Why not a Lutheran Broadcasting Station?

In March of 1923, horribly offended by science lectures on the radio, Walter A. Maier wrote an editorial that was published in the Walther League Messenger “Why not a Lutheran Broadcasting Station?” [SOURCE] The Messenger was a monthly publication of the a Lutheran group, the Walther League Synodical conference based in Milwaukee, WI. Walter Maier had been it's editor since at least 1922.

"The other night we adjusted the head-piece of our radio set, found the sensitive spot on the crystal and broke into a lecture on the subject: “How Old is Man?” that made our ears tingle because of its open and unveiled contradiction to the Bible. When the lecture was over the question suggested itself: “How many of our people and other sincere Christians have just heard this insult to Biblical Christianity? “...the hope presented itself that at some point in the not distant future our Lutheran church might establish a broadcasting station that would send a one hundred percent Gospel message from coast to coast, yes, even to the ships that ply the oceans, and, with the continued improvement of radio, even to Europe."

Religious programs predate the act of licensing call letters. Indeed, the first religious program on KDKA-AM was broadcast less than two months after it was licensed. In January of  l921 KDKA did a remote broadcast from Calvary Episcopal Church with the Rev. Edwin Jan van Etten. Maier was well aware of this precedent and even referred to another in his article "...a catholic writer in 'Current Opinion' claims that his church has already won converts by radio."  In short, if radio was a tool for education, debate, recruitment and conversion, then the Lutherans needed one as well.

In August of 192 they broadcast portions of their convention. They launched a Lutheran radio program on KPO-AM in San Francisco. then in May of 1923 they began fund-raising. The new station, designated KFUO was funded by the Walther League,the Lutheran Layman’s League, and even seminary students. Thea 500 watt station began broadcasting from Concordia Seminary on December l4th, l924. It operated at 545.1 meter wavelength from the middle of the mid-west. 

Maier was not done. Now that KFUO was running he moved on to a new goal of notationally syndicated evangelism. He began by contacting NBC in early 1930. He learned that it was NBC's policy not to permit paid religious air time. Maierwent down the line and contacted CBS. They did accepted paid religious programing but the rates were very high. The cost would be $4,500 per half-hour... an annual cost of over 200k.   The Walther League collected $94,000 and signed the contract with CBS.  The Lutheran Hour premiered on Thursday, October 2, 1930 at 10:00 AM.  Despite good ratings, financial concerns disrupted their broadcasts from June, 1931 through 1934.The program returned in 1935 on the Mutual network and later also the Don Lee Network in California. Maier continued to speak on the program until his death in 1950.

Stupid DJ Tricks: Part 10

It's a rare day a DJ is such an imbecile that federal agents have to have a word with them. In this case, someone needed to tell Kidd Chris that Counterfeiting US currency is illegal. Apparently he really is that daft.  I'll quote here from the Secret Service Web Page:

"Manufacturing counterfeit United States currency or altering genuine currency to increase its value is a violation of Title 18, Section 471 of the United States Code and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 15 years, or both. "

On April 8th The Kidd Chris Show broadcasting a program on 101.1 KUFO Portland instructing listeners how to bleach and counterfeit US Currency.the initial complaint indicated that during the program Kidd and/or his staff were actually bleaching currency not just teaching an instructional. This detail is critical, because as stupid as the rest of this is, that is the part that is a federal crime.

Bleaching currency is a federal offense, a violation of Title 18, Section 471 to be specific. The Secret Service arrived at KUFO at 9:00 AM Friday April 9th  and the Kidd Chris show did not air that morning. The agents ordered  Kidd Chris to stop bleaching the money immediately.  Fans of the Kidd Chris show took to the KUFO facebook page asking why the show was off the air.  Kidd responded personally “When the Secret Service is involved there is only so much we have control over." 

Milking the event for all the drama they could, KUFO updated the  The Kidd Chris page of KUFO.com to a blank page that read “Content embargoed for on-going investigation.” Secret Service officials did later say that they would not be pressing charges against KUFO, Alpha Broadcasting or Kidd Chris.

Ironically it was KUFO who was embroiled in a pay-for-play scandal in 1999 when they accepted $5,00 in cash from Interscope records for 50 spins over 5 weeks for the Limp Bizkit single "Counterfeit." (That exchange was actually legal because of a short promotional disclaimer that preceded each spin of the song.)