What Uncle Charlie Can Teach Us About Radical Change
They are the Methuselahs of media. Nowhere do you find longevity like you do in Christian radio and television . . . On any given day I could pick a dozen shows on your local religious network that have been running on the air continuously for 20 years or more. This fact is astounding when you compare it to its secular counterparts – and should tell you all you need to know about the slow rate of change in the religious media world. A cozy world where ratings hardly matter.
But the king of media longevity may belong to the man affectionately known as “Uncle Charlie.” I am ashamed to say I did not know this when he introduced himself to me last week with a deep radio baritone and friendly, “Hello, I’m Charlie.” Charlie Vandermeer was just 9 years old when in 1944 he started appearing on a live radio broadcast known as Children’s Bible Hour. Uncle Charlie never left that ministry and today faithfully serves as Ambassador at Large for CBH Ministries (for which he jokes, “It’s better than Large Ambassador!”) In fact, you can still hear his voice on the radio today – 67 years later. In Grand Rapids, he is an institution.
Children’s Bible Hour has been a staple of youth programming for years, but unfortunately kids no longer listen to radio dramas like they once did. So Uncle Charlie and the gang bravely decided to chart a course very unlike the safe and gradual one expected from an established organization. They are diving head first into the unknown sea of new media and new ideas – and staking their future on the possibilities.
Which is why I was in Grand Rapids in the first place shaking Uncle Charlie’s hand. I was directing Season One of Lost in the Queue, a children’s sci-fi/comedy hybrid designed to be viewed exclusively on the web and mobile media devices. For 13 episodes, the well crafted script breaks most unspoken rules: it does not contain any Christian characters, no salvations scenes, or even the mention of the word Jesus (although it will certainly lead there in future seasons as ingeniously designed). The entire program is being promoted through some nicely genuine social efforts. Check it out here (www.lostinthequeue.com)
Please understand, this is a conservative ministry that relies on a deeply loyal donor base. It takes a long time to turn a big ship and not upset the passengers, right? But unlike the Titanic, this ministry (and from what I hear donor base) is nimble enough to embrace the needed change. Days after filming they are ecstatically talking about the next several seasons. It’s like a wave of fresh air has swept over the stale grey-blue cubicles.
For the first time in six decades, the iconic Uncle Charlie will not be heard in a CBH flagship program. But from his huge smile back stage I can tell he is well pleased with the ride.
--Excerpted from Vaughn Street, LLC blog, 08/03/11