This Week in Christian History: D.L. Moody, Charles Wesley, NRB

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, December 17, 2017

National Religious Broadcasters Incorporated – December 18, 1944

2012 NRB Convention and Exposition in Nashville, Tenn. - Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. | (Photo: The Christian Post / Anna Charles)

This week marks the anniversary of when the Christian communication association known as the National Religious Broadcasters was incorporated.

NRB came from a series of meetings of about 120 evangelical broadcasters and church leaders seeking to counter efforts by mainline Protestants to limit evangelical radio programming.

"And thus began a multi-year effort by NRB to build credibility for Evangelical broadcasters, to secure their fair share of the available public interest slots, and to overturn the ban on the purchase of radio airtime for religious broadcasting," noted NRB in a 2014 website entry.

"In 1949 that effort bore fruit as the newly formed ABC radio network reversed the ban on paid religious broadcasting, with the other networks following their lead. In a few short years, Evangelical radio broadcasters were again a dynamic and growing presence on major radio networks, with scores of new programs serving a vast national audience."