Church Video Ideas: NRB Review
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, February 21, 2007
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NRB stands for National Religious Broadcasters and has always been very heavily catered to those with radio or TV ministries. NRB also has a lesser known part which is their Church Media tract – that’s where I come in. I taught 3 classes in the Church Media division of NRB. The NRB Convention & Exposition is an annual event that brings together thousands of people from around the world to network, learn (by attending educational sessions like the ones I taught) and see the latest in technology (by walking through the exhibit hall). As companies are increasingly seeing the Church as a valid market, it is now normal to see exhibitors besides Christian ministries, such as JVC, Panasonic, Sony, Apple, etc.
Last year NRB launched a new face and campaign entitled “REACH”. REACH started a few days before NRB and then ended as NRB was beginning - they were separate. What they noticed was the majority of 20 and 30-somethings that came out of the woodworks (with their jeans on) disappeared after REACH was over and NRB began. Due to that, they integrated REACH into NRB this year. Last year speakers like Phil Cooke and Ed Young, Jr. spoke at REACH – which better reaches and relates to the younger attendees than the speakers in the main NRB sessions. This year’s REACH speakers were Erwin McManus and Len Sweet – again, more geared to the younger crowd.
I think the reason that I and some of my friends were invited to speak last year and this year was to create a buzz in the blog world and also make the educational classes more relevant and practical. The sad truth is that radio and television ministries are not as popular as they once were. Where NRB, over the years, was missing the boat and became known as irrelevant, was placing such a huge emphasis on radio and TV and treating the Church Media tract like the red-headed step child. To be fair, this mistake and misfortune has been pointed out, noticed, acknowledged and NRB is trying to address it.
What do I think could be improved? As I said in one of my classes, I believe podcasting is the new radio and video venues, multi-site campuses and video podcasts are the new broadcast. Radio stations are hurting to be quite honest. I’ve spoken face to face with station managers and they see the writing on the wall. Why would Tony Evans, Chuck Swindoll, James Dobson, Jack Graham or Ed Young pay for a half-hour time slot on a local radio station, when for virtually nothing, their message can be heard around the world by millions via iTunes or an MP3 download from their website? As one station manager told me, radio stations that see the huge shift coming and make BIG changes might be able to stick around. Those that are set in their ways will be shutting down in the next 3 to 5 years. Radio stations that are wise have changed their programming options to include 5 minute sermon teasers that play a portion of the message and then say, “For more go to PowerPoint.org” or “Family.org, etc.” Churches may not be interested in purchasing 30 minute time slots anymore, but are open to buying the cheaper 5 minutes teaser slots that redirect people to their website. Stations that will be around 5 years from now will be those that change their programming from a few long spots to several short ones.
What’s the potential danger to NRB as an organization? If they continue to see radio and television broadcast as their “main thing”, the organization as a whole is in danger and will have to cut jobs as more and more radio and television ministries close down. What’s the hope for NRB/REACH? Investing in the Church Media area, which is exploding and embracing technology such as podcasting, video venues and satellite campuses – these are what churches and ministries are broadcasting to the world.
Please know this article isn’t a bash on NRB, but rather a “state of the union”-type article. As I stated, most in leadership at NRB are aware of my views and opinions and are meeting to envision and incorporate changes. One new idea that I heard thrown out is an Innovation Exchange, where leaders gather together for 2 days to network and share ideas. Other pluses are inviting people like Erwin McManus and Len Sweet to speak. I applaud NRB for that and encourage them to keep it up. Despite whom they invite to speak, other philosophical changes and impressions, such as “the suits” vs. “the jeans” and what topics are offered still need to be considered as well. I should mention, they also had Salvador in concert, which was pretty cool, even though I missed them due to talking and hanging out with some friends.
Having spoken at larger conventions such as NAB and InfoComm, I see a big difference between the size, quality and number of offerings. I’d like to see NRB be a cutting edge offering and resource to the Church – much like the world looks to NAB and InfoComm to see the latest and greatest in technology, tools and equipment. Unless “the suits” listen to some sincere and honest feedback from “the jeans”, I fear they are simply arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. If you have ideas of things you’d like to see offered, speakers you’d like to see teach, companies you’d like to see exhibit and reasons that you quit attending or never have, I encourage you to let your voice be heard. Contact NRB and give them honest feedback and creative ideas. I think there is hope and enough people on staff that would listen to you. NRB 2008 meets in Nashville next year, March 8-11.
©2007 – Greg Atkinson (www.churchvideoideas.com)
Used by permission from author. All rights reserved by author.
Greg Atkinson lives in Dallas with his wife and their three small children. Greg served previously as the Director of WorshipHouse Media, after having served as a worship pastor for 11 years. Greg is now the Technical Arts Director at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship and continues to consult, teach and write about worship, media and creative communication. You can connect with him through his daily blog, Church Video Ideas, his podcast, Creative Synergy, or his email: .
I just returned from speaking at NRB in Orlando. I left with mixed emotions much like last year. I’ve spoken with the leadership of NRB and know they desire to see change – well, maybe not “see change”, but they do want to reach the younger leaders that are in the 20 to 30-something category (which would require change). If you know me, you know I taught all my classes in jeans and a shirt. The majority of NRB attendees are what my friends and I refer to as “the suits”.
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Michael on Mon, February 26, 2007
As a 30-something who’s been to NRB for the last four years, I’ve seen a clear shift within the conference to address new media and new technology. They may not be moving as fast as some might like, but when you do media a certain way for decades, it does take time to shift gears.
I know it’s easy as an outsider to the “suit” culture to say they are out of touch, but the research I’ve seen shows that while new media (i.e. podcasting, video, etc.) is in vogue, it’s not replacing the old media of radio. Some stations may be struggling, but research shows Christian radio actually is growing, and radio in general as a medium has held its own in terms of market penetration in the US, despite the Internet and iPods.
With “old” media like radio, it’s always a challenge to not extrapolate personal experience and anecdotal evidence into one’s judgment of the future of the medium, so I think it wise to first take into account the actual independent research of listenership.
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