Contemporary Christian and other religion-based radio stations are having a moment. The numbers show growth that other formats can’t touch. Inside Radio’s analysis of Nielsen shares in PPM markets shows contemporary Christian has grown steadily since 2022, up as much as 26% in key demographics, while contemporary Christian and religious/teaching formats have added 41 and 35 new stations in 2024, respectively.
“Christianity and radio are kind of made for each other,” Paul Batura, VP of Communications for Focus on the Family — the multimedia evangelical Christian organization, and producer of the daily show of the same name, heard on more than 1,000 stations — tells The Denver Gazette. “It’s a wonderful vehicle to inspire and teach people wherever they are, [and] is an intimate medium — it touches people in the way a book or TV or YouTube doesn’t. A lot of times people are alone when they’re listening, and it tends to make a big impression. Whether it’s teaching, talk, or music, it washes over them at a particular moment so that they feel, ‘That was meant for me.’”
The uplifting nature of religious programming may also be a factor in its audience growth. “We live in such a dark society that people are hungry for hope and encouragement and certainty,” Batura says.
Another thing Christian radio has going for it is its consistency and resilience. “The interesting thing about the format is that it’s not up or down with elections or even the economy,” says Christopher Gould, Senior VP of Salem Media Group contemporary Christian “Q102.7” KBIQ and religious teaching “The Word FM 100.7” KGFT Colorado Springs. “It’s been very consistent over the years because we want to bring the Christian message of hope to our community. And oftentimes, when the economy gets tough, advertising goes down in the market in general, but our Christian formats tend to be more resilient.”
Additionally, the reach of stations such as “Q102.7” has gone beyond just Christian listeners. “[KBIQ has] been a leader in reaching the general population from the get-go,” Gould says. That’s also been the case for stations in the Catholic Radio Network, according to Operations Manager Ken Billinger. “Even though we’re [on] Catholic radio stations, half our listeners are non-Catholics, who just like the upbeat, positive programming,” he says. “People can appreciate faith and learn about it, and it presents an opportunity to evangelize.”
Even with lots of audio competition, Batura doesn’t expect these uptrends to turn around anytime soon. “Radio’s demise has been talked about for generations, and so we’re bullish on it,” he says. “It’s a medium that allows us to reach millions of people. God has given us this platform and medium to communicate, whether it’s uplifting, inspirational type of messaging or evangelicalism or engaging the culture.”