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Johnnie's
Career Capsule
Started out mixing music at family
events as a teenager, then hosted a school radio program. Then when
to other stations in L.A and Colorado, came back to Denver and was
to my account the only blind TV host and producer at a public access
station for now 17 years, For the last five years took this TV show
statewide, KBDI 12, with five million TV sets. I returned back to a
freer style of radio, that all the DJ, and PD’s, have a visual loss
of some kind. We're heard on internet station
www.interactive.acbradio.org Sunday 10:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M MT.
Thursday all request show 10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. MT where people
can Skype me live and MSN messenger me as well.
1.
Personally how do you keep the ministry in the “business”?
With two types of
shows, one old school R&B and rock of the 80’s and 90’s, and the
Sunday after Christian mix I always find a Bible reference.
I don’t have any
problems talking about words I read in the Bible or bringing up
values that are basic to Bible reading people that are born again
and trying to walk the life style. I talk about things that are real
to me as in my two teenage daughters and how they make choices in
dating and fallowing what their friends are doing and how I point
out to them what their mom and I taught them and how their choices
will effect others around them, we don’t force our views on them but
we do let them know what God’s word says and how we try to apply it
in our life’s.
I bring these
conversations to the air and let my audience know I have struggles
and how I use my faith to help me come through what ever life has
for me and I ask them what they are going through because I always
want my shows to be interactive.
2. Overall,
how is Christian radio different today, from 5 years ago?
The producing of
hip/hop artists is more real. Back when this style of music was
coming into mainstream music and Christian urban artists started to
rap and do hip/hop Christian producers didn’t know how to make the
music sound real and fresh. We knew the music that was being
produced wasn’t real. So I left the big record labels and went
underground where the artists themselves were in charge of making
the beats and writing the words. The record companies were good at
making Christian rock, because they knew that kind of music and all
the people at the top at one time looked and thought alike, or had
children that looked and thought like the rock star they were
producing.
I say all this to
bring it down to the point that the radio stations are still playing
it safe, they still have all Christian rock, or all gospel, or all
hip/hop and of course mainstream, the really safe soccer mom music.
I understand they have to focus to draw types of a traditional
audience base, but what about us Christians that know our Bible
says: “Love one another, this is how they will know you are my
disciple.” I can turn on a secular station and hear a mix of hip/hop
and rock played together but if I turn on a Christian station that
will go as far as play hard edge rock only and safe Toby Mac, or
turn over to Christian urban and only hear urban type music. But let
them cross over and become a mix showing the world that we can do it
better then non-Christian stations with the true meaning of the
Gospel to back us up? No, I don’t hear that on the stations I listen
to on the internet or in
Denver. What are
programmers afraid of? That Jesus will not come back if we cross the
color and music lines set up by program directors that don’t want to
show the fullness of Christian love through His people? Yes,
Christian stations do cross the line with the safe music, but I am
talking about the music I mix on my show, I am free to mix Christian
rock and hip/hop together and I even take the independent artists
and throw them into the mix, Ooh scary stuff! I even talk to people
that like Christian rock and Christian hip/hop on the same show as
if they were all God’s children without separating down the line. I
feel that we that are mature in the faith and can talk to all people
and bring them together so we can stop being so afraid of each other
and move mountains with the faith of...well you know.
Now I could get
into the DJ’s I hear that are teamed up together that I only hear on
secular stations, like KS107 (Denver) where I hear three mixes of
people all doing a great morning show. The black jock is a Christian
and the woman white and the third guy was a Hispanic mix with white.
I have never heard that kind of mix on a Christian morning show or
anything that has to do with a Christian show. Why is that? Or am I
missing something that others can point out to me in my little world
of showing brotherly love on air?
We as Christian
brothers and sisters can change the world in a big way, but for some
reason I am not hearing us doing what God tells us will set us apart
from the world. Instead I hear how far apart we can get from each
other in music, on air talent, and callers as well.
3. What do
you think are the main characteristics of today’s Christian radio
PD?
Play it safe.
4. What
criteria do you require for a song to be played on your station
(Show)?
That the artists
keep it real and true to their heart, not making a record that will
fit what the program director wants to hear, but music that will
touch hearts. Music that tells listeners that may not live in their
neighborhoods what we all may go through and get us to talk with
each other in a deep and real way about the music heard over the air
waves.
5. What kind
of promotions work best for Christian radio?
Getting out there
with the people that listen to your shows. If your station can
afford it give away music and hosting un-sign bands, or hip/hop
artists opening for national groups or just helping out the local
artists in your market. You promote local and they will in turn
promote the station that backs them up. Having listeners email
pictures of them to be posted on your web site. Anything you can do
to make your listeners feel that they truly have a say in the sound
of the station and bring them closer to each other is always good
for any station.
6. How do you
think Christian Record labels can better serve Christian radio?
Thinking out side
the box and bringing more ideas to radio stations on how to best
make their artists shine, by providing CD and poster give aways,
putting together a 12 song CD of different artists on their label
that might not be as well known and provide a way that these artists
can be tracked for possible future air play.
7. In your
opinion what are the biggest obstacles facing Christian radio today?
Not being able to
see that they could change the face of what people are told to like
and give them more of a choice of all the possibilities of
interactive programming.
8. What do
you believe is the primary role of the Christian radio air
personality?
To be spiritual,
but real to be a bridge to bring all listeners into one accord with
the Jesus of all and make it clear that drinking milk as a baby
Christian is alright for a minute but we need more workers to take
their radios and faith to the next level of maturity and reflect
without fear that our voice can shine the light in the darkest of
places.
9. What (if
any) Christian radio stations do you consider as innovators today?
I sadly can’t name
one, I would love to find one other then the one I am a part of, but
as of yet.
10. Where do
you see Christian radio in 5 years?
I hope not always
playing it safe and if they do break out and show the Christian
first, then the world, how we can be known for our love for each
other. I would hope we do get to this level will not become just
another cookie cut out of something fresh and can truly be
individuals that are a part of the body of Christ!
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