RadioU's Music
RadioU is the nation's only Christian "hard music" format. The music we play is positive, yet aggressive enough to connect with an emerging fanbase of 12-24 listeners.
About Christian music
You probably already know this, but Christian music has come a long way in the past several years. It's moved out of the church choir and into sold-out arenas. That pipe organ is now more likely to be an electric guitar. You should think "stained skin" instead of "stained glass."
And, the music is no longer just for "religious people." You've probably observed the advances made by Christian AC stations in markets like Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando, and well, everywhere! Most markets have solidly-performing Christian AC stations ranked somewhere near the top. According to Nashville's Gospel Music Association, Christian music now outsells many other market segments including latin, soundtracks, and jazz and classical combined.
RadioU is not a Christian AC format
Within Christian music, Christian rock album sales are basically tied with Christian AC and black gospel according to the GMA. Yet, there are virtually no Christian rock music stations in the U.S. (yet). Christian hard music has an established fanbase of listeners that is almost completely untapped by radio! They're buying CDs (lots of them) and downloading music from iTunes instead of hearing it on the radio.
Christian adult contemporary formats just don't connect with this group of potential listeners. Just as mainstream ACs don't confuse their core audiences by playing Trapt and Mudvayne in some vain attempt to capture 18-24s, Christian ACs aren't going to play P.O.D. and Thousand Foot Krutch. These artists are strong sellers within Christian music, but are simply too aggressive for existing Christian stations to play inside a "safe for the whole family" format designed to appeal primarily to 35-44 adult women.
What would happen if these younger consumers started hearing "their" music on the radio? Yep -- you guessed it. They'd listen.
Enter RadioU
Perhaps you haven't heard a lot about us, but RadioU is actually known as a leader within our corner of the music industry. For almost twelve years now, we've been perfecting this Christian "hard music" format -- learning what works and what doesn't. Creating an authentic radio product with results measured by its impact on real people. In fact, we recently won EMI and R&R's "Market Impact Award." Before that, we won a bunch of statues for our creative imaging and production. We're regularly asked to lead panel discussions on how to communicate to twenty-somethings on the radio. Without meaning to brag, we've become the experts at this. You'll find no one else in radio who knows this music and its audience better.
RadioU is tightly programmed. Current-based. Although there are thousands of songs we could play, we've limited our library to around 300 titles, mostly from within the past three years. Our song selection is well-focused on the diverse musical interests of 12-24s, filtered through our imaginary -- but very real -- 20 year old "Adam" and his girlfriend.
RadioU incorporates pop music from core artists like Relient K and Switchfoot; rock from Blindside, P.O.D., Underoath, and Thousand Foot Krutch; and even rhythmic-leaning hits from Grits and 4th Avenue Jones. Check a list of our currents, and you'll discover an entire universe of music you probably never knew existed. Maybe you've heard of Pillar and Skillet, but what about Copeland, Anberlin, Flyleaf, Underoath, Demon Hunter, Hawk Nelson, and Showbread?
But, it's "Christian"...
RadioU is a Christian format, yes. However, you might be interested to know that we don't actually proclaim to be a "Christian music" station on the air. Instead, RadioU is simply known to its audience as the station "where music is going."
We've found that new listeners love RadioU and immediately add it as a preset simply because it's different from what other stations are playing -- and because it's legitimately good music. The "Christian thing" is not seen as a negative by RadioU's audience, even among atheists and those of other faiths. RadioU is simply appreciated for playing good music.
There's been plenty of interest in Christian formats by mainstream owners. They've been circling around, sniffing at Christian music to see what it can do. They've seen the sales data. Perhaps even unknowingly, they've experimented with playing certain artists on their stations. The fact that it's "Christian" isn't really an issue anymore. It's just got to be good music inside an authentic, well-executed radio format.
RadioU is that format -- and it's the only one out here for this well-deserved but underserved audience.
>> Learn more about RadioU's programming.
>> Listen to clips of our current top forty songs.
>> Visit selected artist Websites.
(Learn more about Christian music's reach here.)