Christian Radio Station Dominates Major City’s Airwaves
By Movieguide® Contributor
While Christian music stations hold little market share on most major cities’ airwaves, Minneapolis/St. Paul’s KTIS, the most popular station in the metropolitan area, shows the power Christian radio can have on a community.
“The most popular radio station in the Twin Cities for several months running has been KTIS,” MinnPost said. “In July, KTIS attracted an 11.6% share of listeners age 6+,” making it the most popular station in the city.
“The only other top 50 markets with a religious broadcast in the top five are Tampa-St. Pete (3rd place, 6.4 share) and Houston (5th place, 5.4 share.),” MinnPost continued.
“These stations are outliers by and large. In nearby Milwaukee, the largest religious broadcasters garner a 0.1 [share]; in Des Moines, a 0.2 [share],” MinnPost added. “San Francisco and Boston have no religious broadcaster that attracts a measurable share.”
The Minnesota-based station has found success because of its approach to radio which is markedly different than other Christian stations.
KTIS boasts live, on-air personalities, reporting on local sports, news and weather alongside a steady stream of contemporary Christian music that aims to “uplift” its listeners. This differs from many other Christian broadcasts, whose offerings are often not live or local.
The popular station is owned by the University of Northwestern in Roseville, Minnesota, and operates with 15 direct employees.
“It’s very well done, it’s good radio, produced quite well,” said Dan Seeman, VP and Regional Manager for Hubbard Radio Minnesota, which runs KTIS competitors KS95 and MyTalk. “They’ve got resources, marketing, a feeder system for talent and producers at the university.”
KTIS began seeing substantial growth in 2020 as people were looking for hope. Continuing to grow over the next three years, the station became number one this April, and its lead over its competitors increased even more by July.
“We wanted to be a part of making Christian radio more fun,” station manager Dave St. John told MinnPost. “The goal is to play music that reaches as many people as possible.”
Christian radio, be it music or on-air personalities, often attract and inspire listeners. Consider radio host Delilah.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Nighttime radio host Delilah joined the “Jesus Calling” podcast to reflect on the power of music, her faith and how she experienced God through family tragedies.
“I realized early in broadcasting—I was probably 15 or 16—how impactful music is because you remember the song you danced to it your junior prom,” she said on the podcast. “Music touches us in a way that nothing else does.”
“I think that music is the language of the angels,” she continued. “You read the Old Testament, the scriptures, the Psalms, the harps and the music that was played. And you know, when King David comforted Saul, it was with music that he was able to calm his spirit and comfort him and kind of keep the cray-cray away. And it does that for us today.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
