Local-origination programming will end at Moody Radio’s 64 stations across the country in June as part of a ‘strategic realignment’ parent ministry Moody Bible Institute (MBI) claims will help it weather “cultural and economic headwinds” at the 139-year-old, Chicago-based organization.
In advance of the format change, Moody has replaced local morning talk shows with “Karl and Crew,” a national broadcast starting Monday, May 26. Local programs such as “Kurt and Kate Mornings,” which originated at WKES 91.1 FM radio in Lakeland, Fla., were axed in favor of a “unified national programming schedule” to be fully implemented June 30.
The ministry said it will be laying off an unspecified number of people at local stations and other MBI units.
In a May 20 actualizar posted on MBI’s news website, Mark Jobe, Moody’s president, said that even though the ministry is “debt-free, with healthy reserves and steady revenues … rising costs and evolving ministry demands” sparked the operational review and changes.
Regarding the layoffs, Jobe wrote, “This is one of the hardest decisions we have had to make as we seek to steward well the resources the Lord has entrusted to us. These are not just roles—they are valued team members, co-laborers in Christ, and close friends who have served faithfully and we are committed walking with them through this change with care and respect.”
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According to a 2024 MBI “impact report,” radio accounted for $22.8 million in operating expenses, or 18% of outlays that year. Nonprofit organization trackers ProPublica dijo MBI reported $352.4 million in net assets in its fiscal year ending in June 2023.
Lee Rugen, who joined Moody in 1999 as a technical producer and engineer for their “Chris Fabry Live!” program before leaving the network several years ago, took to Facebook “to express feelings of loss” at the changes and layoffs.
“Having had the pleasure to work on the local side of radio, and also the network national side-I know the great things that can come from that partnership, (h)ow it can serve the local communities so well,” Rugen wrote. “What I’m seeing is a trend across the country for radio in general to go national, which has the potential to affect the local impact immensely.”
Rugen did not immediately respond to a request from El Informe Roys (TRR) for further comment.
Moody vice presidents Samuel S. Choy, chief marketing officer, and David Wesley Ward, who heads Moody Radio, referred a TRR inquiry to Brian J. Regnerus, strategic communications director, who provided a link to the announcement but did not respond to follow-up email or telephone requests.
Veteran Christian journalist and author Stan Guthrie was a weekly guest on “Kurt and Kate Mornings,” the Moody Radio Florida show, for two years. He told TRR local connections to a Christian radio station cannot be easily replaced when a national programming format is adopted along the lines of Christian radio outlets such as K-Love.
“What they really tried to do — and I was very impressed with — is their desire to connect with the local audience,” he said of the Florida talk show hosts, Kurt Goff and Kate Bruington. “They were talking about local events and ministries. They would show up at a crisis pregnancy center or something like that. They actually had a budget for events in the community so people would see them.”
Guthrie, now minister of communications at New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois, said that while Moody Radio “has great national shows,” axing logical-origination programming will be felt by listeners.
“One of the things that radio is so good for is building an intimacy with your audience,” he said “And if you don’t know the local issues, and you’re not ever out and about, and you don’t have time to really talk with callers, then you’re losing something.”
*This article has been updated to note that Lee Rugen left Moody several years ago. We also removed a comment by a former Moody employee at the employee’s request.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the Correo de Nueva York and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for el tiempo de washington. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.
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20 Responses
Their demographic base is aging and dying off. Young people listen to Podcasts now. MBN played great music in 80$ and early 90$ now they sound worse than KLOVE.
Nothing wrong with KLOVE … compare it with “secular” “music”.
Miss Kurt & Kate mornings. Local is the way to go . Sorry change
I miss them too. I just can’t get on board with a morning show out of Chicago. Kurt and Kate had me laughing and enjoying my ride to work in the mornings. Now, it’s silence because I can’t find another morning show I like or can relate to.
Soooooo disappointing! I’ll really miss the local programming.
Just one example: Three of the clearest and MOST helpful Bible scholars/expositors I’ve ever heard will be gone! Plus, I’ve “known” Kelli, a constant and delightful presence in the mornings for 20 years or more here. Feels like I’m losing a friend.
And I don’t understand the “logic” behind it.
Takes me back to when there was NO logic on the part of leadership at MBI in firing you, Julie…and just because you were a whistleblower, shedding light on some very serious problems. As a result, we lost your Saturday morning show, too, which I miss to this day. And 3 top administrators there were fired for their participation in that fiasco. Hmm…
Seems very cruel to me, also, to be stealing Joel Swan’s retirement benefits–and I assume health insurance, also. Especially when his wife just had a major health catastrophe. The Christian thing to do would be for MBI leaders to let him stay at least the 2 months more, particularly to honor his *40 years* of service!!
I’ll be shaking my head in disbelief, but also praying, about all of this.
Thank you, Mark and Julie, for giving us the heads-up about this! I missed the announcement on our local station…and it starts in 2 days!!
I am amazed at how much money these places bring in. It’s always sad when folks lose their jobs, and I feel for them. However, I don’t know one person who listens to local radio. Everyone I know, uses YouTube or other internet platforms.
You can’t do YouTube and internet while driving …
Actually, Jim, you can do YouTube and Podcasts while driving (bluetooth technology). That’s pretty much all young adults and teen drivers do these days.
Net assets 352.4 million! Yes net!! Money, Money, money.
Perry and Shawna on WGNB Moody Radio in the massive Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo market are the very best live Christian radio hosts I’ve ever heard anywhere. They brought solid mature Biblical content every single morning, often with local ministry leaders and authors. I will really miss them. I’m not as excited about hearing inexperienced folks calling in from all over the country from their cars talking about whatever basic topic is chosen for them, and then listening to the radio hosts unscripted reaction to their comments. For my tastes, that format is kinda unengaging, not always worthwhile in listening to (sometimes even annoying) and similar to the boring morning banter heard elsewhere on secular radio. I’m fairly certain WGNB was more than covering its own financial weight. WGNB had excellent overall local carefully planned out programming in the mornings, sad to see that change.
I’m very disappointed Moody is cutting local programming. So much of our technology interferes and even separates us from connections. Having a local broadcast and crew fosters a sense of community and intimacy. This seems like a step backwards. It seems Moody is attempting to follow the trends of the world.
It was often a local pledge drive, with the local crew, that prompted my contributions to Moody. I was hopeful giving at this time would show support for my local station and crew at WMBW, Chattanooga. I no longer feel this connection.
Many of the folks who have landed on this page may not be in this demographic since they are here on this website. The people in my community who listen to local radio fit into two categories. Either they are older or they are lower income.
If you are truly pinching pennies, you are unlikely to have Sirius XM in your car. You likely listen to the traditional radio. Also, you are unlikely to have unlimited data and listen to podcasts or stream Spotify on your phone. It is also likely that the limited data on your phone is your only internet access instead of having WiFi at home. You may not even have this and go to the public library to use the internet.
When local broadcast radio gets cut, it disproportionately impacts lower income people.
I know my local donor-supported Christian station has so much more trouble getting donations than they used to. Wealthier people are no longer listening in the same numbers. The people who still listen don’t have large sums to donate.
I am so sad and disappointed to hear this. The local hosts provided such encouraging and deep meaningful messages. The local news and events/weather were my go to source of information. Not to mention all of the great programming and preachers scheduled throughout the day. I have a long commute and have listened to moody since 1994. I wont be supporting moody any longer.
It’s truly upsetting to see the morning line up disappear. I am a proud sponsor and listener of the morning line up; they brought dedicated understanding to Biblical teachings. I truly hope your cultural and economic changes aren’t to line up with the worldly views. That would definitely be a tragic twist to Moody Radio and what it stands for. I am not in the habit of putting down people or organizations, I tried to engage with Karl and crew, it’s not great. Seems he is trying real hard to be sincere and authentic, we just aren’t hearing it. Kurt and Kate mornings were a blessing to me and the team, family, its gone. Restructuring can happen naturally, but to forcibly redirect the line up probably wasn’t the way to go. I pray all the blessings on the new system and hope it gains some traction, for me, I am out for now. God bless you all
I feel like I’ve lost members of my family. Kurt and Kate prayed for so many of us when we had what seemed like we had insurmountable problems. The new morning program lacks connection and their energy. It is so disappointing. I guess Joy FM in Tampa will be my new radio station.
The sadness and grief I feel at Moody’s decision to cut local broadcasting is palpable. I would have my devotions with Kurt and Kate’s morning show playing softly in the background just for the songs….their morning prayer time was always the highlight of their programming, praying for wayward kids brought my granddaughter to the Lord, Special Guests encouraged my walk with God and so much growth spiritually for tons of listeners each and every day it was remarkable. I sit here in the quietness of the morning and just feeling sad because I so miss my 6 o’clock club. A national show will never replace Kurt and Kurt and the team plus they are out of jobs. I pray and believe God will provide for each one of them in a magnificent way more than they can ask or think. We love you Kurt and Kate and the team. You are all blessed and highly favored. Thank you for all the years of great programming and excellence of spreading the gospel to so many of us.
Moody is a prime example of lips being close but hearts being far from GOD. Protecting immoral behavior while punishing those who shine light on the wrong, like Julie. Open Line is 50%, or more, pimping for money. Land in the Book gives a blank check to Netanyahu’s blindless murder of CHRISTIANS, women and children on Gaza (not everyone there are HAMAs). I could go on. The truth is Moody Radio is barely worth listening to our supporting at this point in time. Getting ride of their local connection is a disgrace. Shame on Moody Radio.
Not happy with this change. Kurt and Kate connected with us on a personal level. I have been involved with listening to this station since the early 80’s. I will no longer associate with this station as it seems to be more interested in the”corporation”, rather than creating relationships within our body of listeners. The communities are the origins of your stations, recently disbanded. Please rethink this change as I see it as a way to break up the communities of believers-although I don’t feel this was your true intent. Where is your loyalty to these believers, faithfully seeking Christ daily?
So sad to hear this . I just reconnected to Moody Channel and they were so inspirational. It’s not the same for sure.
I agree with many of these comments… hard to adjust to the new morning crew, and no local info connection. And I’m originally from the Chicago area, but I’m more of a southerner now! And some of the head banging Christian music was already driving me away. I still enjoy On-line Majesty Radio in my office area though!