CHASING MY "ON AIR" DREAM 
Part 2

    When Greg Newman came to 4GG (pronounced 4DoubleG) on the Gold Coast, someone told me that the new announcer, Greg, was a committed Christian. As stated in the first part of this blog series, I soon was able to meet him at a local fair, and we soon became good friends.

    One day, while working at my father's photographic and music shop in Surfers Paradise, I received a phone call from the program manager of a commercial radio station at Kempsey on the New South Wales mid-north coast. He had heard from another Christian friend, Don Gillespie, also from the Gold Coast, but at that time working in Christian media in Sydney - that I was seeking to break into radio. The program manager was a Christian and was hoping to hire more Christians for the staff of what was otherwise a secular commercial station.

    He contacted Greg Newman also the same day, encouraging us both to send tapes of our announcing. With Greg's help, I recorded an 'aircheck' in the production studio at 4GG and the two of us drove down to Kempsey to the radio station, 2KM, to meet this man personally.

Greg and I having a bit of fun in the production studio at 4GG

    To say I was excited would be an understatement! I felt sure this was the break I had been waiting and praying for. After all, when would a secular commercial radio station normally contact someone unknown to them with the possibility of a job offer? This had to be it, I thought.

    The program manager took us into one of the studios not being used, and proceeded to thread my tape on the reel-to-reel tape deck. He played it through the large studio speakers. After a short time, he stopped it, rewound it and said nothing. After a pause, he asked Greg for his tape. After listening to Greg's tape, he asked Greg if he would like to take up an announcer position with them. Greg declined the offer, as he really wanted to stay on the Gold Coast.

    About two weeks later, I received a letter from the program manager at 2KM, bluntly telling me he thought I had a major speech problem. I felt deflated, to say the least.

    Did I ever realize my dream? When I applied to join Radio Rhema in Christchurch, NZ in 1981, they had been on air for over two years. Initially they too rejected my application to be an announcer, stating that they were potentially a network station, and did not consider my announcing to meet their standard. They did, however, offer me a full time off-air position.

    Although again disappointed at first, after praying for God's direction and receiving encouragement from Pastor Alun Davies, one of the lecturers at Commonwealth Bible College in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, where I did a third year of study in 1980 - I accepted their offer and took up my position with them in Christchurch in July 1981.

    For the first eighteen months at Radio Rhema, I was employed as a "studio operator," my main role being 'carting' music. For those unfamiliar with the workings of radio stations of that era, this meant recording song tracks from vinyl records onto continuous loop cartridge tapes for airplay using specially designed studio cart machines. I also had to load the carts with tape initially, transferring the tape from large "pancake reels" to individual cartridges to facilitate recording tracks of varying lengths. T    This work was carried out overnight, with me working from 9pm to 6am the next morning, as the studio was used for program editing during the day. Mostly, I enjoyed this work, as I had the satisfaction of knowing I was helping the station to transition the use of carts on air, a more practical means of presenting music than the tedious task of having to cue every music track on record turntables.

The first and the last BE cart machines

    With help from a professional speech and drama teacher, and lots of practice, and with God's working, after eighteen months, the station manager, Dudley Scantlebury made a decision to give me some on air music shifts. Towards the end of the eighteen months I had been carting music at night, I was getting a little disillusioned, and losing heart that I might never be allowed 'on air.' Thankfully, the encouragement from other announcers helped me to keep the vision alive of being on air, and with their encouragement, I made another demo tape of my announcing, Dudley was impressed enough with the improvement in my speech to give me the break I had been praying and hoping for, for which I was extremely grateful.

    I believe the Lord honoured my faithfulness in serving Him working all those months at night on my own, and seeking to do the task at hand to the best of my ability, as unto the Lord.

    For the next five years at Radio Rhema, I was on air five, and sometimes six days per week with the network starting to grow with the establishment of relay stations in Nelson in the South Island, and Wellington, the nation's capital in the North Island. At times there were also short-term broadcasts in Auckland, the largest city in NZ, and Invercargill in the deep south of the South Island.

    One of the highlights for me during this time was the privilege I had of presenting a weekly song request program on Saturday nights for prisoners and their families, reaching into a number of prisons in Christchurch and Auckland.

    The program, called "Someone Cares," was initially hosted by a much-loved older lady announcer at the station, Anita Wilkinson, with support from Prison Fellowship ministry in Christchurch. When Anita was unable to continue, I had the opportunity to become the regular host, linking prison inmates and their families on the radio with song requests and greetings received at the station by letter.

    My dream to become a commercial radio announcer was never realised. But I believe that God placed that desire in my heart originally because He knew that one day the door would open to radio in His service.

    

Glenfield Crescent on air studio, Mairehau,  where I first went to air in Christchurch

Yours truly on air at Mairehau studios sometime between 1983-85

On air at Birmingham Drive Radio Rhema studio, 1986-88

My friend, Greg Newman has had a stellar radio broadcasting career, starting at 3BA, Ballarat in Victoria as a late teen. Also working at 7HT, Hobart for around six months, he did a stint at one of the Melbourne stations, 4GG Gold Coast for a number of years from 1978 into the 80's, commercial stations 4KQ and 4BH in Brisbane for a significant number of years in the 90's and Naughties, a couple of years at Light FM in Melbourne, Greg's hometown, then back to Brisbane to work for Australia's Vision Christian Radio network - broadcasting to over 800 big cities, towns and small villages in every state and territory.

Vision's website is: vision.org.au Greg is regular host of "Afternoons" on Vision, heard Monday to Friday 3-7pm Eastern Australian Standard time.

STAY TUNED: 

Coming Up - Post Radio Rhema

CHASING MY "ON AIR" DREAM 

"FOUR DOUBLE G ON THE GOLD COAST -WITH GREG NEWMAN!" 

It was a weeknight in early 1979. I sat on the opposite side of the studio broadcast desk watching my friend, with envy as he went through the paces of his evening music shift on the local commercial radio station in Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast. Greg had already logged up radio dj stints in Ballarat in regional Victoria, Hobart in Tasmania and at a station in Melbourne, the Victorian capital. Greg had arrived on the Goldie in 1978 to work for 4GG. Someone told me Greg was a committed Christian so I introduced myself to him at a community fair where he was doing live crosses to the station.

    We soon became good friends and I lived with him for several months in his rented flat on Chevron Island in Surfers Paradise.

As I sat in the 4GG studio watching Greg, how I longed to be in his place, with my own radio program. Since my early teens, I had dreamed of becoming a radio announcer on a commercial station. I was an avid listener to all the commercial radio stations within range of where I lived and picked up others in more distant towns late at night.

    I visited two of the local stations to watch announcers in action and took the opportunity to observe them at work when presenting their music shifts from mobile caravan studios at shopping centres and at the beach. 4GG also had two "satellite studios," small glassed enclosures permanently located at Sundale Shopping Centre in Southport at the northern end of the Gold Coast and one at Tweed Mall, Tweed Heads at the southern end. Fortunately for me, my dad had three photographic and music stores, two of which were at these shopping centres, so when I was working there, I could see the announcers when they did their music shifts from these studios.

  

 But along with my heartfelt desire to make it into radio on air as an announcer, there was also a sense of frustration. I knew that my right-sided facial paralysis, from birth, which affected my speech (as well as my appearance) would present a major hurdle to the realisation of my dream.

    I would often record 'mock' programs on my reel-to-reel tape recorder (hey, I'm showing my age) at home, feeling excited that I sounded just like the announcers I listened to. When played back, however, the realisation was that the problems in my speech were quite pronounced.

    When I became a Christian at the age of 16, my desire for radio did not wane. However, I completed Grade 12 two years later and radio had to take a lesser priority in my life as I ventured into the world of employment.

    Initially, I undertook hospital-based general nursing studies in Sydney and Brisbane before working in my father's three shops on the Gold Coast for six years in the seventies, interrupted for two years by my attendance of Bible college in Lower Hutt near Wellington, New Zealand.

While in New Zealand for those two years, my desire for radio resurfaced - this time with the dream that I might work in a Christian radio station.

    New Zealand had a group of people with a vision to establish a permanent Christian radio network. At that point in time, their first permanent licence had not been granted, however.

    The vision for Christian radio in New Zealand was championed by Richard (Dick) Berry, who, in 1960 as a young man in Christchurch, had been healed by God of severe back pain. He told the Lord that he would commit his life to fully serving Him in whatever direction He would lead him. The Lord birthed in Richard the vision to establish Christian broadcasting in New Zealand, at a time when the only radio stations across the nation were government-owned and operated. There were not even any non-government commercial stations at the time.

    Returning to Australia at the beginning of 1978, I again found work in my father's business. My radio aspirations were fuelled by a 30 week (one night per week) radio/TV course conducted by local media professionals in Brisbane. The principals were Jim Iliffe, well-loved for his television kids show "The Channel Niners," and commercial radio veteran, John Knox.

    At the end of the course, I sent applications with recorded "air-check" tapes to a number of country commercial stations in Queensland and New South Wales. Some of the replies were encouraging but the 'big break' eluded me.

Did I ever fulfill my dream of becoming a radio announcer? To find out, tune in.....oops, I mean keep an eye out for the next instalment in my "Chasing My On Air Dream" blog posts.

In the meantime, why not check out www.vision.org.au This is the website for Vision Christian Media in Australia, home to Vision Christian Radio based in Brisbane reaching over 800 big cities, towns and small villages across every state and territory in Australia. the number of stations is growing all the time. If you live in Australia, they may well be broadcasting in your area, and you don't even know it. Mostly contemporary Christian music, teaching programs and news and current affairs programs from a Biblical perspective. Well worth checking out!

 

HALLELUJAH

FOR THE CROSS 

Back in 2014 Newsboys released their seventeenth studio album titled "Hallelujah For The Cross." Newsboys is a contemporary Christian rock band formed at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia in 1985 by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee in the USA, a number of their albums have been certified Gold. 

The title song of the album, "Hallelujah For The Cross" is a rousing anthem of what Christ accomplished through His death on the cross at Calvary. The words of the song are well worth reading and meditating upon:

Up to the hill of Calvary

My Saviour went courageously

And there He bled and died for me

Hallelujah for the cross

And on that day the world was changed

A final, perfect lamb was slain

Let earth and heaven now proclaim

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war he fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls he bought

Hallelujah for the cross

What good I've done could never save

My debt too great for deeds to pay

But God, my Saviour made a way

Hallelujah for the cross

A slave to sin, my life was bound

But all my chains fell to the ground

When Jesus' blood came flowing down

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war He fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls He bought

Hallelujah for the cross

And when I breathe my final breath

I'll have no need to fear that rest

This hope will guide me into death

Hallelujah for the cross

Songwriters: Todd Edgar White / Ross Sullivan King / Brandon Todd White

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the wisdom of the prudent."

Where is the wise [man]? Where is the scribe? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The cross of Christ is central to the message of the Gospel. The Gospel is good news to everyone who will hear and respond in faith to the invitation from the Lord God to come in repentance from sin in acknowledgement that Jesus died on the cross in our place for our sin, so that we can be reconciled to the Father God. Romans 5:8 tells us: God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus, in speaking about the death He would die on a Roman cross said in John 12:32: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."

Probably the best known verse of the New Testament is John 3:16 which encapsulates the message of the gospel. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23: ...... all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. The Greek word for sin is 'hamartia' which essentially means "to miss the mark." If we think of an archer shooting arrows at a target, it would be as if the arrows would never reach the target. That is the picture of the word 'sin' - that even i our own efforts, in our own estimation of our goodness and kindness, generosity, etc., we can never attain to the standard of God's righteousness. Our sinful nature will always separate us from a holy God. It is only by means of the Holy Spirit indwelling our human spirit at the time of conversion - being "born again" as the Bible says in John 3, that we are able to have fellowship restored with our Father God, through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Christianity without the cross is just dead religion.

Jesus says in John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy (speaking of Satan).

I have come that they might have life, and that that they may have it more abundantly.

We do not have to look far to see the ravages that satan is accomplishing in humanity, with broken lives, families torn apart, sickness and disease, the rising tide of evil politicians espousing abominable social policies, wars and rumours of wars etc.

The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 59:19 says: So shall they fear the

name of the LORD from the west,

and his glory from the rising of the sun,

 When the enemy comes in like a flood, 

the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

It is very obvious that in these days in which we are living, demonic activity is increasing at an alarming rate, with spiritual darkness being almost palpable at times in the nations, no doubt being more so in some cities and nations than in others. The GOOD NEWS, though, is that according to the abovementioned verse in Isaiah, as the rising tide of evil is seen in the world, the Spirit of the LORD, the Holy Spirit is lifting up the standard, the Lord Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life - the answer to the desperate searching of man for hope and freedom in this sin-sick world.

as singer/songwriter Andrae Crouch proclaimed in his song from the seventies: "Jesus Is The Answer":

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind

And traces of discouragement and peace you cannot find

Reflections of the old past seem to face you everyday

But there's one thing I do know that Jesus is the way

Oh I know you've got mountains that you think you

cannot climb

I know that your skies are dark, you think the sun

won't shine

In case you don't know but the word of God is true

And everything He's promised, He would do it for you    

That's the reason I say that

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way.

Songwriters: Andrae Crouch/Sandra Crouch

If you have read this blog and would like to become a Christian - the very best decision you will ever make - to be 'born again' as it says in John 3:3, today could be for you the day of salvation. You need to pray a prayer to the Lord God from your heart. You do not need to use eloquent speech. Your prayer could be something like this: Jesus, I believe you died on the cross in my place for my sins. Please forgive me for my sin, and set me free from the power and penalty of my sin. I ask you to cleanse me by your blood that was shed for me on the cross and make a new person on the inside so that I can have fellowship with you and the Father God, through the Holy Spirit living within me. I want to know you and live for you. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, please tell someone of your commitment to Jesus. Further to this step, I encourage you to:

Get a Bible if you don't already have one, and start reading one of the Gospels such as John or Mark.

Pray regularly in your own words from your heart knowing that the Lord will hear you.

Find a Bible-believing church where you can be encouraged and built up in your new-found faith; AND

Fellowship with other Christians who can encourage you, help answer questions you may have, and help to spur you on in your walk with the Lord.