STOLL, Klaus-Dieter (Lancaster) PAY NOW, PRAY LATER - PART 2: THE ELECTRONIC CHURCH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DISKUS, 2 (1994) no. 1, pp. 57-73 [Part 1 of this article is in DISKUS Vol.1, No.1, 1993] Contact address: Klaus-Dieter Stoll 68 Windermere Road Lancaster LA1 3EZ Contents: 1.) Introduction 2.) A short history of religious broadcasting in the U.K. 3.) The 1990 Broadcasting Act 4.) Features of the landscape 5.) Conclusions 6.) Bibliography 1.) Introduction The aim of this article is to provide a general insight into the establishment of an Electronic Church (EC) in the United Kingdom. If one sets out to paint a picture of the Electronic Church in the U.K., one has to choose the style of a landscape painting and even before one puts the first dab of paint on the canvas, one has to accept that the landscape will constantly change and that it will have to be repainted at ever shorter intervals. In this article I will attempt to paint my impressions of the EC in Britain, and like every painter I will use artistic licence to highlight some details whilst attempting to deliver a rounded composition. 2.) A Short History of Religious Broadcasting in the U.K. Radio Religious broadcasting in Britain is as old as public broadcasting itself. In 1922 the British Broadcasting Company was founded and on Christmas Eve of the same year the first sermon given by the Rector of Whitechapel could be received on the wireless. As is well-known, the dominant figure shaping public and religious broadcasting in those early years, was the BBC's General Manager, John Reith. Reith, a son of the manse with strong religious convictions, saw his work in the BBC not as a mere means of gainful employment but as a vocation and commission from God. H.R.L.('Dick') Sheppard, the vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, an early collaborator with Reith, described Reith's religious position as follows: 'Reith was never a committed 'churchman', he was committed to the protection and promulgation of 'dynamic' Christianity in national and personal life, and Sunday was the one institution which, he believed, belonged to the maintenance of a Christian presence.' (K.M. Wolfe). Soon the Sunday evening address became a regular BBC feature but Reith saw the need for the religious content of the BBC's broadcasting to be developed and set within a broader 'mainstream' background. In 1923 the 'Sunday Committee' was formed. It consisted of Presbyterian, Church of England and Catholic representatives. Its main function was to advise the BBC and to choose the Sunday speaker, but it also had to assist in the task of overcoming the deep and widespread suspicions that existed in the mainstream churches about the suitability of the new medium. (a view shared by many politicians!) Another milestone in the development of religious broadcasting was the broadcast of the first full service. With the help of Dick Sheppard the BBC broadcast a special service from St. Martin-in-the-Field (special because the time for the service had to be arranged outside normal hours of worship). It was a success. From April 1924 the St. Martin's service became a regular feature and over the next few years a number of religious programmes appeared in the regular BBC schedule. Gradually more and more nonconformist representatives were added to the Sunday Committee. In 1926 the Committee changed its title to Central Religious Advisory Committee (CRAC). In the first years CRAC laid down four basic principles with regard to Religious Broadcasting. 1. No religious broadcasts during normal hours of church services. 2. No attacks on Christianity 3. No representation of non-mainstream groups and heterodox ideas 4. No broadcasts of alternatives to religious services. In 1927 the British Broadcasting Company became the British Broadcasting Corporation, but the 1927 BBC Charter did not contain any mandatory requirement to produce religious programmes. The BBC was free to do whatever it thought best with regard to religious broadcasting, so long it moved within the lines of being a 'public utility service' and that it would 'inform, educate and entertain'. So it is not altogether surprising that the BBC's first Head of Religion, J.C. Stobart, was also its first Director of Education, thus setting the tone of religious broadcasting of the BBC. Whilst this strict middle-of-the-road approach guaranteed a lack of controversy on the airwaves as far as the contents of the BBC's religious broadcasts was concerned, it also excluded and angered every group which could be seen as operating even slightly outside the mainstream. Reith resigned in 1938. The political situation in 1939 dictated that the whole of the BBC service had to serve the war effort with information and morale boosting programmes. Television In 1936 the BBC television service was inaugurated but it had to be closed down in 1939, to resume again in 1946, the same year which saw the first BBC televised religious service. The number of receivers was very small (1947: 14,560, 1948: 45,564, 1949: 126,567 licences were sold) and the new medium had to fight the same prejudices, especially from the religious fraternity, as had its radio equivalent 25 years before. The fourth broadcasting committee was set up under Lord Beveridge in 1949. The 1951 Beveridge Report was the first report to consider at length the subject of religious broadcasting. The Beveridge report sees the 'impartial search for truth' and the BBC's duties as an institution 'set up by the state in a Christian country' as the guiding principles. 'The two considerations are reconciled in practice by having both controversial broadcasting and religious broadcasting as distinct activities of the BBC.' The first criterion would be fulfilled by the Talks Department, while it was the role of the Religious Department to fulfil the latter. The real success story of BBC television broadcasting began with the broadcast of the Coronation Service in 1953 which succeeded in bringing the new media to the masses and making it generally acceptable, but with the success came new pressures. In a sense, the spirit of Reith still reigned supreme in the BBC's solemn Sunday programming. However, commercial broadcasters outside Great Britain with much more lively programming were emerging, who had the potential to challenge the BBC's monopoly and introduce a degree of competition. After the Conservative victory in 1952, a government White Paper was published which demanded that an element of competition should be introduced into broadcasting. This led to the 1954 Television Act establishing the new independent television companies under their governing body, the Independent Television Authority (ITA). Grace Archer's death notwithstanding [in BBC Radio's popular serial 'The Archers'], the independent companies soon became a very successful part of the media scene. Neither the 1954 Television Charter nor the BBC Charter makes any statutory requirements with regard to religious broadcasting. The only requirement the ITA had to fulfil was that religious programmes had to be produced in consultation with 'representatives of the main streams of religious thought' i.e. the Central Religious Advisory Committee (CRAC) that was still serving the BBC. A small CRAC Panel for the ITA was set up. The first day of ITV transmission, 22 September 1955, was also the day of the first religious programme on ITV, soon followed by the regular broadcasting of Christian services and other religious programmes. The time between 6.15 and 7.25 on Sunday evenings was the time during which, in the opinion of the Postmaster-General, every good Christian in the UK should be found at church, so restrictions on these hours for broadcasting, the so-called 'closed period', were enforced. BBC and ITV had an interest in utilising this period. Whilst the Postmaster-General might been found at church at this time, many of his compatriots were not, and the 'closed period' represented a valuable property of prime time television. As a consequence, BBC and ITV concentrated their efforts in religious broadcasting to the 'closed period' which now became known as the 'God slot', and by which the weekly output of religious programmes on both networks was considerably increased, a trend further enhanced by the introduction of BBC2 in 1964. ITV brought a wind of change into general and religious broadcasting. ITV programmes tended on occasions to test the previously set boundaries of acceptability, including religion. Religious programmes on both networks also began the tentative search for new boundaries. The result of this search can be found clearly reflected in the 1977 Government Report on Broadcasting (or Annan Report). One of the central recommendations of the Annan Report was the establishment of a Fourth Channel which was eventually inaugurated in November 1982 as a subsidiary IBA company. The Annan Report also devoted a whole chapter (Chapter 20) to religious broadcasting. It was mainly concerned with the quality of religious programmes which, it considered, reflected sometimes only 'the sentimental and weakly reassuring [which] obscure the real discipline and duties of the religious life' and the ongoing process of chipping away at the 'closed period'. The biggest contribution to Chapter 20 came of course from CRAC, which offered new guidelines for religious broadcasting, reflecting a significant shift from its former stance by broadening the term 'religion' from the exclusively Christian to other religions and acknowledging that while religious broadcasting had to cater for the needs of people outside the church, it was not the role of religious broadcasting to proselytize. 3.) The Broadcasting Act 1990 The landscape of religious broadcasting underwent a dramatic change with the Broadcasting Act of 1990. It received the Royal Assent on 1 November of that year. This date marks the 'Big Bang' of deregulation and can be seen as the birth-date of the Electronic Church in the U.K. in the strict sense of the definition. To understand the changes, it is necessary to look closely at the provisions the Broadcasting Act 1990 made. It set up a new framework of regulatory bodies. The IBA and the Cable Authority were replaced by the new Independent Television Commission (ITC) and the Radio Authority (RA). The function of the ITC is to licence and regulate all commercial television services; the RA was set up to oversee the expansion of Independent Radio. It is expected [1994] that up to 400 local and community radio stations and up to 40 cable channels will develop. One of the key requirements of the act is that the licensees for Channels 3, 4 and eventually 5 and also the BBC have to ensure that in each year not less than 25% of all programmes (with certain exceptions) are produced by a range and diversity of independent production units. The ITC's programme code requires a minimum of two hours of religious programmes for Channel 3 a week, and one hour for Channel 4, but the ITC cannot influence the scheduling of religious programmes. The BBC is still under no statutory obligation to broadcast religious programmes. The programme codes of the ITC and the RA differ in respect of religious broadcasting on several very important points. The ITC code forbids proselytising but leaves two avenues open for the Electronic Church by 1) allowing invitations to viewers to write in for literature on general channels and 2) allowing proselytising on special religious channels. CRAC still influences BBC and ITC religious programming in regard to general guidelines, but not day-to-day business. The programme code of the RA on commercial and local radio allows proselytising as long as it does not exploit the sensibilities of the listener or denigrate other religions. Since the 1990 Act removed the public service obligation, some commercial stations have removed religious programming whilst other groups which were able to secure funding used the opportunity to buy time or to establish their own channels. 4.) Features of the Landscape. Within the framework of this article it is impossible to give the full picture of groups and organisations which make up the landscape of the Electronic Church in the U.K. A sensible way forward is to look in some detail at groups and organisations which are typical of their special feature in the landscape. These groups are, a) Pathway Productions, as an example for a Church-based production company, b) GRF Christian Radio, as an independent production company, c) London Christian Radio, as a very interesting model for independent local Christian radio, and d) Vision Broadcasting Ministries, as a full-blooded attempt to introduce the values and models of the North American EC into the U.K. Finally, I look at e) Alive Software as an example of a totally new (non-broadcasting) branch of the EC which is opening up at the moment with the introduction of electronic games with specifically Christian values and aims. In the following, I am using to a large extent material published by the respective groups. I would justify this on the grounds that a) it gives the groups the opportunity to speak for themselves and for the readers to receive their own impressions, b) often the style of a group's published material says more about it than the written content of the material itself and c) some of the quoted material is not readily accessible and I want to use the opportunity to make it more widely available. Pathway Productions Pathway Productions can be taken as a good example of the attempts of a mainstream church, in this case the Church of Scotland, to react to the challenges of the electronic age. "Pathway Productions was established as a department of the Church of Scotland under the supervision of the Board of Communication. The responsibility of the Board of Communication to the Church is '... to promote effective communication ... provide a professional service of publicity and publishing ... and keep under review all developments in communication ...'. The Board of Communication consists of 42 members, appointed by the General Assembly. Pathway Productions work is supervised by a select committee of the Board of Communication." "Pathway Productions produces videos and other audio-visual material on request for Church Departments and other clients. Much of this material is of an educational and informational nature, some of which is ideally suited for training elders and office-bearers." "Pathway offers to all clients a full range of production facilities: sound and television studios, a fully-broadcast video edit suite and large screen projection equipment. 8 staff." "The Unit offers training in radio and TV techniques which are advertised through the Monthly Mailing and Life and Work. It is current policy not to make programmes for individual congregations." The catalogue of Pathway Productions sports for example the 'Meet...' series which introduces the viewer to such eminent Christians as Alastair McDonald, Allan Boesak, Cliff Richard, Ed de la Torre, George MacLeod, Mother Teresa and Sheila Walsh. Further titles include 'Ian White: Begin the Music, In Concert, In Studio, In Conservation; Homelessness, A Christian Response; Loneliness, A Christian Response; To be a Soldier, A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of George MacLeod; Surviving...Bereavement; Surviving...Dementia; The Glasgow Gospel. This rapid overview is characteristic of Pathway Productions. It has a distinct Scottish flavour, backed up by the unavoidable "standards" (Cliff Richard, Mother Teresa). Pathway Productions does not seem to have an overall production strategy, but seems to be content with providing a valuable service to the Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland and the user can be sure that all Pathway Productions are absolutely 'safe' to use, without a hint of controversy nor any questioning of the values of the viewer/listener in sight. It is difficult to see how Pathway Productions can have any impact on Christian broadcasting that goes further than the realm of the Church of Scotland. This said, one has to conclude that Pathway Productions is a service but cannot be held to be a complete answer by a mainstream church to the demands of the electronic age. b) GRF CHRISTIAN RADIO In Edinburgh's great rival city, Glasgow, we can find GRF Christian Radio. GRF is an independent producer of radio programmes for transmission by mainstream and Christian stations in Britain and abroad. "GRF Christian Radio has existed as an independent production studio since 1948. Programmes were initially supplied to international missionary radio stations (since 1948) but GRF's horizons subsequently widened to include hospital radio (since 1964), ILR [independent local radio] in the UK (since 1973), BBC local radio (since 1989), and community radio (since 1990)." "Recent productions by GRF have included a poetry series, a 'zoo' format rock series, popular biography, drama, sci-fi style children's programmes, contemporary church music from around the world, and a range of thought provoking "Morning Thoughts"." "GRF programmes have won both Andrew Cross and Sandford St. Martin Awards for excellence in religious broadcasting." "GRF team members come from a wide variety of backgrounds in terms of both work experience and religious tradition. The programmes produced by GRF reflect this diversity resulting in well-rounded programmes with popular appeal." "GRF Christian Radio is a Christian mission which is committed to the use of broadcasting for the spreading of God's good news, as shown to the world through Jesus." The history of GRF shows how the organisation has reacted flexibly and undogmatically to the given circumstances and demands in religious broadcasting. This impressive flexibility and awareness, the ability of GRF to avoid simply proclaiming the need for conversion and the wide-ranging approach to the subject matters makes GRF an organisation that can be taken both as an example for the development of the EC since 1945 and as a model for the independent production of Christian programmes today. c) LONDON CHRISTIAN RADIO, LCR On 8 June 1993, London Christian Radio submitted an application to the RA for a London-wide AM frequency. The application was not successful but the RA has brought forward three new licences for 1994 and encouraged LCR to apply again. LCR is at the moment strengthening its application, mobilising support from the churches and preparing for broadcasting. The application submitted to the RA gives a very good insight into the planned service and provides us with an excellent model for a Christian based local radio station. "The Applicant Group was formed by Peter Meadows, now its Chief Executive, who brought together a small team with specialist skills in order to respond to the opportunities offered to religious groups by the Broadcasting Act 1990." "The formation of the Applicant Group was against a background of Peter Meadows consulting extensively with senior broadcasting professionals, senior church leaders and the leaders of several of London's largest local churches. Their overwhelmingly positive attitude to the proposal for the churches to apply for a London-wide licence served as an encouragement to proceed." "The Applicant Group has developed in four ways- 1. By establishing a charitable Trust, under the Chairmanship of Viscount Brentford, to provide a structure to own the proposed station, and to share its financing. 2. By making a firm commitment to this initiative being as fully ecumenical as possible; and firmly rooted in the culture of the U.K. and the life of London. 3. By establishing an extensive network of advisers, working groups and voluntary helpers, involving 130 people who have contributed ideas, advice and practical help. 4. By generating considerable interest and support across the Christian denominations. This has included mobilising more than 1,200 individuals to promote the concept of the station." "The Applicant Group's development strategy is based on the principle of a commitment to serve the whole community through the practical expression of Christian beliefs and values." "The general objective of the Applicant Group in applying for this licence is to make it possible for the churches to participate in the medium of radio. This is in order to further extend their historic role in caring for all sections of the community." "Significantly, the objectives of the Applicant Group do not include the aim of maximising financial return to investors. Profits will be covenanted to the station's sole shareholder, the Christian Media Trust, who will make funds available as required in order to further increase the quality of the service. We will also continue to develop streams of programmes for those often overlooked by independent local radio, because they are of little interest to advertisers." "LCR wishes to offer a rich and diverse range of programming based on the beliefs and values of the Christian faith. The station will be 'a friend to London'- providing a listening ear and a caring voice." "The programming will be supported by a Christian Community Unit, which will be an interface in terms of information and practical help between the station and its audience. This Unit will work closely with the voluntary services and Christian Agencies; and co-ordinate a network of trained counsellors and advisers drawn from churches of all denominations." "The programming service is designed to have a wide appeal to all who have some affinity with the Christian faith and its values. It will also have a particular appeal to those who are clear and committed regarding their Christian belief and its relationship to daily living." "The station will present news, current affairs, community issues, advice and help, music, worship and reflection, and the arts - all from a Christian viewpoint. Emphasis will be given to the concerns of the audience, and to the social needs of Greater London and beyond." "The programming will serve those within the community as a whole who will enjoy friendly speech-dominated programming that expresses Christian insight and values; and welcome the practical help that is associated with these values. At off-peak times, the station will serve specific age groups and those with more distinct needs, concerns and interests." "In the main, the format will be warm and friendly magazine style. Within a carefully-planned programme flow, there will be a variety of speech components, together with about three or four records an hour during the main weekday schedule, with more music at other times." "The intended transmission area serves some 9.59 million adults. Of these 8.44 million adults claim to belong to one of the main Christian denominations; 2.11 million attend Church at least monthly and 874,000 attend the 6,250 churches in the transmission area each week." "...65,163 individuals have signed a pledge to say,'I am right behind the concept of LCR and its aim to serve the wider community of London and beyond, and intend to listen." "...More than 2,000 people have sent voluntary contributions averaging almost 20 pounds each, towards the costs of the licence application, despite there being no public appeal." "...Support for the proposal has been received from more than sixty prominent individuals representative of every major Christian denomination in the U.K." "The set up costs of the station will be in the region of 587,000 pounds. This will be met mainly through charitable donations made by way of the Christian Media Trust. The sum required by way of charitable donations has already been guaranteed." "The annual turnover of the station will be about 1.7 million pounds. This represents a mix of income unique for a major independent radio station. This is because it is not limited to the relationship between its audience and the related advertising revenue. LCR will draw a significant proportion from subscription income, via the Christian Media Trust. (current bank standing orders 6,658.)" Cashflow summary, (excerpts, in 1,000 pounds) 6.94-5.95 6.95-5.96 6.96-5.97 Income provided by CTM 540 516 510 Net advertising revenue 817 1,195 1,266 The LCR application speaks for itself. Whilst the application in some parts might be too optimistic (see the projected rise in advertising revenue whilst the CTM input goes down), LCR can be seen as a model for the future of Christian ILR mainly because it fulfils several key criteria for a viable Christian ILR: broad ecumenical approach and support, community based with direct practical and personal links into the community; and the raising of funds (except in the set-up period) independently of the listeners. But the model has also its limitations and one major limitation is the location. London as the target audience is unique and can only be transferred without major changes to a limited number of major cities in the U.K.. It becomes quite clear that the so called 'rural areas' require a different model to make Christian ILR a viable proposition. d) VISION BROADCASTING MINISTRIES "Even in the average home the television is on for 4 hours a day." "Now you can have the opportunity to reach your neighbours with the Love of God." "No longer do BBC and ITV have a monopoly. Recent changes in the Broadcasting Laws are making Cable and Satellite television more widely available." "Vision - The First Christian Television Channel In Britain." "Vision - is dedicated to putting Christian programmes to every Cable Station." "Vision - is a specialist Christian family TV channel." "Vision - started broadcasting Christian programmes in 1986." "Vision - is currently producing 3 hours of programmes every week." "Vision - is seen on Cable Networks right across Britain, currently available to over 118,000 homes." "Vision can help you move from inside the church walls to take your message out into the wider community. On Vision you can have the opportunity to tell others just what is the gospel, and why it means so much." "Vision serves the Christian community by promoting the faith, work and activities of your local church." "These are exciting times.........ARE YOU READY?" "The programme range covers:- * Children, family and local church involvement. * Current affairs and social issues from a Christian point of view. * VISION Bible School." "Some of Vision's contributors include:- * Missionary Aviation Fellowship * Evangelical Sisters of Mary * CTA (Bristol) * Joy Today, Christian Communications (Bath) * David Hathaway * NAVIGO (Coventry Cathedral * Assemblies of God in Nottingham * CBN with Sheila Walsh (700 club) * Derek Price * Counties Evangelistic Work * CVG Birmingham * Tear Fund * 100 Huntley St. Canada * Ray McCauley * Reinhard Bonnke, CFaN * David Pawson * Salvation Army" "Vision brings a clear, uncompromising gospel message, dynamic ministry, testimonies, music and drama." "The new Broadcasting legislation has given VISION a unique place in broadcasting. (VISION is a specialist religious channel)." "Specialist religious channels, but no other channels are allowed to recruit viewers to a particular religious faith". (Programme code ITC Feb. 1991 addendum) "Are you ready for this new challenge? These are exciting times. We all need to make the most of them." "VISION is a charitable Christian organisation, which is not aligned with any denomination or group." "VISION is therefore totally dependent on the generosity and support of individual Christians and churches for all aspects of its work." "Your support is crucial, so that your own community can hear the gospel in their own homes on a regular basis." "HELP VISION TO HELP YOU Vision needs both your prayer and financial support. The costs of providing VISION to each Cable TV station is around 10,000 pounds for one year. That is - every 10 pounds you give can reach 70 people with the gospel every week for one year." I leave it to the reader to make up their own mind about the advertising methods and arguments of Vision. Vision Broadcasting has to be understood as an organisation that provides a service for other organisations who want to exploit the potential of the new electronic media for their specific purposes. This concept means that as long as an organisation rests on a very broad confessional background and, more importantly, has the necessary finance, it has access to the new media. This explains the very diverse list of users of the vision service, groups which one would not normally expect to see together and groups which in some cases even proclaim contradictory messages to each other. One should also be aware of the fact that the Vision service excludes the majority of Christian groups simply because they are not able to provide the necessary financial backing. Vision represents a model of the EC that can be described as the 'paying elite' model and whilst this model is attractive for religious producers who want to achieve specific goals (see part 1 of this article in DISKUS 1#1, 1993) the question of the real value and scope of this programming is still untested. e) ALIVE SOFTWARE Alive Software is a very interesting indicator for the future of the Electronic Church. From the recent Alive Software catalogue and Press releases: "The amount of violence, bad language and negative images portrayed in television and film programmes has long been a source of concern to parents. Now it seems that the advances in new technology have been utilised by much of the computer software industry to mount increasingly realistic violent computer and video games. Young people seem to be bombarded with these images from all sides of the entertainment industry." "Against this background the Alive Software range, running on IBM and compatible PC's seeks to provide high quality computer software for young people that they will enjoy using and at the same time received positive mainstream Christian based educational input." "Alive Software provides parents with a positive alternative. With computers becoming an ever more important part of our life we believe it is crucial that our children become fully familiar with the technology that they will increasingly face at school, college and university and later in their work lives. This should NOT be on the basis that technology is inherently violent and destructive." "Alive Software titles seek to emphasise positive family values. Some are suitable for play by members of the family together or for group education situations. Others will develop fine motor coordination, reading and computer skills." "Perhaps just as importantly, the titles that Alive Software distributes are intended to be fun to use, we do not want kids to be longing to slash their way through hordes of enemies in the latest arcade type game and groaning and having to play with education software to keep Mum and Dad happy ..." "Choice is what it all about." "There is a bewilderingly varied selection of software available. Alive Software seeks to develop a coherent range that doesn't just add to the confusion but will establish a different set of standards for those who want to choose more than just entertainment." "Titles: 'EXODUS' Scrolling action game S/W [Software] developer: Wisdom Tree A fast moving "Nintendo" style scrolling action game for the PC user. Battle with Moses against the odds to free the Israelites and lead them out of Egypt to Canaan. Help Moses to beat mazes, avoid boulders and face up to the Pharaoh's magicians, soldiers and cruel taskmasters - then combat hardened hearts and the weaknesses of man!. The drama of Exodus is acted out over a massive 100 level playing area, there are 50 colourful reward screens to capture the imagination and to help make the book of Exodus come alive. Scattered throughout the game are 250 multiple choice questions to test your knowledge of the book of Exodus to the limit. This is an educational game for children (8 upwards), teenagers and adults. 'BIBLE ADVENTURES' Scrolling platform game S/W developer: Wisdom Tree 3 in 1? That's right. Bible Adventures makes you part of three Bible stories in this Nintendo style platform game collection Noah's Ark- Search through a world of forests, caves and mountains to find the quota of animals and food for the coming flood ... Save Baby Moses- Pharaoh's soldiers are out to kill Moses; outsmart them and travel through six increasingly tricky levels to reach the animated sequence of Moses' escape. David and Goliath- Rescuing sheep has never been like this before! Increase your skill in David's training ground as you sidestep lions and bears to get your charges to safety. When you've completed the first four levels it's time to face up to Philistine soldiers, the shield bearer and at last the terrible Goliath himself. For children 4 or 5 up to adult. 'SPIRITUAL WARFARE' Explore a modern city and collect the whole armour of God in this extensive and challenging scrolling arcade type action game. 'ONESIMUS' Experience the perils of an escaped Roman slave on the run as you travel through 30 levels of this graphically stunning scrolling action game. Awesome sound effects and music for those with optional Soundblaster card. This adrenaline-pumping adventure will introduce the book of Philemon and the meaning of true freedom. 'JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND' Advance across the wilderness by answering scripture-based questions. Who will be first to reach the Promised Land and see the walls of Jericho fall? For 1-4 individuals or team play." The EC is only beginning to discover and to explore the possibilities of computer games and related material. The products of Alive Software are only the beginning. The technical standard of the Alive Software is high and does not lag behind comparable products of well known manufacturers like SEGA and NINTENDO. After one has played some of the games one question springs into mind. Where is the difference in educational value and spiritual development between the brutal destruction of the enemy in Alive Software's 'Spiritual Warfare' and another violent game such as 'Mortal Combat'? It must be the Bible-related questions which transform senseless violence and latent racism into a desirable struggle in faith. 5.) Conclusions The EC in the UK is really only in its infancy. The field of religious producers is also marked by the high fluctuation of producers. A private survey compiled at the end of 1992 lists approximately 120 British independent religious producers. At the end of 1993 more than 35% of these groups had stopped producing religious programmes or had gone out of business altogether, whilst at the same time more then 45 new groups had emerged. Religious programme producers face one problem which is fairly unique to their chosen field. It is a very familiar story to new, imaginative and well-intentioned producers that they have a lot of interest and moral support for their work especially from groups with a strong missionary drive, but then when it comes to the question of finance they are expected to do it 'on a wing and a prayer'. A pattern can be observed. Either groups burden themselves with financial debt and often disappear quickly from the landscape, or they change from being a religious programmes producer to being a secular programme producer in order to support the production of religious programmes by profits from the secular programmes. As the examples above show, many of the groups involved are only beginning to find their feet. But the learning curve is very steep and further major developments are yet to come. Will the EC in the U.K. follow the path of the North-American EC, i.e. of the dollar deciding who has access to the mass communication media? Models like London Christian Radio (LCR) should be closely monitored for further adaptations and developments. It seems that one of the decisive criteria for successful religious broadcasting is a realistic community-based ecumenical approach linked together with a sound financial concept that does not prey on the bad conscience of its viewers. This contrasts with the model of provision of the technical means in return for hard cash by one organisation. Again and again those involved in religious broadcasting stress the question of quality, and in the majority of cases quality is related to a certain technical production quality. But it seems to be also the case that it is easier to solve problems of technical quality than quality of content where hard work is required. Quality control of content will be necessary if religious broadcasting is not to lapse into the quality range of low cost production soap operas. It seems that from the point of view of would-be successful religious broadcasters, the task for the future is to close the numerous gaps which have opened up. These gaps can roughly be described as (a) gaps between church and media, (b) gaps between technical possibilities and their responsible use, and (c) gaps between financial necessity and spiritual values. The future: Abstraction is Out, (Virtual) Reality is In 1994 will see the introduction of the first Virtual Reality Games for the mass market and if everything goes as planned these systems will be the new rage for the 1994 Christmas business season. The big difference Virtual Reality makes is that the perceived religious virtues and values can then not only be experienced facing a two dimensional media like a book, TV or radio, but we will be able to flee God's world which is defiled by sinners and immerse ourselves completely in a world totally under God's control. Baptisms by water and fire become replaced by baptisms by a new electronic reality. The boundaries between the worlds will become less and less clear and the question is now what is the value of the old defiled and defiling world in relation to the new clean reality? And taking the argument one step further, what political implications does this development have for the desire to make the real world more like the Virtual Reality? We have now reached the point where we, with the help of electronic aids, fight the fight between the world and faith. The missionary and demagogic potential of the new media are huge and frightening. We have not even started to think about how we will deal with them. 'Electronic highway' fibre optics will it make possible in the not so far distant future to attend the service of our chosen congregation with the help of Virtual Reality interactively from our armchairs. It might really be the end of civilisation as we know it. The big and final question is: how long will our individual critical sense be able to resist the manipulatory potential of the new technologies?. 6.) Bibliography B.B.C., "B.B.C. Religious Broadcasting". B.B.C. Publications, London, 1972 B.B.C., "B.B.C. Handbook". B.B.C. Publications, London, 1928-1992. BOYLE, Andrew, "Only the Wind will Listen: Reith of the B.B.C.". Hutchinson, London, 1972. BRIGGS, A., "The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom". 4 vol., Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1961, 1965, 1970, 1979. ELVY, P., (ed.), "Opportunities and Limitations". Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1991. I.T.A., "Religion in Television". Independent Television Authority, London, 1964. I.T.A.; "Religious Programmes on Independent Television". Independent Television Authority, London, 1964. Stuart, C., (ed.), "The Reith Diaries". Collins, London, 1975 WALLIS, R.P.B., "Looking on Glass: Communicating Religious Ideas And Experience Through Television". M. Phil. University of Exeter, 1987. WOLFE, K.M., The Churches and The British Broadcasting Corporation 1922-1953. S.C.M., London, 1964 Reports: Broadcasting Committee Report, ('Sykes'), Cmd. 1951, H.M.S.O., London, 1923. Report of the Committee on Broadcasting, ('Crawford'), Cmd. 2599., H.M.S.O., London, 1926. Report of the Broadcasting Committee, ('Ullswater'), Cmd. 5091., H.M.S.O., London, 1935. Report of the Broadcasting Committee, ('Beveridge'), Cmd. 8116., H.M.S.O.., London, 1951. Report of the Committee on Broadcasting, ('Pilkington'), Cmd. 1753., H.M.S.O., London, 1962. Report of the Committee on Broadcasting, ('Annan'), Cmd. 6753, H.M.S.O.,London 1977. Broadcasting Society and the Church, Report of the Broadcasting Committee of the General Synod of the Church of England, C.I.O., London, 1973. Christianity and Broadcasting, Reports of a commission appointed by the British Council of Churches, S.C.M., London, 1968. About the Author: Klaus-Dieter Stoll is a freelance lecturer on modern Church History, househusband and coeditor of the Windows on Theology bookseries.