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By Narayan Mitra
MANY Christians from the Interior, this writer
included, used to look forward to the privilege of tuning in to KARI or
Praise radio stations just after crossing into Hope on the way to the B.C.
coast.
Christian radio-deprived Interior folks need no longer
envy their coastal counterparts. Now Kamloops benefits from the presence of
a 24/7 Christian radio station – or more accurately, a transmitter.
Call it a ‘station’ or not, Kamloops
residents can avail themselves of quality Christian music and messages
without expending money, time and energy on fancy technological hookups.
By a sheer fluke, Kamloops has become the beneficiary
of a Christian radio network.
A Canadian Broadcast License was given to the Voice of
Adventist Radio (VOAR) soon after Newfoundland joined Canadian
Confederation – and the station’s owners have been making good
use of the license ever since.
Since August of this year, Kamloops has been hooked up
to VOAR’s network of relay facilities, which extend across Canada
from St.John’s, Newfoundland. The local Adventist church houses the
transmitter.
Similar arrangements exist in the communities of
Quesnel, Williams Lake, Prince George, Kelowna, Nakusp and Cranbrook. VOAR
is also available through Bell Express Vu channel.
“In the States, there are Christian stations
everywhere,” says Roger Reimche, head deacon of the Kamloops church.
He emphasizes: “We do not have the same
luxury in Canada. The Adventist Church in B.C. found an opportunity to use
the broadcasts into various population centres here.”
Big-name speakers like James Dobson, Chuck Swindoll and
Charles Stanley daily dish out food for the soul.
Southern gospel and adult contemporary Christian music
provide continuous entertainment and inspiration.
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Barring Saturdays, when Adventist-run programs
dominate, weekday broadcasts are mostly nondenominational. Music requests
are routinely welcomed in the generous segments allotted to it.
Some listeners will find it amusing to be exposed to
announced Newfoundland timings, which are four and half hours ahead of B.C.
Reimche thinks it will be sorted out when more western
content is added to the schedule.
The listener-supported VOAR just finished its annual
Share-athon, a three-day fundraiser designed to keep the station on the
air.
Telephone pledges across Canada underlined the
station’s growing popularity.
A copy of the program schedule can be downloaded
from VOAR’s website at www.voar.org.
Their toll-free number is 1-800-563-1991.
December 2008
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