The Little Radio Station That Could: A Success Story of Faith
How do you set yourself free from the prison of unforgiveness? What is addiction, and how do we overcome it? How can fathers be more empowered and supported?
These and many other topics are explored on shows available on SiriusXM’s HCR, Channel 154. It may sound like your typical self-help program, but HCR is so much more, and runs so much deeper than that. In fact, the station may have set a precedent.
HCR stands for Holy Culture Radio, and the aforementioned topics are featured on Da Fixx Morning Radio Show (weekdays at 6 a.m.) and Church on the Block (Sundays at 10 a.m.), but it’s not all talk; HCR offers a wide variety of listening options, including Christian hip-hop and R&P (rhythm and praise), and the station is home to the longest running Christian hip-hop countdown: DJ Wade-O’s Top 10 Countdown weeknights at 6 p.m. EST. HCR listeners will also find uplifting discussions about faith, arts, vocation, and education (FAVE) with legends in the industry.
Playing “clean” rap and hip-hop and focusing on faith may seem to limit the station to a niche audience, but HCR’s expansion has become hugely successful in a very short time. Just eight months after its debut on SiriusXM, Holy Culture Radio has built an audience of over 5 million listeners, and Da Fixx Morning Radio Show has won a Stellar Award and a Best Podcast/Radio Show Award at the Kingdom Choice Awards in New York City.
HCR is the brainchild of James Rosseau, one of the early evangelists of Christian hip-hop. He took over HCR over a decade ago, but the deal with SiriusXM gave him the ability to expand it out of Wilmington, Delaware, to a worldwide audience.
“It’s an art form that is gaining more recognition,” Rosseau said. “We play over 300 artists that most people don’t know.” He says the artists come from diverse backgrounds — from the inner cities to rural America — who aim to promote the gospel.
Oh, and about that “niche” audience? The Gospel Music Association estimates that 50 million people now listen to at least one gospel song a month. Christian rap is a subset of that market, and the music resonates with this unique audience. A former senior executive at JPMorgan Chase and Allstate, Rosseau has proven his ability to grow the HCR brand.
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