Religions and the media
The religions and radio
Religion-oriented radios
There are a few religious groups in Portugal that developed their own radio stations.
Radio Renascença, the Portuguese catholic broadcaster, is the oldest, most spread and heard in Portugal. The dream started in 1933 and was embodied a year later with the RR League of Friends. It didn’t begin broadcasting until 1936 though, and the daily programming was started on January 1st, 1937. Radio Renascença grew into highly successful radio projects, such as RFM (1978) and Mega FM, always bearing in mind the association of professionalism and the doctrinarian principles of the Catholic Church. In 1991, sharing the same mission and values, 31 local radio stations joined the catholic broadcaster and founded ARIC (the Christian-inspired Radio Stations Association). Presently this association counts 70 members nationwide, including the Azores and Madeira Archipelagos. It aims at promoting Christian principles and the amplest development of religious information, as well as supporting the training of professionals in order to improve the communication of the Christian message.
Founded in 1986, Radio Clube Sintra was the first non-catholic Christian radio station. Being owned by the Adventist Church, the RCS is programmed to have a diversified and rigorous selection of topics aiming at the civic education of its listeners. Health, education, family or sports, the various rubrics focus on offering the urban listener a complete and relevant programming. As a Christian inspired radio station, it is only natural that the reflection over the sacred scriptures has particular attention.
Radio Viva belongs to Maná Church and its mission is to contribute to the development of moral and civic values through programs oriented for prevention, education, debating and entertainment as well as the reflection of biblical contents.
ULTRAFM is a radio company belonging to the Corpo do Messias Church. It presents itself as a generalist project aiming at the diversification of journalistic styles. It tries to characterize itself through the accuracy, clarity and interest of its contents, offering its listeners in particular information and insight about regional life and the most significant data of the national and international current affairs.
Reino de Deus Universal Church owns Radio Miramar. It defines itself by presenting a wide coverage of the national sports events, and a musical choice with special attention to Portuguese music, particularly fado. Although the rest of the programs is mostly dedicated to religious subjects, there is time for public debate with listener interaction.
Religious programming in secular radio stations
Among the local radios that have religious programming – mostly of protestant inspiration – Radio Leziria stands out; it is set in the Greater Lisbon area and belongs to the Lezíria Comunicação Social S.A. group. Still significant are: Radio Clube Lamego, Radio Riba, Radio Clube do Interior, Radio informédia, Radio Soncentro, Radio Soberania, Radio Regional do Centro, Radio Foia, Radio Clube de Matozinhos, Radio Larouco, Radio Borba, Radio Central de Leiria, Radio Dueça, Radio Beira Alta, Radio Granada, Radio Tom Dela, Radio Voz de Reguengos, Radio Nova Contrasta. In the Isles, RDP Açores, Radio Pico, Radio Bandarra, Radio Elmo, Radio Montanha, Radio Lumena, Antena 9.
Religions and web radio
The catholic web radio (netradio catolica) opened on May 28th 2006 and its goal is to spread music of Christian inspiration, to produce contents of religious and catholic characteristics and to inform about the events of the mentioned church. Among its programs they have "Talking to... Cláudio Anaia" for current affairs debate and "Generation XXI" as a means of bringing light into catholic music.
In 2007 UCB Portugal started its radio religious broadcasting with 5 weekly rubrics. In 2008 it became a 24-hour long web radio associated to the UCB (United Christian Broadcasters), an international family aiming at spreading the Christian message in each nation through the media. In Portugal the project is in development, and on-line radio is becoming a reality in association with this perspective.
Transmundial Radio of Portugal is a national association which doesn’t belong to any religious institution and has the support of Trans World Radio. Its main objective is to present biblical contents to the listeners in a diversified way. Besides music and current affairs under a biblical point of view, they also provide help to Christian leaders.
28 September 2012 Simão Daniel
