BSM begins 24-hour Christian radio station

By Bethany McCormack
Staff Reporter

Most people think Christian music is slow and sappy, but it doesn’t have to be, said Justin Seabourn, a freshman criminal justice major.

He said Refuge Radio, an online radio station run through Baptist Student Ministries, plays music that college students can enjoy.

Christian music can now be heard 24 hours a day with the new station, which is planned, organized and produced by students.

“If people have a preconceived idea about Christian music, maybe we can change it,” Seabourn said. “We play a harder type of Christian music than what is broadcast on other stations.”

Seabourn, the technical coordinator for the station, said many people don’t know that there are types of Christian music available that sound similar to what is played on KDGE 102.1FM “The Edge” and other secular radio stations.

Jonathan Sampson, a sophomore news-editorial journalism major, came up with the idea for the station while playing around on the Internet last spring.

Sampson said the station, broadcast from a computer in the office of BSM director Toney Upton, ran periodically last semester because of technical difficulties and resumed broadcasting last week.

“We have a database of MP3s, and we broadcast to a computer server, and they broadcast it,” Sampson said.

Ryan Eloe, a sophomore economics major, who was involved with the start up of the station, said music found on other Christian radio stations tends to be geared toward older adults, but Refuge Radio plays music similar to what is found in student’s personal CD collections.

“The purpose is just to allow students to listen to music that will encourage them in their walk with Christ,” Eloe said. “It’s more encouraging than music they might hear on other radio stations.”

Upton said that letting the students pick the music played each day brings a creative element to the station, and allows students to be involved in the station’s production.

Upton said the biggest challenge facing Refuge Radio is making students aware of the station.

“So far, it’s been low key as far as the number of students listening to it,” Upton said. “Typically, there are five to seven listeners at any one time.”

Upton said within BSM, students are very excited about the station.

Grete Brown, a sophomore psychology major and BSM member, said she listens to the station from her computer in her residence hall room.

“It’s really convenient to have it right on your computer,” she said. “It’s always available.”

Brown said Refuge Radio sounds like a real radio station and plays a lot of her favorite groups not played on most Dallas/Fort Worth area radio stations such as LaRue, Audio Adrenaline and dc Talk.

Sampson said the station is in a constant state of evolution, and Seabourn is bringing new ideas for the station.

In addition to gaining new listeners, Seabourn said he would like to add to the database of music selections for the station. He said he wants to replace the current hard drive of the station’s computer, doubling the amount of songs on the data base, which currently holds more than 1,000 selections.

Seabourn said he also plans for the station to begin playing less well-known bands and Christian punk music, which is not found on other stations in the area.

The station can be accessed online at (www.bsm.tcu.edu/refugeradio/).

Bethany McCormack
b.s.mccormack@student.tcu.edu