New Equipment and Remodeled Studios!

These are exciting times at World Christian Broadcasting. The renovation of the production studios, located near Nashville, is complete, and training of studio personnel is almost complete. (Yes, training takes a while when you get a truckload of new and improved equipment.)

The computers at our Nashville production studios and our transmitter site in Anchor Point, AK, are connected and daily broadcasts are now being uploaded from our studios to a server and downloaded from the server to the Alaska transmission site..

The new computers work much faster than the old ones, and they have doubled our production capacity. The extra production capacity will be needed when KNLS’s sister station, Madagascar World Voice, begins broadcasting in 2011 or 2012.

Transmitter Challenges

In June, we told of the problems with one of KNLS’s two transmitters. Problems continue, as the malfunctioning transmitter is 25 years old, and the challenge of obtaining replacement parts has been daunting. But we’re continuing the effort. The newer transmitter is operating fine, so the KNLS English Hour is currently available one hour a day on 7355 khz on the 41 meter band at 1200 hours UTC. The English broadcast will soon add two more hours on the newer transmitter. By this time next month, the KNLS English Hour should be available three times daily.

What’s on the KNLS English Hour

The KNLS English Hour continues to serve the Pacific Rim seven days a week with great music, current news, and The Good News. The Pacific Rim is that part of the Eastern Hemisphere that encompasses the English-prevalent countries of the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Additionally—English is widely spoken in Indonesia.  

KNLS is on the air daily from 800 hours UTC (Universal Coordinated Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time) to 1800 hours UTC. Eastern Daylight Time is four hours behind UTC; Central Time is five hours behind. So, if you’re in Dallas or Chicago, you can listen between 3:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you’re in Atlanta or New York, you can listen between 4:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

KNLS broadcasts in Chinese, Russian, and English. When the old transmitter is repaired, the English Hour will be carried at 800, 1000, 1200, and 1400 UTC. You get times and frequencies of all KNLS broadcasts through this link http://www.knls.org/broadcasting-front.html.  These frequencies are in effect until October 31st. Assuming the old transmitter stays down for a while, which appears likely, we’ll let you know the new times and frequencies on the newer transmitter.

You can also use this website or the KNLS listener website, www.knls.org to listen to the English Hour if you’re not into shortwave radio.

The KNLS English Hour is the Pacific Rim’s source for music to love, news to know, and a message to live. The KNLS signal stretches throughout the English-speaking world—including the planet’s most populous (1.2 billion people) democracy—India—that has English as its official language.

While we work to provide a geographical balance in the topics we feature, news about the USA is of great interest to many listeners around the world. The English Hour does tell stories about life in the United States and KNLS’ home state of Alaska. Two of the programs are titled The American Highway and Postcard from Alaska. They often include a discussion of “American” principles—principles rooted in Christianity that are universally understood and applied. KNLS’s Paul Ladd recently won a March of Dimes Achievement in Radio Award for a collection of American Highway segments. And our Eye on the World stories often show the interdependence of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Since our target audience is mostly non-Christians, our content is different from a typical Christian format station in America. While we provide our share of positive, uplifting content, some of our programming also provides an honest look at the dark side of life on Earth. Indeed, some program segments, such as a popular music selection and the 2007 AIR-award-winning report about slave trafficking in India, may raise questions that a thoughtful seeker of the truth will ask. And other segments, such as the Bible or Christian lifestyle lessons, serve to answer those questions.

Music is a universal language. Probably 80 per cent of the world’s pop tunes are sung in English, and are enjoyed by people everywhere, many who are themselves not proficient in English. The KNLS English hour features your favorite songs of the 80’s, 90’s, and today. International pop charts show that your favorite music is also the favorite of people who are culturally diverse—whether in Nairobi, Sydney, Singapore, or Jakarta.

The songs are rock, pop, and r&b, with an occasional selection of country or hip-hop. The KNLS English Hour generally features music by artists from the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Americans are familiar with Alicia Keys, B.o.B.,Colbie Callait, Daughtry, Iyaz, Jay Z, John Mayer, Justin Bieber,  Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Kevin Rudolf, Kings of Leon, Kris Allen, La Roux, Lifehouse,  Ludacris, Michael Buble, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Mike Posner, Miranda Cosgrove, Mr. Hudson, Ne-Yo, Pat Monahan, Rob Thomas, Sara Bareilles, The Script, Selena Gomez, Shakira, Shinedown, Shontelle, Taio Cruz, Train,Taylor Swift, Timbaland, Travie McCoy, Uncle Kracker, U2, and Christian crossover artists such as Jars of Clay and Plumb—just to name a few. J

This month—KNLS listeners will hear new music from David Archuleta, Hot Chelle Rae, Nelly, Plain White T’s, and Selena Gomez,

Since KNLS is a Christian station, we screen song lyrics for their language and their message. Some songs provide a positive, uplifting, or values-based message. Some provide commentary about life, both good and bad. And some are purely for entertainment, to give the listener a chance to take a deep breath and lighten up for moment.

Once an hour, we take a break from pop music and present Profiles in Christian Music with Gayle Crowe. These include acapella versions of newer songs that have been on Christian Hit Radio charts.

The English hour features reports about topics of current interest. Marcy Bryan reports about entertainment, business, and religious news. Kelly Ann Monahan has the latest developments in medicine, science, and computer technology. Paul Ladd provides special reports about diverse topics, religious and secular. Doug Poling provides commentary on the news from a Christian perspective on Today’s News & the Good News. And Bob Waliszewski of Focus on the Family provides Plugged-in Movie Reviews. Bob rates the latest movies according to family friendliness. This is in addition to Marcy Bryan’s regular movie reviews in her Eye on Entertainment reports. And Fred Osterman reports about the latest news in the world of radio.

Upcoming reports for late summer and early autumn 2010:

*He was framed for murder in Nicaragua. Eric Volz speaks with Paul Ladd
*Paul also interviews Christian radio talk show host Janet Parshall.
*First the IPAD—now the IPED. Marcy Bryan reports on this Chinese knockoff of Apple technology on Eye on Business.
*Marcy also remembers musical legends Jimmy Dean, Mitch Miller, and she reports on the state of Michael Jackson’s estate on Eye on Entertainment.
*You can rent recent network TV shows from I-Tunes for 99 cents. Kelly Ann Monahan reports on Eye on Computers.
*Kelly Ann also reports on scientific evidence that women talk on cell phones more than men on Eye on Science & Technology.
* Mary Westheimer reports about Online Jukebox and other interesting websites on Eye on the Worldwide Web.
*Bob Waliszewski reviews the movies Eat, Pray, and Love, Nanny McPhee Returns, and Get Low, rating their family friendliness.

Souder and Friends

Now that’s a knife! Larry Souder introduces us to knife maker Wayne Clay. And he takes us to a pet cemetery. Sometimes funny. Sometimes serious. But always getting your attention. Long-time KNLS program contributor Larry Souder presents his classic collection of interesting people, places, and things on Souder & Friends.

The English Express

Dick Brackett, Marcy Bryan, and Paul Ladd join forces to bring KNLS listeners the stories behind some of the idiomatic sayings of the English language. This is for the benefit of listeners who practice English as a second language—as well as the rest of us who claim to know English.

This is what we’re about and why we’re on the air. Our mission is to present the lessons of the Bible, including and emphasizing the Gospel message, in an interesting, non-threatening way that an unbeliever can relate to.

New Series in Production

A Conversation You’ll Never Forget by Anthony Parker

Ongoing Series

Andy Baker’s Prayer Lesson
Author’s Journal with Dick Brackett
Bible Archaeology, Proofs from the Earth with Bill Humble
Eye on Religion—Bible Archaeology reports with Marcy Bryan
First Person with Paul Ladd
Creation Moments with Ian Taylor
God’s Money with Don White
Groundwire with Sean Dunn
Hope in Troubled Times by Anthony Parker
I Love Life with Jerry Dahmen
Profiles of the New Testament with Bob Borquez
Profiles of the Old Testament with Royce Kessler
 Refiner’s Fire with Paul Ladd
Uplift with Bill McClure
Unexpected Gifts with Larry Souder