Where are the liberal Christian talk stations/programs?

[GreenPartyVoter]

We are desperately in need of them.

Are there any online that I can stream since what we tend to have around here over the airwaves is the more rigid conservative sort?

[RevCheesehead]

1. If you find out, please let me know.

There is an unusual station in Sturgeon Bay, WI that programs Christian Hard-Rock. I occasionally listen, but I'm not sure about their theology. I think it's an off-shoot of churches with Contemporary services, and their main audience is teenagers.

The problem seems to be in financial support. A station in Madison (WNWC) started out pretty mainstream in the 70's, but they took a hard turn to the right. Started replacing music programming with Dobson and other right-wing crap. That's when my PARENTS stopped listening and supporting them, too. :(

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. There used to be a cable TV station in the 1980s, and

I think it was called Vision or something like that. It was bought out by someone else, and I forget what it is now. Frankly, the programming was rather uninspired.

[RevCheesehead]

9. Was that Univision?

They used to carry United Methodist programming, and other things from Mainline Protestant denominations.

They merged with some other company, and then were bought out by the Hallmark Channel.. Now they just show old TV re-runs, and the religious programming has all but disappeared.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Univision is and has always been a Spanish-language station

Now that I think of it, the name was VISN. Then it changed to something else, which I can't remember.

[regnaD kciN]

3. We don't have our own "Hunt brothers"...

For those who wonder how the "religious right" came to dominate the airways, back in the 1970s, the Hunt brothers (financiers and speculators, with little or no religious convictions of their own) decided to build up an alternative, seemingly God-sanctioned voice in the media that would promote conservative values (primarly support for deregulation of business and increased military spending). They essentially went around to conservative preachers, offering them a "bargain" (those of you who are humming "Please allow me to introduce myself..." at this point are not alone) by which said preachers would receive the funds they needed to build a nationwide media ministry and elevate themselves to stardom in the evangelical protestant world in exchange for signing on to a "moral crusade" platform that would blend the secular positions of the Hunts and their allies with a denunciation of the "sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll" ethos of the '60s.

Their biggest catch was Jerry Falwell, who prior to striking a deal with the Hunts, had been an advocate of evangelical Christians staying aloof from politics. Under the tutalage of his new benefactors, however, Falwell pulled a 180 and declared that working for politically-conservative causes was a requirement for being a "true" Christian. He and others recruited by the Hunts received the money they needed to start up and dominate the newly-available cable channels, and the Hunts got their quid-pro-quo of a new "religious right" movement that has dominated U.S. politics for twenty-five years.

Why have we had no Hunt brothers of our own? Well, most wealth belongs to conservatives, who simply act out of self-interest. But, beyond that, most wealthy liberals tend to be openly secular, and not so cynical as to build up a movement in which they don't believe, merely to advance their own political agenda.

[Maat]

4. Wow! Thanks for the post, regnaD!

A friend just forwarded me a story on how low-power-FM was being doled on a biased basis - check this out!

http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc10mar10,1,1436304.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

(From the "Los Angeles Times":)
FCC Urged to Withhold Low-Power Licenses
By Jube Shiver Jr.
Times Staff Writer

March 10, 2005

WASHINGTON — A coalition of religious, community and media watchdog groups asked federal regulators Wednesday to stop granting low-power broadcast licenses, alleging speculators at three Idaho companies improperly made more than $800,000 selling the government-issued permits to religious broadcasters.

[pelagius]

5. I would love to have AAR give a show to someone like...

...Jim Wallis or Ron Sider or just about any progressive Christian who can be thoughtful, provacative, and entertaining. Maybe a weekend show to start.

[GOPBasher]

6. I don't think there are any.

The evangelical, fundamentalist, Southern Baptists have all the money and own all the stations. There are no liberal Christian voices out there.

[kwassa]

7. "Speaking of Faith" on NPR

This is really an excellent show, and I am sure it is available over the Web with a little searching around.

It is more of an interesting exploration of faith and ideas of faith rather than any political viewpoint of faith. The host is excellent, as very few seem to be able to talk about religion intelligently on a broad scale

website:

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/stations/

blurb:
Hosted by Krista Tippett, the new radio program is heard weekly on public radio stations around the country. Speaking of Faith brings a wide range of intelligent religious ideas and voices into American life.

here is a list of the programs she has done:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/

[elshiva]

8. Those are good!

[RevCheesehead]

10. I've wanted to listen, but they broadcast on Sunday morning here!!!

Obviously, I am a little "busy" then. Then they sent me a card, telling me to promote the show to my church members! Grr. Sorry - if they're mobile, I want them at church!

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. I'll check into it, thanks!