Fans Saddened, Baffled by Sudden End to Popular Christian Radio Show
Two of Christian radio's most popular personalities are no longer hosting their Morning Show due to "family issues," according to the head of their radio station.
"They are dealing with family issues and while we wish we could say more we simply can't," says K-LOVE President Mike Novak in a statement posted on the Rocklin, Calif.-based station's website.
"We are respecting the privacy of people who have been part of our radio family for years and that respect is paramount right now," he added.
Jon and Sherry Rivers had been hosting the Morning Show on K-LOVE for over seven years and were reaching to listeners across the nation. K-LOVE claims listenership of 125,000 people each week via the Internet and more than 1.46 million listeners weekly on the radio network.
Since the Rivers' mysterious disappearance last week, hundreds of responses have been popping up throughout the blogosphere, some of which appear in their Facebook fan page, which they stopped updating on Mar. 24, last stating that they "are taking a few days off! Sleepin' in!"
"You guys are my caffeine in the mornings. You get me up and ready for the day," exclaimed Shirley Coker from Wilmington, N.C., one of the Rivers' nearly 12,000 Facebook fans. "You are in my thoughts and prayers!"
"When I heard the news on K-LOVE this morning that you would no longer be on the morning show, I was so surprised, and I immediately said a prayer for your family," added Nancy Gerardo from Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday. "When something is taken from us so suddenly, we want to know why, but as believers we must remember that God is in control."
Since K-LOVE's announcement, all web pages regarding the Morning Show have been removed, leading to some protest and speculation from fans, many of whom said they were in tears after hearing the announcement.
K-LOVE president Novak, however, made clear that "life situation developed between Jon and Sherry apart from K-LOVE."
"I know all of this sounds vague and I wish that it was clearer but right now it's not," he stated.
"When we hear an update from Jon and Sherry we'll pass it along to you and at that point we will both know more," Novak added.
Prior to their disappearance, the Rivers were broadcasting the Morning Show each day from their 16-acre ranch in Dallas, Texas, where they've played host to Christian music artists such as Casting Crowns, Francesca Battistelli, Jimmy Needham, Matt Maher, among many others.
Their daughter, Lexi, also partook in broadcasts.