The Christian Broadcasting Association is a New Zealand non-profit radio production company, set up to produce Christian programmes for secular radio stations and non-Christian audiences. It predominantly produces programmes for Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport. According to the association's website, it aims to "share the heart of the Christian faith in mainstream media". The association's programmes are presented by a range of announcers with secular broadcasting experience, including parenting advisers Ian Grant and John Cowan, writer John Cooney, documentary maker Rob Harley, TV personality Petra Bagust, pastor Frank Ritchie, media consultant Tim Sisarich, One News reporter Joy Reid, voice talent Julia Bloore and TV personality Dayna Vawdrey. Many staff, volunteers and supporters have also been involved in Rhema Media, an interdenominational Christian broadcasting company. CBA receives funding from donations as well as from NZ On Air. The organisation received $82,000 in the 2013-14 financial year, out of a total radio production funding pool of $345,175.
History
CBA was set up by John Hawkesby in the 1970s. In its early years it produced radio programmes on Radio Hauraki and then the ZB network. Since 1996, its radio programmes and radio features have been broadcast nationwide on Newstalk ZB. In 2000, it began producing a 12 hours Good Friday and Christmas Day programme for broadcast on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport. In 2011, the programme was extended to 24 hours. The association awards three $2,500 scholarships to Christian media students each year. The scholarship are intended for students pursuing tertiary study in secular broadcasting, with the aim of pursuing a career in mainstream, non-Christian media. They are issued to get more Christians in positions of leadership in the mass media. Recipients must be 18 to 35 years of age, and a member of a "bone fide Christian denomination or community". The scholarship can be used to cover the costs of study at the New Zealand Broadcasting School at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. A 2013 Easter special on religious music in the film Les Misérables, entitled Les Misérables with Petra Bagust, was a finalist for Best Music Special at the New York Festivals World's Best Radio Programs awards. An hour-long 2013 Christmas-themed show, Newstalk BC, won gold for Best Director and Best Talk/Interview Special, silver for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Religious Program, and was a finalist for Best Drama Special, Best Editing and Best Entertainment Programme Production. In 2015, CBA also won Best Documentary at the NZ Radio Awards and two more Gold awards at the New York Festivals in the categories of Best Children/Young Adult Program for The Crazy Kiwi Christmas Kids Show and Best Writing for a new and improved version of Newstalk BC.
