Bible Broadcasting Network
The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) is a listener-supported international Christian radio ministry founded in 1971 by Lowell Davey and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] It operates AM and FM stations across the United States and in 14 countries in North and South America, broadcasting Bible teaching programs, devotionals, traditional sacred music, and content aimed at evangelism.[2] BBN's inaugural station, WYFI, signed on the air in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 2, 1971, following Davey's purchase of a bankrupt facility and the network's incorporation in 1969.[1] BBN emphasizes efficient dissemination of Christian content via radio, internet streaming, mobile apps, and on-demand programs to reach global audiences, with its international stations alone serving over 200 million people.[2] The network maintains family involvement in leadership, with Davey's daughter Barbara Redemann as chairman and Carl Redemann as president.[3] Programming includes daily Bible studies, worship hours, and resources like the Bible Institute for scriptural education.[4] BBN has expanded steadily since its origins, prioritizing listener donations to sustain operations without commercial advertising.[5]History
Founding and Incorporation
The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) was established by Lowell Davey, a Christian broadcaster who sought to create a radio outlet focused on biblical teachings, classical and Christian music, and quality programming. On May 28, 1968, Davey submitted an offer to acquire an existing radio station in Norfolk, Virginia, emphasizing the need for a "Christian oriented" format.[1][3] BBN was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization on March 28, 1969, in Virginia, enabling the purchase of a bankrupt and off-air station in Norfolk that aligned with Davey's vision. According to BBN's historical account, the acquisition process involved providential circumstances, including the station's distress sale, which the organization attributes to divine leading. Davey served as the network's president from its inception until his death in 2017, maintaining family oversight.[1][3][6] The network's inaugural broadcast occurred on October 2, 1971, when station WYFI signed on the air at 5:00 PM from Norfolk, marking BBN's entry into continuous Christian radio programming. This debut featured the theme song "To God Be the Glory," which continues to air daily at 5:57 AM on BBN stations. The early focus was on listener-supported operations without commercial advertising, relying on donations to sustain expansion.[1][3]Early Expansion and Challenges
Following the incorporation of the Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) on March 28, 1969, and the acquisition of a bankrupt, off-air radio station, the organization launched its flagship station WYFI (99.7 FM) in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 2, 1971, at 5:00 PM, marking the start of continuous broadcasting centered on Bible teaching and Christian music.[1] Initial operations were modest, supported by a small staff and limited listeners, with programming emphasizing scriptural exposition to build a dedicated audience amid competition from secular and other religious broadcasters.[1] The network's theme song, "To God Be the Glory," has aired daily at 5:57 AM since inception, underscoring its foundational commitment to evangelical outreach.[1] Expansion accelerated in the mid-1970s as BBN transitioned from a single station to a networked operation. In 1974, the purchase of a second station established the infrastructure for broader distribution, enabling syndicated programming across multiple markets.[7] By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, dozens of additional stations were acquired, extending coverage to regional audiences and laying the groundwork for national reach, though growth remained constrained by available funding and opportunities for distressed properties.[7] This period saw BBN prioritize cost-effective acquisitions, often of underperforming or defunct outlets, to disseminate continuous Bible-centered content without commercial interruptions.[1] Early challenges centered on financial precariousness and operational scale, as the founding purchase of a bankrupt station highlighted risks in a capital-intensive industry reliant on donor contributions rather than advertising revenue.[1] BBN's model, which provided free airtime to Bible teachers in exchange for listener support per Galatians 6:6, demanded sustained fundraising amid uncertain economic conditions and the broader contraction in religious broadcasting during the late 1970s.[8] Founder Lowell Davey attributed progress to providential interventions, navigating limited resources and market saturation by focusing on underserved areas and emphasizing non-denominational, Scripture-focused programming to foster loyalty.[1] Despite these hurdles, the network avoided debt accumulation, maintaining solvency through disciplined stewardship and gradual infrastructure buildup.[9]Modern Developments
Following the death of founder and president Lowell Davey on February 18, 2017, the Bible Broadcasting Network transitioned leadership to family member Barbara Redemann as president, maintaining continuity in its conservative Christian broadcasting mission while under family oversight.[10] [9] Under this stewardship, BBN pursued strategic station acquisitions to expand domestic coverage, including the purchase of WNKU (now WYKV) in Highland Heights, Kentucky, from Northern Kentucky University for $1.9 million in March 2017, converting it to full-time religious programming.[11] In the 2020s, BBN accelerated growth through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approvals and purchases, securing a construction permit for a new non-commercial educational FM station in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in August 2023 to serve underserved rural areas.[12] Additional expansions included acquiring an FM station in Indiana from Urban One in June 2022 as part of Midwest outreach efforts and purchasing WVMP (101.5 FM) in Vinton, Virginia, for $500,000 in August 2024 to bolster coverage in the Roanoke market.[13] [14] These moves built on earlier FCC grants, such as for KYHK in Kearney, Nebraska, in late 2021, reflecting BBN's focus on low-power and translator stations to extend reach without commercial interruptions.[15] Technological modernization complemented terrestrial growth, with BBN adopting advanced transmission equipment from GatesAir to support reliable signal propagation across its expanding footprint.[16] Digitally, the network launched mobile apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, and Roku devices, enabling 24/7 streaming of its programming—including Bible teaching, hymns, and devotionals—in eight languages, thereby enhancing accessibility beyond traditional radio.[17] [18] A 2023 partnership with Microspace further advanced international audio distribution in Latin America via satellite and IP delivery, prioritizing efficient dissemination of religious content.[19] By 2021, BBN marked its 50th anniversary, underscoring sustained listener-supported operations amid these evolutions.[1]Programming and Content
Core Format and Teachings
The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) operates a 24/7 radio format centered on disseminating biblical content, including verse-by-verse Bible teaching, expository preaching, devotionals, sacred hymns, and instrumental Christian music designed to foster spiritual growth and evangelism.[20] Programming emphasizes uninterrupted access to Scripture, with daily segments for prayer, family guidance, children's Bible stories, and teen-focused lessons to address listeners across demographics.[21] This structure prioritizes audio delivery via AM/FM stations, shortwave, and online streams, avoiding secular content to maintain a focus on gospel proclamation and discipleship.[20] BBN's teachings are rooted in a fundamentalist evangelical theology, affirming the Bible as the verbally inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God in its original manuscripts.[3] [22] Core doctrines include the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension, present intercession at God's right hand, and future personal, premillennial return to establish His kingdom.[3] [22] Salvation is presented exclusively as by grace through faith in Christ's finished work, rejecting works-based merit and stressing the new birth, repentance, and eternal security of true believers.[3] [22] The Holy Spirit is taught as a divine person who convicts of sin, regenerates believers, indwells them for sanctification, and empowers for service, with emphasis on His role in illuminating Scripture rather than experiential signs.[22] Ecclesiology underscores the local church as autonomous, believer-led assemblies focused on preaching, ordinances of baptism and Lord's Supper, and missions, while eschatology highlights a pretribulational rapture and literal fulfillment of prophecy.[23] These positions inform program content, such as systematic studies on sin (hamartiology), salvation (soteriology), and church order (ecclesiology), drawing from dispensational hermeneutics to interpret Scripture literally where context allows.[23]Signature Programs and Hosts
The Bible Broadcasting Network's signature programs emphasize expository Bible teaching and preaching from conservative evangelical perspectives, featuring archived and syndicated content from established theologians. A core offering is the BBN Worship Hour, which broadcasts sermons originally preached by Dr. Donald R. Hubbard at Calvary Baptist Church in New York City; Hubbard served as pastor there and continued contributing to BBN until his death on December 28, 2020, after which the program relies on his recorded messages.[24][25] Another flagship program is Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a comprehensive five-year verse-by-verse survey of the entire Bible that airs daily and has reached millions through radio syndication since its inception in 1967.[26][27] The network uniquely produces Christian Classics, hosted by narrator Lynn Brooks, which dramatizes classic Christian literature and testimonies not widely available elsewhere.[28] Additional prominent teachings include Bible Study Time by Dr. Lehman Strauss, focusing on systematic doctrinal studies, and Songs in the Night with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, offering midnight devotionals on biblical comfort amid suffering.[25][29] Syndicated segments from Dr. Chuck Swindoll and Dr. Stephen Davey provide practical applications, while Gateway to Joy features Elisabeth Elliot's counsel drawn from her missionary experiences and widowhood.[27][30] Network announcers, including Ed Phillips—who has produced Arabic Bible recordings and handles on-air transitions—and Vic Gregory, support program flow without serving as primary teaching hosts.[31] These programs collectively prioritize unadorned scriptural exposition over contemporary trends, aligning with BBN's vetting process for content fidelity.[27]Network Infrastructure
Owned Stations and Affiliates
The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) owns and operates a network of full-power FM stations and over 100 low-power translators and repeaters across the United States, enabling broad coverage of its programming. These facilities are supplemented by satellite distribution to ensure consistent content delivery to all outlets.[32][33] As a primarily owned-and-operated model, BBN maintains direct control over its infrastructure, with full-power stations serving major markets and low-power units extending signals into underserved areas.[32] In addition to domestic holdings, BBN operates over 90 stations in Latin America and supplies programming via satellite to a limited number of independent affiliates that opt to carry its feed, though the core network emphasizes owned assets rather than extensive affiliation agreements.[33] Examples of owned full-power stations include WYFD at 91.7 FM serving Decatur/Huntsville, Alabama; WGTF at 89.5 FM in Dothan, Alabama; and WYFB at 90.5 FM in Gainesville, Florida.[34] Translators, such as WYFK at 101.7 FM in Anniston, Alabama, further amplify coverage by rebroadcasting from primary stations.[34] The full roster spans multiple states, with detailed listings available on BBN's official site, reflecting ongoing expansions to reach over 50 million listeners daily.[32][35]| State | City/Market | Call Sign | Frequency | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Decatur/Huntsville | WYFD | 91.7 FM | Full-power |
| AL | Dothan | WGTF | 89.5 FM | Full-power |
| AL | Anniston | WYFK | 101.7 FM | Translator |
| FL | Gainesville | WYFB | 90.5 FM | Full-power |