[BC] Weeding out the charlatans (Was:Relig. radio rant)

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

In a message dated 09/06/2006 12:46:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
sbailey at nespower.com writes:

> MMMM....Willie, here in the south, that's not the case.  I've had a ton
>  of some so called "Preachers" that float around from station to station
>  in the Nashville Area, run up bills with the station and don't pay them.

Contrast them to the ones who will *never* darken the door of your (or any 
other) station... and they will be a very small minority. Just because they come 
to your door, doesn't mean they are anywhere near a majority. It just means 
that they are the *visible* albeit tiny, activist group.

My wife has family down south (Newport News, VA) and there are just as many 
rock-solid, legitimate Preachers & Organizations there as elsewhere. I have a 
brother in Kentucky. Same thing where he is.

>  I know of one who is in jail for Credit Card fraud. I bet I could ask
>  some of these "so called preachers" who the NRB is and they won't know.

You're right- they probably won't have any idea who the NRB is. Why should 
they? It would expose them for the frauds that they are. (It would be akin to 
the burglar supporting the local Police.)

>  Anybody can run around and call themselves a preacher. Beware and check
>  them out before you let them buy time from you.

Oh, trust me- we do! Over the years, we've had a handful of those types come 
through, and we've turned them all away. The easiest way to do that is to ask 
them for two things: A "Statement of Faith" which gives a bulleted list of 
their core beliefs and doctrines, and a sample recording. Nine times out of ten, 
it is that sample recording that will result in a rejection, although a few 
have been rejected due to beliefs which contradict the basic "core beliefs" of 
Orthodox Christianity. (Another set of standards, which are also spelled out by 
the NRB for Members' and non-Members' benefit.) This will also keep the 
whackos and kooks off the air. (If the audio on the recording is unintelligible 
screams and howlings, it's an automatic reject. "Dollar-a-Hollar" stations don't 
care, they'll air it if the money is there. They could care less about that or 
a Statement of Faith.)

I don't know if these guys have some kind of "network" where they tell one 
another, "Don't bother with WFIF, you won't get on!" because their numbers have 
declined as the years went by... It's also possible that all of the ones in 
this area have now tried and failed, so we're not hearing from them anymore.

Of course, the fact that we now have a bona fide "Dollar-a-hollar" station in 
the next town could be helping... they know they can get on there... as long 
as they pay-as-they-go. That's another way to thwart the local charlatans: 
Make 'em pay up front. No cash, no broadcast. You'll eliminate the charlatans 
this way, but you'll still get the kooks knocking on the door. That's where the 
other two options come in. 

Willie...