Johnny & Stacey's Career Capsule
After years in the secular side, we joined Salem’s The Fish in Chicago as a morning team in 2000, (thank you, John Frost!) beginning our career in Contemporary Christian Music radio. What followed was 8 years of serving Christ at WAWZ in the New York Metro and now in Tucson at the national headquarters for the Family Life Radio network. Family Life Radio is set to celebrate 50 years of ministry in May; and we could not be happier with where God placed us. What Johnny says is still true after almost 3 years at this ministry, “Say yes to God and hold on for the ride of your life!”

1. What’s the latest news from Johnny and Stacey Stone?

We are loving Christ, loving each other and loving life in the desert! Our show’s mission statement says a great deal about what we are about now: We will represent what a life in Christ in a God-filled, God-designed intentional marriage reflects while leading others to Him. Each day God shows us new ways that He is working behind the scenes to help us get to the destiny He has designed. Johnny continues to do his syndicated shows, Looking Up To Number One and Looking Up Country, as well as his new position with CUR Media. Stacey is all about radio, residency and writing now as she finishes up her Master’s degree at Liberty University and celebrates the launch of her book, The Rescued Breed: When Jesus Shows Up And Transforms Your Pack.

2. What is the most significant change to the show in the last 2 years?

Going from a morning show with four or five people to an afternoon show with the two of us calls for major changes. Since morning radio and afternoon radio are two distinct different mindsets, we play more music than we would in morning drive. We still continue to use lots of phone calls and topics that are close to the hearts of our listeners. Our goal is to provide a personality driven music based afternoon show that honors all that God has done for all of us.

We have seen significant growth in the number of people we are reaching for Christ. One example from our network is KFLR FM in Phoenix, Arizona, the Fastest Growing Non-Commercial Religious Station in a PPM Rated Market. (Source: PPM eRANKS from Radio Research Consortium; In May 2014, our 6+ Share was 1.1 and in April of 2015 our Share is 2.3 (a 109% increase). We also increased in 6+ Cume by 37% (from 176,000 in May 2014 to 240,500 in April 2015)) We had a July 2015 6+ cume of 209,400. The exciting thing was the 3.0 share we got which was by far our highest Share ever. The growth of KFLR FM in Phoenix is a snapshot of the overall Cume growth that the Family Life Radio Network has experienced nationwide. The overall network Cume is currently 496,979

3. Regarding your careers, what are you most proud of?

God has chosen to bless us with so many incredible things! Ideas, talents and the drive to successfully execute them on the radio; and we give all credit to Him. Like everybody, we have had our challenges and come out the other end with gifts from God that we never expected. As author Max Lucado says, the only thing we could not lose was the destiny that God had planned for our lives. When someone calls us in the studio, or we meet people face to face and they begin to praise what we are doing on the air, the very first thing that we say is, “Give it to God! We don’t take any credit for everything that He has done.” We are so honored and blessed to do what we love to do!!

4. What is the ONE thing you must have every day to do your show?

For Stacey that would be Diet Dr. Pepper and Johnny extra chunky peanut butter; but for both us it would be the amazing callers that reach out to us each day. We love putting our listeners on the air because they are ten times funnier than we are and always give their heart through the phone line for everyone to hear. We share our lives with them and they share their lives with us and for that we are forever grateful.

5. Where will future Christian radio air talent come from?

As Stacey is typing this article, she is also working on the curriculum for our University of Arizona intern! You can find amazing talent right under your nose.  We did a morning show where the Sales assistant wanted to be part of the program, so we made her our on-air producer, teaching her the skills she needed. We also brought in a production guy as our on air “Wisenheimer”. It was one of the most successful morning shows we have been a part of. Find them, nurture them and set them free!

It is crucial that we take the time to teach, mentor and pray for our younger generations for they will be speaking into the lives of those around them on the radio, on social media or from the pulpit. They will carry God’s message moving forward and we cannot just let them learn; they must be guided by example. They are watching us right now so what are they going to see when their lens lands on you as a radio broadcaster?

6. Do you feel syndication is good or bad for Christian radio?

You are asking two people who write, voice and produce two syndicated shows and their day jobs are on a network… so we are going to say it is great! More seriously, the ongoing debate is good for our industry because in many ways we have become the industry of the haves and have nots. We look out over the CCM horizon and there are so many people working diligently for Christ that do not receive the support that they may need on any given day. Our hats are tipped to the consultants, coaches and mentoring programs like KSBJ but as long as some are receiving more to accomplish their tasks for Christ, it causes division among the ranks. Our prayer is that God’s intent for what we are all trying to accomplish will be highlighted more than whether syndication or networks are good or bad.

7. Generally speaking, what are the biggest obstacles to Christian radio?

The biggest obstacle that Christian radio will be facing is the same one that other Christian entities are facing at this time. When we are labeled as “hate speech” for talking about Jesus, it has to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It is our prayer and hope that America turns back to God. Until then, we have to work on sharing the Good News while leaning on John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world", and keep on looking up!

8. Who are your radio heroes and influences?

This part gets so dangerous when you leave someone out that you truly admire! Beginning with Dr. Randy Carlson and the amazing people we work with at Family Life Radio Network, like Adam Nash Biddell, who inspire us each day to raise the bar on serving others for Christ. We have so many air talents and managers that have reached out to us to say good job or keep up the good work that we salute each of them for being brazen enough to say so. Johnny’s radio mentor, Chuck Knapp, may have retired, but his knowledge lives with both of us on the air each day! Mike Novak and the crew that he has put together at K-LOVE and Air1 are achieving great things for God’s kingdom. Bob Taylor, Barry Armstrong, David A Dein, Grant Hubbard, Corey Mann, John Frost, Brant Hansen, John Hamilton, Tommy Kramer Jeff Cruz, Bob Thornton, Carmen Brown, Scott Herold, the lists goes on and on. In fact, we just thought of another ten…..

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