calls per year. A parallel service, the Forces Prayerline, was started in Germany in 2005 and extended to the UK on 6 Nov 2008 at St. Clement Danes Church, London, on the occasion of the annual Armed Forces Day of Prayer. This service supports servicemen, servicewomen and their families at home and abroad.UCB New Zealand
UCB New Zealand, operating as Rhema Broadcasting Group, is New Zealand's largest ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
media organisation, broadcasting four radio networks and a television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
, and publishing the quarterly The Word for You Today devotional publication, from the Rhema Broadcasting Centre on Upper Queen Street in the central Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
suburb of Newton
Newton, New Zealand
Newton is a small suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand, under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. It had a population of 837 in the 2001 census....
. UCB previously owned, but never utilised, a network of UHF stations now used by Prime Television New Zealand
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
.
New Zealand's Rhema
The group's main network, New Zealand's Rhema, is an evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
and music radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
started in 1978. Its week-day line-up includes Aaron Ironside (breakfast), Peter Shaw (mornings), Diane Campbell (afternoons), Alan Lee (drive-time) and Rosemary Jane (nights). Pre-recorded daily preaching from Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.-Early life:Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in...
, James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, Jeff Lucas, Tak Bhana, Berni Dymet, Chuck Swindoll
Chuck Swindoll
Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, currently headquartered in Plano, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages...
and Chuck Missler
Chuck Missler
Charles "Chuck" Missler is an author, evangelical Christian, Bible teacher, former businessman and US Navy officer. He is the founder of the Koinonia House ministry based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.-Biography:...
is broadcast daily. UCB correspondents Steve Johnson (United States), Ruth Price (Australia), Jeff Fountain (Europe) and James Totton (Asia) and commentators Paul Sanders, Sarah Field, Kris Baines, Steve Taylor and Nick Tuitasi appear on the network breakfast each week.
Rhema, which take its name from the Biblical word rhema
Rhema
Rhema literally means an "utterance" or "thing said" in Greek. It is a word that signifies the action of utterance.In philosophy, it was used by both Plato and Aristotle to refer to propositions or sentences....
, is the founding network of United Christian Broadcasters. The initial programme/station manager, John McNeil, laid the groundwork for what became the network's relaxed talk and music format, in which a limited number of teaching programmes are intermingled with music, news and interviews and donation requests are limited to an annual "Rhemathon" campaign drive. Anna Wilkinson was the first breakfast announcer, Bob McCroskrie hosted the breakfast programme between 1997 to 2006 before leaving to set up lobby group Family First New Zealand
Family First New Zealand
Family First New Zealand is a conservative advocacy group in New Zealand.It formed in March 2006 with former Radio Rhema talkback host and South Auckland social worker Bob McCoskrie as the National Director...
, and Tim Sisarich presented the morning programme before becoming Executive Director of Focus on the Family New Zealand.
Southern Star
Southern Star plays classic contemporary Christian musicContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
and hymns. Southern Star programming is broadcast on stations in rural centres, and on AM Network
AM Network
The AM Network is a network of radio transmitters operated by Radio New Zealand, which broadcasts Radio New Zealand Parliament and Southern Star Network...
stations when Parliament is not sitting. The Southern Star Breakfast (06:00 to 09:00) with Dudley Scantlebury includes teachings from Derek Prince
Derek Prince
Peter Derek Vaughan Prince was an international Bible teacher whose daily radio programme Derek Prince Legacy Radio broadcasts to half the population of the world in various languages...
at 06:45 and Max McLean
Max McLean
Max McLean is an American actor and narrator for audio books. He is the President of Fellowship for the Performing Arts, narrator for the Listener's Bible audio line, and speaker on the daily radio program Listen to the Bible which airs on over 670 radio affiliates worldwide.McLean is best known...
at 07:10. Glen Stephenson (09:00-14:00), Rosemary Jane (14:00-19:00) and Ross Browne (19:00-24:00) round off the weekday line-up. Saturdays are hosted by Dudley Scantlebury, Rosemary Jane and Andrew Urquhart, while Sundays are hosted by Glen Stephenson, Andrew Urquhart and Ross Browne. Former announcers include Cathy Jenke (1997–2003), John Cordery (2003), Brian Ferguson (2000–2003), Rachel Thomas (2001–2003), James Totton (2004–2005) and Rob Holding (2004–2005).
The Word
The Word is a trial radio network that broadcasts a continuous pre-recorded, automated, uninterrupted programme of spoken Bible readings on former Southern Star frequencies in Hamilton (567AM) and Invercargill (1026AM) after Southern Star moved to newly formed AM NetworkAM Network
The AM Network is a network of radio transmitters operated by Radio New Zealand, which broadcasts Radio New Zealand Parliament and Southern Star Network...
frequencies. Since being set up in 2006, it has expanded to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
on 1377 AM and Te Anau
Te Anau
Te Anau is a town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland. Lake Te Anau is the largest lake in the South Island and second only within New Zealand to Lake Taupo. The 2001 census recorded the town's population as 1,857...
on 88.4 FM and 107.0 FM.
Life fm
Life fm is a ChristianContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
contemporary hit
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
which sponsors the Parachute Music Festival
Parachute music festival
The Parachute Music Festival is a Christian music festival held annually at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.The festival is run by Parachute Music and lasts for four days and three nights. 'Parachute' is the Southern Hemisphere's largest Christian music festival, primarily...
. Life FM started 14:00 March 6, 1993 on 99.3 FM in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
to the sound of U2 "In The Name Of Love" as a station broadcasting a mix of Christian and secular music, but it closed 18:00 Friday 11 July 1997 after the frequency lease with More FM
More FM
MORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
expired. It was restarted in Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty shortly after as a 100% Christian
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
and has since expanded to frequencies across the country. Listener contributions, mostly raised during an annual Lifeathon campaign drive, make up 80% of the network's budget. The Morning Wake-Up breakfast programme is hosted by Burns and Tarsh; weekday announcers include Holly (daytime), Clint and Asher (afternoons) and Dan and George (nights); New Music Pulse and dance
Dance radio
Dance radio is a format that consists of current and recent dance/electronic music.While the format is popular in Europe and Asia, it has yet to make an impact in North America, although there are several Top 40 and Rhythmic radio stations which include current Dance product in their playlists...
Remix are broadcast on Saturdays; The River worship music
Worship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
, The Forum talkback
Talkback
Talkback may refer to:*Talkback , a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons*Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero Chase Stein...
with George Penk (previously the Green Room with Frank Ritchie) and Underground Christian hardcore
Christian hardcore
Christian hardcore refers to metalcore and hardcore punk bands that promote Christian beliefs. How these bands promote Christianity, and to what extent, varies between bands...
are broadcast commercial-free on Sundays.
Shine TV
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
television channel broadcast on Sky TV
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
channel 111, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
UHF 56, Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
UHF 44, Telstra Clear Digital TV and Freeview Channel 25. It has produced and broadcast weekend newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
Nzone Focus with Allan Lee since 2009; it produced and broadcast daily newscast Nzone Tonight with Rachel Thomas, Asher Bastion, Andrew Curtis, Brooke Dobson and Allan Lee in 2007 and 2008; and it produced and broadcast current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
programme Nzone with Tim Sisarich and Bob McCroskrie from 2004 to 2007 before the presenters went on to set up Focus on the Family New Zealand and Family First New Zealand
Family First New Zealand
Family First New Zealand is a conservative advocacy group in New Zealand.It formed in March 2006 with former Radio Rhema talkback host and South Auckland social worker Bob McCoskrie as the National Director...
respectively.
UCB Australia
UCB Australia was featured in the Andrew DentonAndrew Denton
Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
documentary film God on My Side
God On My Side
God on My Side is a documentary directed and produced by Australian agnostic Andrew Denton which follows his trip to the 2006 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Texas...
, publishes The Word for Today and word4U2day, coordinates the PrayForMe prayer ministry and provides mailorder Christian resource service UCB Direct. However, the core operation of UCB Australia is the nationwide Vision Radio Network, previously called Vision FM. UCB's motto is "Connecting Faith to Life" and the radio network aims to make Christian Radio available for every Australian as a means to that end. As at the close of 2008, Vision operated on over 360 licences, including low powered services in metropolitan suburbs and rural towns. It also operated some higher powered services in some regional areas and in Western Melbourne on 1611 AM. By the end of 2010, Vision had expanded to over 460 relay stations, mainly LPON licences (low power open narrowcast) but also including Adelaide 1611 AM. Vision's talk and music programming is aimed at "unpacking" what it means to follow Jesus Christ in an understandable way.
Vision Radio Network
Vision began broadcasting from small studios in Springwood, Brisbane on 1 February 1999. A few years later they moved into larger premises in nearby Underwood to better provide a 24 hour 7 day broadcast to some 300+ relay stations across the nation, plus listeners on the Internet and via satellite. UCB Australia has been able to acquire around 500 high and low powered open narrowcast licenses and has quickly gone about the task of setting up a national network of relay stations across Australia, from the largest cities to regional centres and tiny isolated towns in the bush. Many small to medium sized country towns in Australia have benefited from the cost effective approach of using low powered FM transmitters. Although typically only one to ten watts, they usually give quite adequate residential coverage in small towns, depending on the antenna height above local terrain. The setup cost is very achievable for most communities and the ongoing cost is minimal due to low maintenance equipment with low power consumption - some even use solar power in remote areas.In the twelve months following March 2001 a rapid expansion began, seeing the number of relay stations 'on-air' triple from around 30 to 90. Also in April 2001, UCB Australia introduced Australia's first nation-wide news service from a Christian perspective - UCB News. UCB News is heard across the Vision Radio Network, as well as being accessed by a growing number of community stations who don't have the resources to produce their own news content. During 2003 UCB had opportunity to secure its first high powered open narrowcast licences, which were soon put on air. The network quickly reached 150 relay stations by the end of 2003, and in the following year would see its first foray into AM radio sites in Shepparton, Bunbury and Kalgoorlie. Just prior to Christmas 2004 a further 17 High Powered licences were secured to be on air the following year. Vision's 200th relay station was powered up on Australia Day 2005 at the Central Australian town of Yulara - right next to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Yarrawonga in Victoria had the honour of station number 300 in late 2007 and a significant development occurred in late 2008 with the unexpected acquisition of a medium powered AM service in Melbourne (1611AM).
UCB Philippines
In Makati, PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, United Christian Broadcasters operates internet radio station The Edge Media in partnership with the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries. The station is an advocate for a Christian worldview
Christian worldview
Christian worldview refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which a Christian individual, group or culture interprets the world and interacts with it. Different denominations of Christianity have varying worldviews...
and is used as a training ground for students from 15 Asian nations to learn how to open low cost stations in their countries. It plays contemporary Christian music including pop, hip hop, alternative, praise and gospel songs. It plays music from a wide range of Christian artists of various nationalities, including local contemporary Christian artists which fit its format.
The Edge Radio
| Branding | Callsign | Frequency | Power (Watts) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92.7 The Edge Radio Lucena | DWMZ | 92.7 MHz | 10,000 Watts | Lucena Lucena City Metro Lucena has an estimated population of 700,000 which is mostly concentrated in the flat south-central portion of Quezon, which includes the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucban & Pagbilao . The people are often characterized as friendly and hardworking... |
| 90.3 The Edge Radio Dumaguete | DYJC | 90.3 MHz | 10,000 Watts | Dumaguete Dumaguete City The City of Dumaguete is a city in the Philippine province of Negros Oriental. It is the capital, principal seaport, and largest city of the province. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 133,470 people. A person from Dumaguete is called a "Dumagueteño"... |
| 97.3 JCFM The Edge Radio Trento | DXJC | 97.3 MHz | 10,000 Watts | Trento Trento, Agusan del Sur Trento is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 41,696 people in 7,850 households... |
| 104.3 The Edge Radio Davao | DXMA DXMA 104.3 The Edge Radio is a music FM radio station owned and operated by United Christian Broadcasters in the Philippines.-The Edge Radio Network:... |
104.3 MHz | 10,000 Watts | Davao Davao City The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines.... |
UCB Canada
In Canada, United Christian Broadcasters operates 5 stations.| Branding | Callsign | Frequency | Power (Watts) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCB 102.3 Belleville | CKJJ CKJJ-FM CKJJ-FM is a Christian music radio station, broadcasting at 102.3 FM in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The station began broadcasting in 2003 and is owned by United Christian Broadcasters Canada.-Transmitters:... |
92.7 MHz | 15,000 Watts | Belleville Belleville, Ontario Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region... |
| UCB 103.5 Bancroft | CKJJ-3 | 103.5 MHz | 250 Watts | Bancroft Bancroft, Ontario Bancroft is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario.- History :In 1853 the first pioneer family settled in the area, and over the next 15 years the settlement grew quickly, as another 88 families followed... |
| UCB 99.9 Brockville | CKJJ-2 | 99.9 MHz | 50 Watts | Brockville |
| UCB 100.9 Cobourg | CKJJ-1 | 100.9 MHz | 42 Watts | Cobourg Cobourg, Ontario Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2... |
| UCB 89.3 Chatham | CKGW CKGW-FM CKGW-FM is a Christian music radio station broadcasting at 89.3 FM in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. The station is owned by United Christian Broadcasters Canada . It was originally a rebroadcaster of CKJJ from Belleville, but became an independent station in April 2007.- External links :* * at... |
89.3 MHz | 15,000 Watts | Chatham Chatham, Ontario Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on... |