ABOUT TRIMM
Tri-State Media Ministry, Inc.

 

   (An Overview of Religious Broadcasting in America and an   Ecumenical Media Venture in America's No. 1 Media Market)

The second half of the 20th century was an extraordinarily turbulent period in broadcasting. TRIMM is proud to have played a part in the history of the Church's role in using new media technology as a part of its ministry. TRIMM was established in 1974 to advocate and work for improved public service
The New York market embraces New York City, Long Island and the Hudson River Valley in New York State, the lower (southeast) third of Connecticut and the northern half of New Jersey. Its primary coverage area is approximately sixty miles in all land area directions from Times Square. It covers some thirty counties in the three states with a combined population of more than 30-million. It is the largest and most influential media market in the United States. The industry has from the outset designated it as America's media market no. 1.
broadcasting opportunities for nonprofit groups in the New York broadcast market area. It served mainly the Protestant and Orthodox churches and their related agencies in New York metro. TRIMM also worked with Jewish and Roman Catholic media directors in an informal interfaith approach to broadcasters in New York City.

As licensed over-the-air broadcast media influence grew in the first half of the twentieth century the importance to religious interests of public affairs broadcasting became evident. This stemmed from the unique way in which broadcasters were to "pay" for use of a valuable public resource, the airwaves, to conduct their business.


The American Pattern of Broadcasting

At the dawn of the radio era the U.S. Congress created first the Federal Radio Commission and then, in 1934, the Federal Communications Commission to regulate the rapidly expanding new technology. Television was added within a few years. In most countries (for example most all of Europe and Canada) broadcasting was an activity of the national government. In the United States, however, broadcasting was given over to being a private entrepreneurial activity. It was a business opportunity that found many takers.

Federally issued licenses were required to permit unfettered access to the air waves. There was no charge for a broadcast license. To deal equitably with the many license seekers the FCC set up a competitive bidding process open to all citizens of the United States.

The bidding was and still is part of a protocol in which each applicant for a specific frequency makes the case that he or she would best serve "the tastes, needs and desires" of the community for which application is being made. The license went to the bidder making the strongest case for public service. Since 1994 online application has been an accepted way to take part in the bidding. The FCC website includes a guide to participation in the whole application process. Visit FCC.gov for more information.

When broadcast regulation was first instituted, the FCC published service criteria to help applicants understand the broadcast areas or activities that would be favorably viewed in determining successful bidders. Among them was the expectation that a proportion of time would be devoted to commercial-free, "sustaining" programming. It also listed categories of community public service programming appropriate for the sustaining times. Religious programming, reflecting the religious composition of the community, was one such category.

A pledge to provide community-related free program opportunities to nonprofit and public spirited entities weighed heavily in selecting the successful bidder. The pledges were eyed comparatively.

After the FCC studied all applications for a given frequency they granted the license to the one determined most likely to best serve the community interests. The license was granted with few restrictions and required mainly that the broadcast regulations be explicitly obeyed. The applicant's pledges, however, became binding upon issuance of the license. Each license was to be renewed at multi-year intervals; originally every three years and most recently, every seven. Renewal was contingent on compliance with FCC regulations and a review of program performance including fulfillment of the pledges made in the application.

As mentioned, there is no charge to the successful bidder when a license is granted. However, license holders are required to pay for the right to use the publicly owned airwaves by serving the public interest through operation of the licensed broadcast facility. Commercially licensed stations are presumed to operate in an economic entrepreneurial manner and the history of broadcasting in America is that most all licensees prospered and many became very wealthy. The license to broadcast on the public's airwaves became a greatly sought after way to enter an attractive business world.

An outcome of the pledges made when vying for a license was the opening of an excellent way for community groups to gain access to the air waves. Soon, churches and synagogues in broadcast markets all across America were being enlisted by station operators to present religious radio programs at no cost. Stations quickly saw the need of a fair way to spread the opportunities around.

After studying their communities' needs, broadcasters often turned to ecumenical organizations such as ministerial associations and city or state councils of churches to fairly assign religious productions.

It must have been a matter of business ethics when many stations and the three major radio networks chose not to exploit religion for commercial gain and so they adopted policies offering sustaining time to local churches or allied agencies but would not sell time for religious programs. This policy was consistent with the FCC's categories of public service programming. Stations began to offer sustaining time and production facilities to local religious groups without charge for religious programs.

A New Form of Specialized Ministry Emerges

State and local councils of churches responded enthusiastically. By the mid-1950s a brand new form of specialized ministry had been created. There were "local council broadcasters" working excitedly, though in generally underpaid and understaffed circumstances, in dozens of state and local conciliar offices all across the country. They formed an early association, the Council Broadcasters Fellowship, that was replaced by NACBE (National Association of Council Broadcast Executives).

Along with many others TRIMM's founder, Ben Gums, ventured on an unmapped professional track when he was appointed director of the Radio-Audiovisual Commission of the Philippine Federation of Christian Churches in 1953. Following that he was with the Church Federation of Greater Chicago from 1959 to 1968, when he was asked to join the staff of the Protestant Council of the City of New York (PCCNY). A unique situation had emerged in the church-broadcast industry nexus in the New York market. Some believed Ben could manage the crisis to the benefit of all. His call to the Protestant Council specified that he work to develop a market-wide ecumenical broadcast ministry that would serve the churches and the broadcasters in the whole New York broadcast market area.

Most radio and TV stations in the New York market were based in Manhattan, the borough in which the Protestant Council's offices were located. As time went by the accessibility of the PCCNY broadcast staff led to that one church council receiving virtually all the program opportunities for Protestant and Orthodox churches; those in the other four boroughs, on Long Island, the Hudson River Valley, Connecticut and New Jersey were almost totally shut out. Their complaints and a major grant from the New Jersey Council of Churches to the PCCNY contingent on their securing Ben Gums from Chicago when their media director resigned led to him coming to New York in 1968. In 1974 TRIMM became a reality and the future seemed clear. There were forces at work that would soon reshape the American pattern of Broadcasting.


Deregulation and Televangelism
 Reshape Broadcasting in America

Although most broadcasters fared very well under the American pattern of broadcasting, some resented all regulations and requirements, including public service programming. This resentment began to be expressed in extensive lobbying of the FCC, Congress and friends in high places for an easing off.

Toward the end of the 1970s and during most of the 1980s a pro-deregulation mood grew ever bolder and louder in the Nation's capitol. The National Association of Broadcasters seized the moment to step up its persistent call for deregulation of broadcasting.

Conservative broadcasters and fundamentalist religious groups had never accepted the industry policy of preferring religious broadcasts reflecting the religious make-up of the community and the ethical position of many broadcasters to carry religious broadcasts only in sustaining (free) time. The National Religious Broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters saw common cause and supported one another's goals.

The public is still learning how much they have lost due to broadcast deregulation.

In the climate of deregulation the National Religious Broadcasters became even more zealous as they lobbied broadcasters. the FCC and members of Congress urging religion as a category of community public service be redefined to include commercially presented (paid) programming.

At the same time the ethical resistance to commercialized religion on the air waves began to weaken. Though a few religious programs were on the air as paid programming since the advent of radio, in this new climate the practice surged. Many broadcasters began to sell time for religion. ABC was the first network to weaken when they sold time for Billy Graham's "Hour of Power." When religious leaders were buying their broadcast time they expected and were permitted to solicit on the air for donations from their listeners. This was the start of the "televangelism" phenomenon as America has experienced it in the last quarter century.

Another result of the successes of the efforts of NAB and NRB was the near total disappearance of all community-related public service programming. Religious programming was hit very hard by this but, over time, so were all the other categories the FCC had identified when that agency seemed intent on safe-guarding the public's interest in meaningful public service programming in America.

It's a tragedy about which one rarely hears in this context: the regulation that broadcasters pay the public for use of the airwaves by providing public service to their community has been reduced to accepting the broadcasters claim that they serve the public with all their broadcasting.

Now well into the 21st century we find that most all broadcasters are doing well (whether doing good or not.) And televangelists, so it seems, are prospering so much they ought to be worried about the biblical camel-getting-through-the-eye-of-a-needle test!

Public service programming, especially religious programming, has become increasingly rare as a result of broadcast deregulation. Today most broadcasters define public service as whatever programming they present. The public is becoming increasingly aware that it is being bilked by broadcasters. who make vast fortunes with an eye on the "tastes" but no awareness of the "needs" and are grossly insensitive to the "desires" of the community their license authorizes them to serve.


The New York Experience

When Tri-State Media Ministry was incorporated in New York State in 1974 the churches intention was to maximize the public affairs broadcast opportunities and to give all churches in the market area equal access. TRIMM was seen as a fulfillment of many groups' expectations and an important advance in local-level ecumenism.

A solid conciliar structure had been planned by the TRIMM Interim Planning Board, an interdenominational assemblage of communications staff of many church judicatories from throughout New York metro along with other laity and clergy interested in mass media. The plan called for a TRIMM membership base comprised of the judicatories (regional administrative units) with an established presence in the New Market area.

 

The Board of Directors of the Council of Churches of the City of New York (nee the Protestant Council of the City of new York) was the first official group to receive a presentation from a delegation of members of the Interim Planning Board. Their response was enthusiastic and encouraged other prospective member groups. Indeed, membership seemed to fall into place readily. An occasion for a recruitment presentation was sought with each metro area judicatory. The process was a bit deliberate but it seemed necessary to secure a firm membership commitment, though it took several months.

Within the first year some fifteen members were enrolled and most had made helpful donations to symbolize commitment. The process was slowly moving ahead nearly on schedule and as envisioned. The IPB delegation frequently had to answer thoughtful and challenging questions but the progress evinced confidence all around. The first reversal landed on TRIMM with the numbing results of a suicide bomber's heinous act in a crowded market place.

The Executive Director of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, The Rev. Dr. Dan Potter, persuaded his Executive Committee to reverse the earlier Board vote for CCCNY's charter membership in TRIMM. It was later revealed that he covertly slandered Ben Gums among his contacts in the broadcast industry, he misrepresented the TRIMM plan as being unworkable and unnecessary both among broadcasters and to the churches leaders. It is also known that he impugned the motives of Ben Gums who had left the employ of CCCNY in May of 1974 and two months later agreed to work with TRIMM as its sole staff member for the start-up process.

Such a recollection seems unlikely in any professional setting but particularly hard to fathom among those who profess dedication to Jesus Christ and the work of His Church. It was a frustrating turn of events and demoralizing to TRIMM's staff and to the first Board of Directors. It made membership enlistment more difficult. The General Presbyter at the time told Mr. Gums the opinion shared with the Presbytery by Dr. Potter (an ordained member of the Presbytery) was why the Presbytery of New York of the United Presbyterian Church canceled its pledge to join TRIMM as a charter member. Only several years later did the Presbytery become a TRIMM member unit.

The best way to combat such dirty tricks, it seemed was to simply carry on with the building efforts and to establish TRIMM as a viable partner to the churches and a helpful resource to the broadcasting industry. Ben Gums and other TRIMM leaders had a network of contacts and friends within the broadcasting public affairs departments. Several opportunities for TRIMM to produce radio and television programs began opening. With a grant from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministry TRIMM produced in cooperation with WNBC-TV "Share Your Bread", an eye-opening half-hour, prime-time documentary on hunger within the metropolitan area. It bared the secret, hidden until then, that there were thousands of people in America's largest city who were not only living in ghettos who were hungry and unable to afford adequate food. The program was widely praised by social workers, was reviewed in the major newspapers with accolades and was nominated for a New York Emmy! Another Emmy nominee was an hour-long Bicentennial special produced for WNEW-TV in 1976. Broadcast on a Saturday just before the July Fourth holiday it related the development of the practice of freedom of religion, the refusal of the founding fathers to establish a state church for the new nation and the way in which the concept of separation of church and state was propounded to safeguard religious freedom. The stellar cast featured the Greg Smith Singers, Dr. Martin Marty, the Rev. Dick Dunn and several more including Calvin O. Butts, Jr. In his first television experience. Dr. Butts is now Senior Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and President of SUNY' Old Westbury College. Again, the program was greatly praised and well received. TRIMM's early history included many other radio and television programs. Most were of the early Sunday morning talking heads format. In all our programs we stressed content over format and the reliability of the on air participants as intelligent, knowledgeable and articulate spoke persons. TRIMM's reputation was growing. We were regarded favorably within the church sector and gaining respect and acceptance in the broadcast industry.

In addition to producing programs of an inclusive Christian witness we also served local churches and related organizations as media advisor, producer, or agent. From 1974 to 1988 we were the agent for Trinity Church/Wall Street in its broadcast work and also producer of "The Trinity Church Hour" on WQXR. TRIMM produced a successful series of video spots for the Community Health Service of the Seventh Day Adventist Greater New York Conference. The spots presented health tips by Juanita Kretschmar, Service director. For The Swedenborg Foundation we produced a series of radio spots commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Helen Keller. The spots included recordings with Lillian Gish, Ann Baxter and Patty Duke. They were aired as a public service throughout the United States.

During its thirty-two years TRIMM conducted a major workshop annually, usually a day-long event that featured top leaders from the several disciplines of broadcasting including broadcast executives, FCC Commissioners, academics, broadcast performers, communications directors of national religious organizations, journalists and many more. We had special events occasionally to further an understanding of the impact of mass media on contemporary American life.


Notwithstanding the impressive record of service and programming provided three occurrences slowed and virtually halted TRIMM's progress. We review: the mainline churches were being troubled by reaction from the laity, especially in the heartland of the country. This led to churches muting their commitment to ecumenism and to public social action projects. National denominational leadership felt the need to fall back on emphasizing denominational interests over interreligious activities. Second, the deregulation of broadcasting which greatly reduced the number of opportunities for public service programming. And, third, the emergence of televangelists redefined the public understanding of what a religious program should look like. TRIMM's best years were its first decade. From about 1985 there was little progress. Our support dried up. Ben Gums had to take another job. He continued to tend to TRIMM evenings and weekends. and, it can now be made known, he never received salary and only received part of the promised housing allowance during the first two years with TRIMM. In recent years he has supported most of TRIMM's operating expenses. The work, he says, was what he understood he was called to do and financial matters had little to do with that. And, when he was at his lowest, the most fulfilling adventure of his life emerged totally unexpectedly.

When all dual-ownership FM and AM stations were required by the FCC to program each station separately WNBC-FM had to come up with new programming to fill most of their 24-hour per day broadcast schedule. On short notice the public affairs director, Betty Elam, had at least fourteen program slots to fill. We'd met when she was with WNBC-AM and she'd attended several of our educational events. Her call was totally unexpected. She wanted TRIMM to produce a half-hour Sunday morning program representing Christian interests. Ben Gums told her he'd find an able clergyman to fill the slot and work with him to produce a good program. Betty said, "Ben, I want you to do the program. I think you can do it." At that point, it seemed, Ben said, with so little positive on TRIMM's screen at the moment it seemed foolhardy not to accept the opportunity. Up to that time he'd been pretty much behind the scenes as a producer or an administrator for over twenty-five years and TRIMM was not likely to last long, it seemed. He agreed to do the program.

The program started as "Sunday, Lovely Sunday" at 6:00 A.M. and most of the time was devoted to announcing free events at which the public was welcome going on in area churches. When a new program director came to WNBC-FM he wanted an interview program with top religious leaders as guests. I agreed but told him "top leaders" were unlikely to rush to sit for an interview to be aired at 6:00 A.M. He set the program to 6:30 AM. The name was changed to "The Christian Agenda" and we sought guests who would articulate faith-based points of view on contemporary social issues.

The program continued when NBC sold its radio properties. The station became WYNY and soon changed its format to Country and Western music. The guest roster was no longer concerned with the guests being top religious leaders but the concern with articulate spokespeople talking about issues of the day from their faith perspective remained paramount. After the rabbinical student who had done a Jewish program from the beginning of WNBC-FM's wholesale plunge into public service left the line-up I was asked to broaden the invitation list to include people of all faiths. With that the program became "The Interfaith Connection". Another ownership change resulted in the station becoming WKTU and successfully flipping the format to disco. In a four-month period in the mid-1990s the station with a C&W format went from being about the 20th station in the market to being no. 1, a position it held for several years. When the only other public affairs broadcaster left the station in a pay dispute, the then program director asked Ben Gums if he'd do an hour-long program. Ben agreed with the request that TRIMM be compensated for travel and out of pocket costs (TRIMM by this time had no budget for such activity) and a weekly stipend was agreed upon. The program flourished beyond expectations. The estimated audience during the time KTU was no. 1 was 150,000 listeners in New York metro-a significant congregation by any judgment. Guests included top religious leaders from all faith persuasions, authors--some famous, some starting out but all with worthy topics and excellent writing talents, movie stars, musicians, and hosts of unknowns who were devout people of faith who had an important spiritual message to share.

In its various permutations Ben Gums did the program from 1978 to 2006. The last year and a half he did the program from his home in North Dakota, an arrangement that worked wonderfully well. Clear Channel was the last station owner with which TRIMM had a working agreement. They ended the 28-year association because they no longer needed to carry a public service program. In the age of deregulation, we were told, they could satisfy their public service obligations by airing public service announcements and with the information their air talent gave while playing contemporary music. That was the first stated reason. In a meeting in his office the Group Manager of Clear Channel's New York Stations Ben Gums was told the program was not an issue. He said he looked at the budget and saw they were paying a weekly stipend for a public affairs program and since they were complying with public service obligations with their programming the stipend to TRIMM was money they didn't need to spend.

The irony of that situation is classic. The very issue that TRIMM has seen as working against the public interest was used to end an important and significant aspect of TRIMM's public ministry. It is our hope that this injustice will inspire TRIMM to renewed dedication to mass media ministry in the New York Broadcast Market Area.

 

"Jesus said unto them ... I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the
fields are already white for harvest." John 4:35b RSV

TRIMM wants to hear from friends, new and old,
who share an interest in mass media and their application
to the life and the work of the Church.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VOLUNTEER CONTACT US NOW

E-MAIL: information@tristatemediaministry.com

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