(Aug. 26, 2011 - by Ralph Kurtenbach and Harold Goerzen) Listen to your audience-it's a fundamental of successful radio programming. This principle was put to the test for radio producers of HCJB Global-Russia and its partner network, New Life Radio (NLR), in a radio training course held in Moscow Aug. 15-20.

The audience consisted of women, only-six of them, to be specific. The students had come from Moscow and another Russian city and even one from New York who was visiting relatives and heard about the course via the Internet.

"This was the first time when all students were women," said the director of HCJB Global-Russia. "We had to change our teaching plan and make the lessons more relevant for them. We covered the basics of mass media, specifically radio, during the first two days."

The director also placed the role of Christian radio within that context, addressing the question, "How can we reach people with the gospel through radio?" Then NLR's station director and the station's disc jockey instructed the students on radio formats, radio programming and other aspects of running a station. Each student also had to prepare for and host an hour-long program on the air.

The final day of training saw students learning about Internet broadcasting from the director of the "Xradio" Internet station. "They spent a full day talking about how to use Internet radio," said David who oversees the mission's Europe/Eurasia region. He visited during the training, taking a four-hour detour from an HCJB Global-sponsored vision journey in Russia along with other travelers from the group.

"Amid the many challenges for Christian radio in Russia, we are able to continue to prepare people to use radio and new media such as the Internet," David said. "Our partners are expanding broadcasts on the Internet, especially with the difficulties of getting licenses for traditional radio stations."

One student hopes to continue as a disc jockey. Two others would like to serve in the Christian programming studio in their home city. Another plans to work with a different Christian group near the border with Estonia, developing an Internet radio station."

"We hope that all our students will continue this radio ministry and a lot of Russian people will hear the gospel through radio," concluded the director.

David added that the mission conducts two radio training courses in Russia per year. "All of the instructors were Russians, and they came from various cities," he said of the August training. "This continues to show that we have good trainers within Russia. It's training by Russians for Russians."

Source: HCJB Global