Industry News Bits TUE 10/20/26

Fundraisers this week  .. KVNE/Tyler .. The Family/Appleton .. WBGL/Champaign .. My Bridge/NE .. 

Let us know when your Station Fundraiser takes place… news@hisair.net

Christian Radio Ratings on HisAir.Net are sponsored by Dunham+Company.

Bakersfield

Honolulu

Knoxville

Omaha–Council Bluffs

Tulsa

KXOJ/Tulsa tops the market for the 2nd month in a row.

KXOJ Brand Manager Kevin Davis told HisAir, “We’re incredibly grateful and humbled to see KXOJ at #1 again. We never take for granted the trust our listeners place in us or the opportunity God has given us to serve this community. As we approach our 50th anniversary, we’re especially excited about what God has in store. Our celebration begins this fall and continues throughout next year, and we truly believe the best is yet to come. To God be the glory!”

SonicTrek Media has named veteran programmer and consultant Rob Wagman to lead “Manna”, the company’s new localized Contemporary Christian format, featuring the on-air talents of Sparkle and designed to give stations a compelling, market-specific alternative to traditional syndicated programming and generic voice tracking. Manna combines SonicTrek’s localization technology with experienced radio personalities, locally customized content and music programming tailored specifically to each affiliate and its audience. The goal is simple: a Contemporary Christian station that sounds and feels like it comes from the community it serves.

Wagman brings an unusual combination of mainstream and Christian radio experience to the format including time in Alternative, Top 40, Urban and Classic Rock as an on-air personality, programmer and VP of Marketing in markets including Tampa, New Orleans, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Christian radio came calling in 2013, Wagman joined KFSH/Los Angeles, where the station achieved some of its strongest audience results in both Los Angeles and Orange County. He later became Network Program Director for WAY-FM, helping the network achieve significant ratings and fundraising growth.

Wagman is also known for developing localized, customized music charts and research used by programmers in Christian, Country and Pop radio. That same market-by-market philosophy will be central to Manna.

“Joel Denver has been a visionary in new technology for decades,” Wagman said. “I had the opportunity to work with him at AllAccess.com from 1999 to 2005, when he was already talking about Wi-Fi in cars, streaming and how technology would fundamentally change radio.

“What excites me about Manna is that we’re using today’s technology to create something deeply human and authentic. Our personalities are real people of faith. The stories and testimonies are genuine. The content is localized for each community, and the music strategy is designed for each individual market rather than simply duplicating a national playlist.

“For me, it was essential that Manna be authentic and God-honoring. SonicTrek shares that commitment, and I’m humbled and excited to be working with Joel again.”

SonicTrek Media Managing Partner, CEO/Formats Division Joel Denver said Wagman was the company’s first choice when it decided to expand into Contemporary Christian radio.

“Rob understands both sides of this equation – great radio and the mission behind Christian radio,” Denver said. “He immediately understood what we’re building with Manna: using real radio personalities and their AI personas to create timely, localized content for each individual market while maintaining the personality, warmth and connection that great radio requires.

“Combine that with Rob’s market-specific approach to music, and Manna gives broadcasters an end-to-end Contemporary Christian format that can sound genuinely local without the expense of building an entire programming and talent operation from scratch.”

Denver added, “For broadcasters with an underperforming signal, a station in need of a new direction, or operators looking for a more localized alternative to generic national Christian programming, Manna presents a powerful new option.”

Sparkle, a longtime veteran personality of Top 40 WSSX & Country WIWF/Charleston, SC, also brings her devotion to Jesus and experience in Christian radio to Manna having worked at WLFJ (His Radio)/Charleston, SC.

She commented to SonicTrek about this new opportunity as the anchor host of Manna: “I’m excited to collaborate with Rob and SonicTrek in bringing localized content to Manna affiliates and see how we can move radio into the next phase! I like the thought of helping radio stations with my talent and creativity, but also with the power of AI technology.”

HisAir Job Alert – sponsored by FaithSearch Partners

WMIT/Asheville (The Light) has added Starr Records as their new Donor Communications Manager.

Starr and her husband recently relocated to Asheville from Beaumont, Texas. Starr brings extensive experience in strategic communications, including writing and communications strategy for NASA and Boeing. She has also led her own business, providing strategic communications services for a variety of organizations and nonprofits.

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Great American Media announced today that Kellie Barnes has joined the company as Vice President of Marketing. Barnes most recently served as Head of Marketing for Smallbone Management/for KING + COUNTRY, where she oversaw marketing, promotions, public relations and partnerships across film and streaming projects.

“Kellie understands how to connect great content with the audience it was created to serve,” said Kaitlyn Haubrich, Chief Brand Officer and Chief of Staff, Great American Media. “She brings a strong combination of entertainment marketing experience, strategic thinking and a real understanding of the faith and family audience. As Great American Media continues to grow, Kellie will be an important part of how we strengthen our brands and reach new viewers.”

HisAir Christian Radio & Records Industry News TIMELINE – Oct 20, 2022

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that it has awarded UCB an additional four frequencies – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia, and Scarborough, Ontario. This week UCB Canada celebrates its 19th anniversary.

Nineteen years ago this week, UCB’s first radio station went on the air in Belleville, Ontario.  By God’s grace and with incredible support from the community, board members, volunteers, and staff, UCB now operate 11 FM frequencies, with another in Regina to be launched in May next year.  And the expansion isn’t stopping there.

Milestones:
Karl & Crew (Moody Radio)  celebrate 8 years
Heidi Larson 7 years at KPAR/Dickinson, ND
UCB Canada celebrates 22 years
Byron Poirier 8 years at Moody Radio
WBDX/Chattanooga celebrates 31 years
Maurice “Maury” Schwen (Kinship Radio) passed 4 years ago

Prayer List:
Colin “Cruz” Strombeck

The HisAir Prayer group is a place where the Christian Radio & Records industry can post prayer requests, and pray for others. Go HERE to join the private HisAir Prayer Group group.

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