Growth of Contemporary Christian Radio

Contemporary Christian Radio (CCM) has emerged as one of the fastest-growing formats, consistently adding new stations each month over the last year.

As reported by Inside Radio, CCM ranks fourth overall among the top ten formats in Radio/PrecisionTrak’s monthly data, following news/talk, religion, and country. Despite its ranking, CCM is unique in the top ten for its ability to consistently add stations since September 2024, with around 50 new stations reflecting a 3.5% increase.

Moreover, CCM sustained its growth by adding another station last month, keeping its title as the fourth-largest format based on station count.

The broader “religious” category, which includes stations focused on religious education and hymns, also showed positive growth with an additional 58 stations over the year, a rise of about 2.7%. Other formats saw milder increases, such as News/Talk (+12), Classic Hits (+3), and Classic Rock (+2), while there were notable declines in others, like top 40 stations down by 23 and country stations dropping by 18.

According to the NRB, CCM was listed fourth on Radio’s internal records in April 2024.

“This information is great for Christian Radio, but it’s really not surprising for those of us in the industry,” commented Mandy Young, vice president of radio at the Education Media Foundation (EMF). “People are really looking for community connections in 2024. That’s something Christian Radio offers.”

“Since 2020, we’ve noticed a significant shift in how individuals engage with Christian Radio,” she continued. “Research indicates that feelings of loneliness can lead to increased anxiety and depression. Christian Radio provides a sense of belonging through songs that bring hope, peace, and even transformative experiences.”