What inspired the idea of “Z88.3?”

I was first exposed to Contemporary Christian Music in high school in the early 70’s.  First, in youth group at church and then in the local Christian bookstore that sold the “Maranatha” albums, Love Song, Honeytree, Andre’ Crouch and others, many of which were recorded in the basement Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa California as documented in the movie, “Jesus Music.”

At the same time, I was on-the-air part-time on a local radio station in my hometown and one sneak in a CCM song when I thought management wasn’t listening.  It didn’t take long before I was caught.

After high school and while working on an engineering degree, I was hired to do mornings at a top-40 station.  This was a dream come true as only the best talent was selected for mornings.  I got wind that several local business men were putting an all Contemporary Christian Music station on the air.  I was elated and resigned my morning position to do mid-days and engineering.  They paid a penance of what I was making and the station eventually failed.  It was too early for the format to succeed.

At my Dad’s urging, I was accepted at the Marshall University school of business…  (to be continued.)

Give a timeline of events of how the idea of the Z turned into what it is today?

Several groups tried to get the 88.3 frequency in Orlando, but could not get around the objection of WKMG channel 6, as the presence of an FM station on 88.3 would interfere greatly with the television signal.

It’s a long story, but in the summer of 1988 after months of discussions, channel 6 was willing to let us try “diplexing” or combining the FM signal into the television signal.  Theoretically, there should be no interference as the television and the FM signal are radiated from the same antenna.

Next, was to win a construction permit from the FCC.  This took several hundreds of thousands of dollars and eight long years.

When was the first time Z88.3 went on air and what did you air?/How was the first day on the job? Did it go smoothly?

In a word, “no.”  The technical plant of channel 6 had technical issues that kept the duplexing equipment from working properly.  After many long nights, God showed me a solution, and at 2:45 AM on August 9^th 1995, Z88.3 was on the air broadcasting a test signal.  It was a two minute loop that Dean O’Neal put together.

Can you recall the first time you thought to yourself “I really just created a whole radio station” and how you felt in that moment?

I had built a number of radio stations over the years but none with the express purpose of giving God glory and lifting up Christ.

No one in Orlando saw this coming, and once it hit the air, everyone was rushing in just to find one guy (me) with no employees and no budget.  It was like a scene out of the “Wizard of Oz” where the wizard was exposed by Toto, Dorothy’s dog, by tearing down the curtain to expose a mortal man that was no wizard.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while creating the Z? How did you overcome it?

There were two.  One was the stability of channel 6 as they were going through a difficult time.  The second was the specter of a hostile takeover because of our financial position (or, lack thereof.)  God was gracious and worked them both out.

What is one thing that you were very intentional about during the process of creating the Z?/What is one thing that the Z could not live without?

Persistence.  I just got up each day and did what had to be done that day and let God take care of tomorrow.

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  –Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;^[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.  — Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Did the Z turn out to be what you had originally imagined it to be?

I never dreamt that it could become this big, let alone the number one most listen to station in town.  Z88.3 was the first Christian radio station in the country to become number one in the ratings much to the broadcast industry’s amazement and the glory of God.

What is one memory of the Z that you are significantly fond of?

The first few weeks it was on-the air, my wife, Eunice and I just couldn’t believe it.  We literally slept with the radio on!

What do you think makes the Z stand out from other stations?

The excellent and dedicated staff that God has assembled.

How did you begin to build the Z team?

As soon as I got money to hire.  We started with Scott Smith.  Then, I brought Dean O’Neal back from Nashville.  Lisa Williams walked through the door soon after.  Then the Wolfman…

How did the partner stations like Hot and La Z come to be?

Having the privilege to build radio stations for people groups who can’t afford or have the expertise to build a station of their own.  Our donors bought into this vision and have graciously funded the effort.

Pastor Davis Uth (First Baptist Orlando) put it this way, “This is planting shade trees that we will never sit under.”