Family Radio, also known by its licensee name Family Stations, Inc., is a non-profit, non-denominational, educational Christian radio network based in Franklin, Tennessee with network operations located in Alameda, California, United States. Established in 1958, Family Radio airs religious music and programming, both past and present, and is listener-supported.
Programming
Family Radio's music programming consists mainly of traditional Christian hymns and other genres within Christian music. For decades, Family Radio avoided any types of Contemporary Christian Music and only played traditional. At some points they played small amounts of very light Christian songs from the 70's, but they avoided anything even moderately contemporary, even softer songs within that genre. In the past year, though, softer Contemporary Christian Music from recent years has been added and mixed in with the traditional music. Contemporary Artists being mixed in range from John Michael Talbot, Steve Green, Christine Wyrtzen, to Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, among others. They play about 4 an hour.
One of Family Radio's oldest broadcasts was a telephone-talk program called Open Forum in which Harold Camping, the network's co-founder, president and general manager, responded to callers' questions and comments, as they relate to the Bible, and used the platform to promote his various end-time predictions. The program was finally cancelled not long after Camping's third failed "rapture-less" prediction and a stroke which he suffered in June 2011. Other programs that have aired on Family Radio over the years include the morning programs Rise and Rejoice and The Christian Home; Family Bible Reading Fellowship, a half-hour Bible reading program; Radio Reading Circle, featuring readings of Christian books; the overnight program Nightwatch; Echoes, which features recordings of sermons delivered by pastors from churches around the world); Music to Live By, an afternoon program; the nighttime program The Quiet Hours; Family Bible Study; and Beyond Intelligent Design. Family Radio also has broadcast programs and features from outside ministries, including Answers in Genesis, hosted by Ken Ham, as well as teaching programs hosted by James Montgomery Boice, Donald Barnhouse, John F. MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and Alistair Begg. Some of these ministries were reluctant to allow their programs to air on Family Radio until Harold Camping's programs no longer aired.
Support
Family Radio relies solely on listener-supported funding and donations, and is unaffiliated with any religious denomination. Outside programming broadcast over the Family Radio network was limited as Camping considered the organized church apostate, and therefore devoid of God's Spirit and under Satan's control.
The listenership of Family Radio understandably declined after the failed 1994 prediction, but before long the organization was growing at a rate much higher than it had previously experienced. In 1958, Camping sold his construction business and, with the funds, purchased KEAR-FM in San Francisco. He then grew his broadcast empire so that by 1994 Family Radio comprised forty radio stations nationwide. Yet, from 1994 to 2009, it grew at an even faster rate than before; by the time of his second campaign, the organization boasted 216 AM and FM radio stations, along with two television channels.
With a growing national profile, the financial viability of the non-profit also grew. Financial strength hit a peak in 2007 when Family Radio reported $135 million in assets. As net assets declined from that point forward, listener contributions steadily increased. In 2008, total contributions were well over $15 million. 2009 saw an annual budget of $36.7 million with $117 million in assets and $18.4 million in contributions. IRS records also indicate that Family Radio employed 348 persons in 2009. In 2010 assets were down to $110 million while contributions rose to $18.7 million while the station maintained 346 employees. In 2011 contributions fell to $17.2 million and assets dropped to $87.6 million, while the organization also lost 26 employees. By the end of 2011 the organizations assets had dropped to $29.2 million, and the next year was forced to take out a $30 million loan. In 2007, the year before the start of the 2011 campaign, Family Radio had its greatest level of assets. Upon the outset of the second campaign, the organizations assets dropped while contributions simultaneously rose indicating an increased level of spending by the organization, far surpassing the increase in income.