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August 2019: The Top 5 Favorite Christian Books for CCM Listeners

A big part of our work at Finney Media is doing representative sample music testing – online testing and auditorium testing – all over North America. Part of what we research is favorite Christian books. Here’s how we ask: “Other than the Bible, what are the best Christian books you’ve ever read?” Here are the Top 5 titles from research done during 2019:

  1. The Shack – William P. Young
  2. The Five Love Languages – Gary Chapman
  3. Crazy Love – Francis Chan
  4. The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren
  5. (tie) Mere Christianity – CS Lewis
    • (tie) Not A Fan – Kyle Idleman
    • (tie) Jesus Calling – Sarah Young
    • (tie) Left Behind Series – Tim LaHaye
    • (tie) Heaven is for Real – Todd Burpo
    • (tie) Battlefield of the Mind – Joyce Meyer
    • (tie) The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
 

A few observations about the latest list:

  • It’s helpful to see what springs “top of mind” with listeners. We didn’t give them titles from which to choose.
  • There are only two Christian fiction books on the list – The Shack and Left Behind.
  • 67 years since its publication, Mere Christianity still makes the list. If you’ve never read it, we recommend you do. Or maybe read it again.
  • The newest book on the list, Not A Fan, was published in 2011.
  • And then the biggest question. Why should you care? To better understand your listener. Maybe it’s time to read, or perhaps skim, one of the books here you’ve never read. I need to do this with Kyle Idleman.
 

Coming in September – We’re seeing a surge in high scores with songs sung by women. And, not just Lauren Daigle. Analyzing nationwide testing since the first of the year, we’ll have The Top 5 Testing Songs Sung by Women.

A big part of our work at Finney Media is doing representative sample music testing – online testing and auditorium testing – all over North America. Part of what we research is perceptions of Morning Show Topics – how interesting various topics are to CCM listeners. We ask listeners in our testing to rate 15 different topics on a scale of 1 = Not Interested to 9 = Very Interested. And then we average the scores.

Over the past year, here are the Bottom 5 Topics – #1 is the thing you don’t want to be talking about – lower scores equal lower interest:

The latest on President Trump’s tweets 2.3
The latest Hollywood news 2.7
The latest on a local sports team 3.2
Story about a neighbor helping save a neighbor during a recent natural disaster 6.6
A prayer of thanksgiving from a local pastor 6.7

We’ve bolded the Bottom 3 because they are so much lower in interest than other things we ask about. So much so that we recommend that your Christian morning show – or any other show – minimize these three topics:

• Politics

• Pop Culture

• Sports

Interest among listeners in these three topics is low for CCM listeners. Better to pick a different topic. If you’d like to see ideas on what those high interest topics are, check out the TOP 5 TOPICS from last month’s Finney’s Fast Five.

Coming in August – Other than the Bible, CCM listeners’ Top 5 favorite Christian books they’ve ever read.

A big part of our work at Finney Media is doing representative sample music testing (auditorium testing and online testing) all over North America. Part of what we research are perceptions of Morning Show Topics. One example, how interesting various topics are to CCM listeners. We ask listeners in our testing to rate about 15 different topics on a scale of 1 (Not Interested) to 9 (Very Interested). And, then we average the scores.

Over the past year, here are the Top 5 Topics:

  1. 1. A word of encouragement from a Biblical devotional                         8.4
  2. 2. A Word from Scripture and how it might apply to your life today              8.2
  3. 3. Free, fun activities to do with your family around town this weekend       7.9
  4. 4. Information on a Christian concert in your area                                        7.9
  5. 5. A story from a listener about how God has done a miracle in her life      7.8

Very much about Spiritual Encouragement. And, the numbers on this kind of content are climbing. Seems like as the world continues to become more coarse, angry and vulgar, people are looking for positive answers elsewhere. And, we have the opportunity to be the positive antidote to that anger, including among people who don’t currently give you a pre-set!
Coming in July – The Bottom 5 Morning Show Topics at CCM Radio. If you’re still giving sports scores, you might want to re-think that!

An important part of our work at Finney Media is doing representative sample music testing, auditorium testing and online testing, all over North America. Looking at averages for CCM stations from that testing over the past year, we can see artists who pop to the top, with more great testing songs than others. Sometimes those artists are the ones you anticipate, and sometimes they are a surprise! From the Top 200 testing songs in our latest research, here are the artists who have the most songs.

  1. Chris Tomlin – 16 songs
  2. Casting Crowns – 10 songs
  3. Jeremy Camp – 10 songs
  4. Mercy Me – 9 songs
  5. Kristian Stanfill/Passion – 9 songs

 

No surprise with Chris Tomlin. His 16 songs in the Top 200 is indicative of the widespread passion for his music that we’ve seen for almost 15 years. Chris continues to score great! Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp with 10 songs each show no signs of letting up. And Mercy Me keeps on rolling with 9 songs in the Top 200. It’s the artists with whom they are tied who are the surprise! Kristian Stanfill/Passion are the first artists to displace Third Day in the Top 5 in over a decade! Their collection of worship anthems has continued to grow and do well!

By the way, Third Day continues to score well, with 8 songs in the Top 200, which places them at #6.

Coming in June:  The Top 5 Morning Show Topics at CCM Radio.  A sneak preview says it’s still very much about spiritual encouragement and family, but there’s more.

The Top 5 Reasons Christian Radio Listeners Listen

In 2018, Finney Media performed the Why Listen? Survey — a nationwide perceptual study of 26,800 Christian radio respondents. We were looking to discover why these listeners choose to listen to us. Since the survey was taken by respondents who were invited either on-air or via email or social media by Christian radio stations and programs which are all-Music, all-Teaching or a combination of the two, the respondents could be described as “superfans”. These are likely the listeners most aware, most churched and most passionate about what we air. From the entire survey, all 26,800 respondents from all formats, here are the Top 5 Reasons they listen:

  1. It helps me worship God throughout the day 87%
  2. It helps me grow spiritually 81%
  3. I like the worshipful Christian music 77%
  4. I want to be encouraged 76%
  5. It’s safe for me and my family to listen to 57%

You could summarize the Top 4 reasons into two words: Spiritual Encouragement. And if you’re looking for ways for your radio station, program or podcast to reach more hearts, more deeply, especially among those most likely to give us their first pre-set, doing more minutes that are spiritual encouragement will likely help.

Coming in May – More music research numbers . . . among the Top 200 songs, we’ll have the Top 5 Artists, including how many songs they have in the Top 200.

Top Five Songs from Each of the Last 10 Years

Finney Media does music research every year on hundreds of songs in multiple markets across North America . . . and every year, the numbers on which songs from the past are the most popular with Christian Music Radio listeners changes. From our research during the past year, here are the Top 5 Testing Songs released during each of the past 10 years.

2018                                                                 

  1. Cory Asbury/Reckless Love                          
  2. Chris Tomlin/Resurrection Power
  3. Mercy Me/Grace Got You
  4. Austin French/Freedom Hymn
  5. Hillsong United/So Will I (100 Billion X)
 2017

  1. Lauren Daigle/O’Lord
  2. Passion/Glorious Day
  3. Tenth Avenue North/Control
  4. Crowder/All My Hope
  5. Micah Tyler/Different
2016                                                                 

  1. Elevation Worship/O Come To The Altar   
  2. Chris Tomlin/Good Good Father
  3. Zach Williams/Old Church Choir
  4. Aaron Shust/Ever Be
  5. We Are Messengers/Magnify
 2015

  1. Zealand Worship/Good Good Father
  2. Bethel Music/No Longer SlavesKristian Stanfill/Even So Come
  3. Kristian Stanfill/Even So Come
  4. One Sonic Society/Great Are You Lord
  5. Big Daddy Weave/My Story
2014                                                                 

  1. Lincoln Brewster/There Is Power                
  2. Francesca Battistelli/Holy Spirit
  3. Owl City w/Britt Nicole/You’re Not Alone
  4. Lauren Daigle/How Can It Be
  5. Mercy Me/Greater
 2013

  1. Matt Maher/Lord, I Need You
  2. Phil Wickham/This Is Amazing Grace
  3. Kristian Stanfill/In Christ Alone
  4. Newsboys/We Believe
  5. Hillsong United/Oceans (Where Feet May Fall)
2012                                                                 

  1. Chris Tomlin/Whom Shall I Fear                 
  2. Matt Redman/10,000 Reasons
  3. Big Daddy Weave/Redeemed
  4. Phillips, Craig & Dean/Great I Am
  5. Casting Crowns/Already There
 2011

  1. Matthew West/Strong Enough
  2. Chris Tomlin/I Lift My Hands
  3. Aaron Shust/Risen Today
  4. Third Day/Trust In Jesus
  5. Afters/Lift Me Up
2010                                                                 

  1. Chris Tomlin/Our God                                
  2. Matt Maher/Hold Us Together
  3. Newworldson/There Is A Way
  4. Building 429/Where I Belong
  5. Chris Tomlin/I Will Follow
 2009

  1. Phillips, Craig & Dean/Revelation Song
  2. Need to breathe/Lay ‘Em Down
  3. David Crowder Band/How He Loves
  4. Remedy Drive/All Along
  5. Chris & Conrad/Lead Me To The Cross

Check out which titles are on this list that you may have taken out over the years . . . and consider if they should be a part of your station now.

Coming in April – More music research numbers . . . among the Top 200 songs, we’ll have the Top 5 Artists, including how many songs they have in the Top 200.

*Sourced from multiple Finney Media research projects

Ranking The 5 Marital Statuses Among CCM Listeners in the Why Listen Survey 2018

The Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey 2018 surveyed 26,800 respondents – over 3 million data points – from four different formats – Music stations, Music/Teaching stations, All-Teaching stations, and Teaching programs.

There’s much discussion about focusing our radio stations and programs on people beyond the nuclear family. In 2019, there are way more types of folks listening than moms who married for the first time. Here are the Top Five Marital Statuses ranked in the recent nationwide survey.

  1. Married First Time 50%
  2. Re-married 21%
  3. Divorced 13%
  4. Single/Never Married 10%
  5. Widowed 5%

Here’s a way to think about this: If you’re talking to your listener as if she is married for the first time, you’re talking to only half of your listeners. And, if you assume she is married – for the first time or more often –you’re still talking to only about 7 in 10.

We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day. It’s a happy day for many people. Not so much for others. And, if you’re going to be empathetic with all of your listeners, it’s crucial that you’re sensitive to this. Some of your listeners are happily married, some are single and wish they were married, some are divorced, some are unhappily married, and some are happily single.

It’s complicated.

Coming in March – We’ve compiled the research numbers for 2018. We’ll have the Top Five Songs from each of the last ten years, based on the latest listener feedback.

The Top 5 Denominations Among CCM Listeners in the Why Listen Survey 2018

The Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey 2018 surveyed 26,800 respondents with over three million data points from four different formats: Music stations, Music/Teaching stations, All-Teaching stations, and Teaching programs.

One of the challenges and opportunities we face is that, unlike a church which is focused on one particular denomination, our radio stations are multi-denominational. They are heard by people from many denominations. In our nationwide survey, we asked about denomination affiliation. Among respondents from CCM stations, here are the Top Five Denominations:

  1. Non-denominational/Bible/Community 31%
  2. Baptist 23%
  3. Pentecostal/Charismatic   9%
  4. Methodist   8%
  5. Lutheran   7%

And, these five comprise about 80 percent.The other 20 percent are led by Catholic listeners at six percent. This is an example of many denominations with different ways of worship and different words used in worship and communication.

For us to reach them and perhaps many who haven’t even given us a pre-set yet, we’ll need to focus on using words and concepts that many or most understand.

A story to help illustrate. We heard this on the radio: A prominent national Christian broadcaster on his program said, “we need to exhort fellow believers.” I asked friends from a Christian station to tell me the meaning of the word exhort.One thought it meant to exercise. A friend pointed out that that is to exert. Another thought that exhort is what you do when you know something damaging about someone and you expect payment to keep it quiet, actually to extort. These were smart broadcasters focused on a Biblical mission, but they didn’t know that exhort means to “strongly encourage or urge”. And, if the national broadcaster had said “urge” instead of “exhort”, he would have been clearer. 

If we’re going to be clear in our communication, we’ll need to consider what our multi-denominational listener,  people of all nations . . . and denominations, understands. Clarity and understanding of the Truth is at stake.

Coming in January:The Top Five Marital Statuses represented among CCM respondents to the Why Listen? 2018 Survey. You already know not all are married for the first time. We’ll break down how different the respondents are in relation to marriage/life situations.

The Top 5 Reasons CCM Listeners Give To Your Station

The Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey 2018. 26,800 respondents – over 3 million data points – from four different formats – Music stations, Music/Teaching stations, All-Teaching stations, and Teaching programs.

We asked them about whether or not they give to the ministry that sent them the survey. And to those who give, we asked about what moved them to make a call, go online or write a check to make a gift. The Top 5 responses from CCM listeners are below. They are the percentage who said that reason is “very important” to their decision . . . a “trigger” for their move from listening to giving.

  1. I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry 85%
  2. An inner feeling God wanted me to give 80%
  3. Knowing God tells us to support those who ministry to us 64%
  4. A story about someone’s life that was changed through the ministry 30%
  5. An emergency need at the ministry 27%

The #1 response – “I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry”. So crucial that you communicate clearly and often your mission and vision. Both on air and off air. Your listener is passionate about listening, passionate about helping. Making sure that theme is at the center of your communication is crucial.

Coming in January – The Top 5 Denominations Represented among CCM respondents to the Why Listen? 2018 Survey. If you believe making your message multi-denominationally accessible is crucial, get ready to tackle how to talk to all five in ways all of those listeners can understand.

The Top 5 On-Air Topics for CCM Listeners

 

The Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey 2018 is out! 26,800 respondents with over 3 million data points from four different formats, Music stations, Music/Teaching stations, All-Teaching stations, and Teaching programs.

We asked about topics you might talk about on your stations and how interested your listener is in those topics. The list below is focused on just the 16,000+ respondents who came from Music stations. These are the percentages who indicated they are “very interested”.

 

 

A word from Scripture and how it might apply to your life today                            86%
Bible studies on topics such as prophecy, spiritual gifts, marriage, etc.                   57%
Three ways to improve your marriage or other relationships                                       49%
Stories about how people helped a neighbor after a tragedy                                        44%
A prayer of thanksgiving from a local pastor                                                                           40%
Information on a local Christian concert                                                                                   40%

 

SPIRITUAL ENCOURAGEMENT!

In whatever form or forum we ask, our Christian radio listener is attracted to spiritual encouragement. Check out how far ahead of every other answer “A Word from Scripture and how it might apply to your life today” shows up.

In fact, most of the topics above lean in a spiritual direction, including the idea of prayer on the radio.

What topics score lowest?

Second to last is “the latest decisions of politicians” at 18% “very interested”. Dead last – run quickly away from this – is “the latest news from Hollywood” at 1% “very interested”.

 

Coming in December: The Top 5 Reasons Christian Radio Listeners Give To Your Station. The Why Listen? Survey includes a high number of donors, so our questions focus on the folks who support you now.

 

 

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