There have been a ton of new albums released by Pulse 101.7FM artists recently, and with the huge success of Lecrae’s new project Anomaly out this week, I got to thinking…

Back when we started Pulse 101.7FM in the early ’90s, the goal was to bring the first all-music Christian station to Des Moines. And while we were the only ones doing that here at the time, there were other Christian stations popping up all over the country. The timing was just right, and the result was a boom in innovation – the fact that this music was becoming more widely available through radio allowed for more artists to find recognition, and it was SO good for the industry (and for you and me!). We quickly moved beyond Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith (each great artists in their own right) to new, original sounds from the likes of Third Day, Jars of Clay, Skillet, Plumb and Sixpence None the Richer. It was revolutionary! Today we see our artists (like Lecrae this week) topping the iTunes charts. How cool!

I’ve spent more than 20 years in the Christian radio industry, and what I’m seeing right now is exciting to me. While the past 20 years have brought many new artists, I’m sensing a renewed innovation these days among Christian music artists. No matter what your musical tastes, you can find something right now that fits the bill, and has the added benefit of a great message.

Twenty years ago, the arrival of Christian hit radio in Des Moines expanded our horizons. Now, I believe the accessibility of the internet and things like Pulse’s listening app are allowing artists to reach even more listeners. And it’s a good thing. I have never seen so much variety in Christian music. And not just variety, but depth of lyrics and REAL, developed TALENT. It’s just awesome!

There has never been a better time to listen to Christian hit radio. If you don’t currently listen to Pulse 101.7FM, I challenge you to try us for 30 days. Listen exclusively for just one month and become familiar with the music we play – and I GUARANTEE you won’t want to switch back! You can find us on the radio in central Iowa (101.7FM in Des Moines and 95.5FM in Ames), stream through our website, and download our new interactive app for your smart phone. Check us out! And thanks for listening!