CHASING MY "ON AIR" DREAM

(CONTINUED)

      When Greg Newman came to 4GG (pronounced Double G), someone told me that the new announcer, Greg, was a committed Christian. I contacted him and we soon became good friends.

      One day, while working at my father's shop in Surfers Paradise, I received a phone call from the program manager of a commercial station at Kempsey on the New South Wales mid-north coast. He had heard from another Christian friend, Don Gillespie, also from the Gold Coast, but at that time working in Christian media in Sydney - that I was seeking to break into radio. This program manager was a Christian and was hoping to hire more Christians for the staff of what was otherwise a secular commercial station.

      He contacted Greg Newman the same day, encouraging us to both send tapes of our announcing. With Greg's help, I recorded an 'air check'  in the production studio at 4GG, and the two of us drove down to Kempsey to the radio station, 2KM, to meet this man personally.

(Greg and I having a bit of fun in the 4GG production studio)

      I was so excited! I was sure that this was the break I had been waiting (and praying) for. After all, when would a secular commercial radio station normally contact someone unknown to them with the possibility of a job offer? This has to be it, I thought.
      The program manager took us both into one of the studios not being used, and proceeded to thread my tape on the reel to reel recorder. He played it through the large studio speakers. After a short time, he stopped it, rewound it and said nothing. After a pause, he asked Greg for his tape. After listening to Greg's tape, he asked him if he would like to take up a position with them. Greg declined, as he really wanted to stay on the Gold Coast. About two weeks later, I received a letter from the program manager, bluntly telling me he thought I had a major speech problem. I felt deflated, to say the least.
      Did I ever realize my dream? I am happy to say YES! When I applied to join Radio Rhema in New Zealand in 1981, they had been on air for more than two years. Initially, they too rejected my application to be an announcer, stating that they were potentially a network station, and did not consider my announcing to meet their standard. They did, however, offer me a full time off-air position.
      Although again disappointed at first, after praying for God's direction and receiving encouragement from Pastor Alun Davies, one of the staff of the Bible College in Katoomba in New South Wales, where I did a third year of study in 1980 - I accepted their offer and took up my position with them in Christchurch in July, 1981.
For the first eighteen months at Radio Rhema, I was employed as a "studio operator", my main role being "carting" music. For those unfamiliar with the workings of radio stations of that era, this meant recording song tracks from vinyl records onto cartridge tapes for airplay using specially designed studio cart  machines. I also had to make the carts initially, transferring tape from large "pancake reels" to individual cartridges to facilitate recording tracks of varying lengths. This work was carried out overnight, with me working from around 9pm to 6am the next morning, as the studio was used for program editing during the day. Mostly, I enjoyed this work, as I had the satisfaction of knowing I was helping the station to transition the use of carts on air, a more practical means of presenting music on air than the tedious task of having to cue every music track on record turntables.
      With some help from a professional speech and drama teacher, and lots of practice, and with God's working, after 18 months the station manager made a decision to give me some 'on air' shifts. Towards the end of the eighteen months I had been carting music at night, I was getting a little disillusioned, and losing heart that I might  ever be allowed on air. Thankfully, the encouragement from other announcers helped me to keep the vision alive of being on air, and with their encouragement, I made another demo tape of my announcing. The station manager, Dudley Scantlebury, was impressed enough with the improvement in my speech to offer me some on air music shifts, for which I was extremely grateful. I believe God honoured my faithfulness in working at nights on my own, and seeking to do a good job in the area in which I was employed for those first eighteen months.
     For the next five years at Radio Rhema, I was on air five, and sometimes six shifts per week, with the network starting to grow with the establishment of relay stations in Nelson, and the nation's capital, Wellington. At times, there were also short term broadcasts to Auckland in the north island and Invercargill in the far south of New Zealand.
 One of the highlights for me during that time on air was the privilege I had of presenting a weekly song request program on Saturday nights for prisoners and their families, reaching into a number of prisons in Christchurch and Auckland. The program, called "Someone Cares" was initially hosted by a well-loved older lady announcer at the station, Anita Wilkinson, with support from Prison Fellowship ministry in Christchurch. When Anita was unable to continue, I had the opportunity to become the regular host, linking prison inmates and their families on the radio with song requests and greetings received at the station by letter.
      My dream to become a commercial radio announcer was never realised. But I believe that God placed that desire in my heart originally because He knew that one day the door would open to radio in His service.

( Yours truly broadcasting from the new Radio Rhema studios in Christchurch, around 1987)

In May, 1988, Tessa and I moved to Launceston, Tasmania where I was on air for three years at the local Christian FM station, WAY FM.
Apart from the ten years spent in Christian radio in New Zealand and in Launceston, Tasmania, I have had the opportunity of being on air regularly on three community stations at various times - in Lismore, Sydney and more recently, Huon and Kingston FM, broadcasting from Geeveston in the Huon Valley south of Hobart. Like so many thousands of others across Australia, I am grateful for the opportunity that community radio offers to present programming which would not be deemed worthy of broadcast on commercial and government run stations. I think I read recently that in any given month, approximately seven million Australians listen to community radio.
Under the direction of Richard Berry, who pioneered Christian radio in New Zealand, and his protege, Hal Short, Radio Rhema expanded from one AM station in Christchurch in 1978 to three radio networks across the nation today, as well as a television network. United Christian Broadcasters (UCB), which grew out of Radio Rhema, has now spread across the globe with radio stations in Australia - notably the Vision Christian Radio network, broadcasting to almost seven hundred cities, towns and small villages across Australia, with stations also in Asia, Britain, the USA and Canada.

P.S: Greg Newman, who incidentally was Best Man for our wedding in Christchurch, and who flew from Brisbane to NZ at the time at his own expense, has been involved regularly as an on air announcer with the Vision Radio Network, based in Brisbane and broadcasting the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the nation of Australia. To listen to Vision Christian Radio online, the website is: www.vision.org.au

CHASING MY "ON AIR" DREAM

     "Four Double G on the Gold Coast - with Greg Newman!"  I sat on the opposite side of the studio console watching my friend with envy as he went through the paces of his evening music shift on the local commercial radio station.

      How I longed to be in his place, with my own radio program. Since my early teens, I had dreamed of being a radio announcer on a commercial station. I was an avid listener to all the stations in range of where I lived and picked up others in more distant towns late at night.

      I visited two of the local stations to watch the announcers in action and took the opportunity to observe them at work when presenting their music shifts from mobile caravan studios at shopping centres and at the beach.

      But along with my heartfelt desire to make it into radio, on air and as an announcer, there was a sense of frustration. I knew that my right-sided facial paralysis, from birth, which affected my speech (as well as appearance) would present a major hurdle to the realisation of my dream.

      I would often record 'mock' programs on my reel to reel tape recorder (hey, I'm showing my age) at home, feeling excited that I sounded just like the announcers I listened to. When played back, though, the realisation was that the problems in my speech were quite pronounced.

      When I became a Christian at the age of 16, my desire for radio did not wane. However, I completed Grade 12 two years later and radio had to take a lesser priority in my life as I ventured into the world of employment.

      Initially, I undertook hospital-based general nursing studies and then worked in my father's photographic and music retail business on Queensland's Gold Coast.

      As a Christian, my desire to be better equipped led me to undertake a two-year Bible College training course on the North Island of New Zealand.

      During that time, my desire for radio resurfaced - this time with the dream that I might work in a Christian radio station.

      New Zealand had a group of people with a vision to establish a permanent Christian radio network. At that point in time, their first permanent license had not been granted, however. The vision for Christian radio in New Zealand was championed by Richard (Dick) Berry, who in 1960, as a young man in Christchurch, had been healed by God of severe back pain. He told the Lord that he would commit his life to fully serving Him in whatever direction He would lead him. The Lord birthed in Richard a vision to establish Christian broadcasting in New Zealand, at a time when the only radio stations across the nation were government-owned and operated. There were not even any non-government commercial stations at the time.

      Returning to Australia at the beginning of 1978, I again found work in my father's business. My radio aspirations were fuelled by a 30 week (one night per week) radio/TV course conducted by local media professionals in Brisbane (The principals were Jim Illiffe, well loved for his television kids show, "The Channel Niners", and commercial radio veteran, John Knox).

      At the end of the course, I sent applications with  "air check" tapes to a number of country stations in  Queensland and New South Wales. Some of the replies were encouraging but the 'big break' eluded me.

Did I ever fulfill my dream of becoming a radio announcer? To find out, tune in....oops, I mean, Log on to my Facebook page tomorrow to read the rest of the story.

In the meantime, why not check out www.vision.org.au This is the website for the Vision Radio Network in Australia, broadcasting to 690 cities, towns, and smaller communities in every state and territory of Australia. The number of stations is growing all the time. They may well be broadcasting in your area, and you don't even know it. Great Christian music, teaching programs, and news and current events from a Biblical perspective.

Book Review: TOUCHING GODLINESS 

by K.P. Yohannen

     The new book "Touching Godliness" by K.P. Yohannen is a well-presented, thoughtful look at how to progress step by step towards Godliness. Godliness involves submission, and the author explains how inner or outer rebellion sabotages a close walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
     Through many Biblical examples, and moving personal testimonies, strength under control is the means by which God's eternal purposes are accomplished. The Apostle Paul learnt submission and brokenness before God and man; however he was no doormat, but a brilliant leader and pioneer.
     As our mind is renewed through trust, faith and obedience, our greatest model and example is the Lord Jesus Christ.
     We are shown that submission is not to be seen as a negative quality. Indeed, if we are not under God's designated authority, we are slaves to satanic influence. (Romans 13:3-5). If we rebel, it is actually against God  (1Samuel 8:7).
     However, the book also explains there are times when we must obey God, not other authorities.
     Submission is strength under control. There are many benefits including Divine Protection and the fact that we are not easily deceived when we walk God's way in humility and brokenness. Walking close to Jesus, we are blessed, even though there are many trials!
     This book spoke directly to my heart and mind. It's a rich blessing and an essential read if you really want to touch Godliness! Thanks K.P!

The above book review submitted on behalf of Gospel For Asia by Peter and Tessa Harvey

K.P. Yohannen is the founder and international director of Gospel For Asia. He is the author of more than 200 books, including  Revolution in World Missions, an international best-seller with more than 2 million copies in print. He and his wife Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.