The Radio Chapel Hour is the title of our broadcast. In order to get away from the name "tabernacle," we use "radio chapel" for the name of our meeting place. In this way we hook the tabernacle and the radio program together.
The best time of day for our Radio Chapel Hour broadcast seems to be between the hours of five and seven in the evening. Between seven and nine is better, but there are too many commercial programs at that time, and most radio stations are tied up with such programs. At our last camp meeting we called for a show of hands to check between a one-thirty and a six o'clock afternoon broadcast. About one third more people were able to hear the six o'clock program. Both programs were on the same stations.
About six in the evening we stand a good chance of getting all the members of the family around the radio. The farther we get from the early morning and evening hours, the poorer the time. It is also a well-known fact that evening and morning hours carry the speaker's voice much farther than late morning and early afternoon hours. For this reason, too, we stand a better chance of getting more people to listen at six o'clock than at one-thirty.
Since choice hours may not be available, we take the best we can get, and, as in some evangelistic efforts, build up a listening audience. This can be done with remarkable success if we put time, effort, and thought into our program, and broadcast the same time every day, and as many days a week as possible. Four or five times each week would be desirable, including Sunday. People who do not ordinarily look for religious programs during the week usually try to find a church program on Sundays. If we cannot finance more than one program each week, Sunday should be the day.
Many of us find it difficult to get on the larger stations ; and if we do, fifteen minutes is about all we are able to afford, because the costs on such radio stations are very high. Workers who have the responsibility of their churches and districts will find that even one fifteen-minute broadcast keeps them very busy. Some men are able to broadcast several times each week if they have good strong help in their other work.
Most of us use the smaller stations. In such cases we would do well to secure a half hour for each broadcast. A full-time evangelist should never feel too busy to spend several hours each week on the radio, if the right time is available and the cost is within reach. It is surprising what can be done in a fifteen-minute broadcast, but half an hour gives opportunity for more music, a better rounded out sermon, and time to announce the eve- . ning meeting and other evangelistic services. We find that some of the smaller stations will not write a contract for less than half an hour. Whatever time we take, or have to take, we should make it the same time every day or every week.
Type of Broadcast
The chief aim of the Radio Chapel Hour broadcast is to catch the attention of people and draw them to our meeting place. Our present half-hour program is evangelistic, but we do not present the more controversial subjects, because we want to avoid prejudicing people before we can reach them in person. We are now broadcasting over a chain of four stations, and will be adding three more soon. We are following the plan of holding a tabernacle effort in each city, in turn, in which these stations are located. The radio program is to help build up an interest before our arrival with our tabernacle. Long before we arrive, the church is organized to enroll students in our Bible school and make the community conscious of our radio program.
People like music. The old gospel hymns, sung from the heart and in such a way as to make the words understood, are a very effective part of our program. When we had only fifteen minutes on the air, people would write us their regrets because our time was so short that we could not have more music. In a half-hour program we use about fifteen minutes for the sermon, and the remainder of the time is given over to music and brief announcements. Sometimes a stanza of a well-chosen, appropriate hymn is worked in during the sermon with a soft, musical background. Many times we quote the words of a song, accompanied by soft solovox music. We find this kind of program very effective.
Financing the Broadcast
A large number of our people will gladly pledge a dollar or more each month to help finance the broadcast. Some of the Dorcas Societies will make pledges also. Our people are radio conscious, and they are glad to do their part. One radio-conscious brother recently gave us $300. We are always on the lookout for such people, and there are many of them if we will approach them properly.
For many years the "book for the month" plan has been a great help in bringing in money. Every month we offer one of our Crisis books to all who send us at least one dollar during a month. The more striking the title of the book, the better the response.
We have an evangelistic effort going on most of the time that we are broadcasting. During the past year we have designated Friday night as radio night. On Friday night an envelope is placed in the hands of the people as they enter the chapel. On this envelope there is a picture of the radio group with the words, "My contribution to keep the Radio Chapel on the air," and two lines for names and addresses. During the announcements we explain about the envelope, boost the radio program, and enroll students for the free radio correspondence school. All the envelope money is used for the radio, but all the loose change that night goes into the regular effort fund. As a result, we get not only a liberal offering for the radio but an expense collection which often equals or exceeds the Sunday-night offerings.
Another plan we are now using is that of placing an envelope in with the lessons as they are sent out each week. This is done every month or six weeks. We just enclose the envelope with a little message on it, and say nothing more. Since we started this, our radio offerings have more than doubled.
Our conference is wholeheartedly behind the program. Our aim is to make the program self-supporting, but until that time comes, our conference committee is giving us the help we need. At camp meetings and district conventions our conference officials urge our people to make pledges. All this can be done by working closely with the conference.
We must guard against overdoing the solicitation of funds on the radio itself. Some radio stations will not permit asking for money over the air ; others will allow it if great care is used. One station manager, whom we approached by mail for radio time, frankly told us we could have the time, but he would reserve the right to discontinue our program if, in his judgment, our solicitation of money was carried too far. The listening audience does not like the constant begging heard on some programs, and the station management dislikes it even more.
We should make sure that there is an understanding between us and the management of the station. There are many ways to get money without embarrassing anyone. We can say, "This program is made possible by the freewill offerings of its listeners." Then tell the listeners to mail all letters and contributions to your address. If we offer something free, hundreds of names will come in. To these we can send tactfully worded letters of appeal. We never have had any trouble in this matter. If we preach the gospel and give the people the best, the Lord will impress to give.
Use of Spot Announcements
Because of the type of broadcast we conduct, we use but few spot announcements. We announce our public meetings during the regular broadcasts. We have used "spots" where we had only one program each week, especially for our first meeting. Where we have a regular radio program, the station management has never charged us for these special announcements. During the week, just before the opening lecture at the Radio Chapel, the following spot announcement was used very effectively, and used several times during several days of the week:
"The Radio Chapel Hour group, heard weekly over the North Central Broadcasting System, will make a public appearance on Sunday night, April 5, at the Radio Chapel, 322 Second Street, Northwest, in Minot. You have heard them. Now come and see them in action. The Melody Makers will open the hour with a twenty-minute musical program, with the aid of the solovox and vibraphone. Admission is free, and the public is invited. Remember the time and place, Sunday night, at seven-thirty, April 5, at the Radio Chapel, 322 Second Street, Northwest, Minot."
We were unable to seat more than two thirds of the people who tried to get in at that meeting, and two evening meetings were held each Sunday during the first two months of the effort. We have used spot announcements when we had no radio time, but we felt that the same money spent in newspaper advertising would be much more profitable.
