Terry Dismore’s Programming Philosophy

Programming

My purpose is to take people from where they are to where God wants them to be. This includes staff and listeners. I believe that Christian radio exists to reach Christians where they are and encourage them to come closer to Jesus. Christian radio also helps pre-Christians come to know more about Jesus and the salvation He offers.

I believe that Christian radio should be presented at least as well as the best secular stations. We certainly can have the resources, and God will provide for the needs of the station. Our on-air staff should be trained to be excellent personalities. My firm belief is that most programmers take an easy way in training their staff. My focus is on taking the air personality from where he or she is to where God wants them to be as believers and as personalities. I believe that the real legacy of a station isn’t just who is on air now, but also who has been on-air in the past and has gone on to touch lives in another job. We also need to entertain. I understand entertainment to be “informing with delight”

Care must be taken in determining the target listener and meeting that person’s needs. For most Christian music stations, that will be a woman in her early-to-mid-thirties, married, with a couple of children. She will be active in her church, seeking a better relationship with her Lord, desiring a better marriage and wanting to be a better mom. She looks to Christian music radio as encouragement as well as entertainment. Certain formats may vary, but this is an excellent guide. Targeting her means that we may reach her husband, her children and often her parents along with her peers. We must also convert mere hearers into listeners. We often hear the radio, but our core audience should want to listen to what we have to say and play for them.

Finally, care should be taken in selecting music. It must be relevant and truthful from either a spiritual or Christian lifestyle viewpoint. We must always keep in mind that our listeners form the largest “congregation” in any city, and we must remain faithful to God’s call on us to spread the Good News.