Last month I posted about the Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, ID, and its CSN radio broadcasting division. According to REC Networks, the FCC dimissed a whole slew of LPFM applications filed under various Calvary Chapel organizational names.
Today I received a polite e-mail from Don Mills, who is the station manager of KAWZ, the flagship station in the CSN empire, and also the program director for CSN. He objects to my characterization of Calvary Chapel as the “single largest abuser of FM translator stations,” and says that CSN has nothing to do with the LPFM apps filed by these other Calvary Chapels.
In the spirit of more information is better than less, I’m posting the full text of Mr. Mills’ e-mail, with his permission:
Mr Riismandel
I would like to get copies of your program concerning your comments about Calvary Chapel Twin Falls. I also noticed on your website that you said that CCTF was the single largest abuser of FM translator stations, also known as repeaters. I must point out to you that there is nothing wrong with CCTF filing for Translators across the country. We have sponsoring Churches in all of these communities and there are people that listen from many walks of life to our broadcast. We have programs that address local and national concerns. We have Live programs that allow for callers in all of these communities to call in and ask about whatÂ’s happening with the pledge of allegiance or abortion or even about the whole gay marriage thing going on. The point is they have a voice on our CSN Network. It just seems that you donÂ’t like the fact that Christians have a voice on radio.
CCTF and CSN INTERNATIONAL have been unfairly lumped together with the LPFM stations. WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM. We did not file for them and we are not in contact with any of them. We have also been accused of filing for 4,000 commercial translators which we, DID NOT DO. We did file for just under 400 of which we wonÂ’t get near that many. One reason I think we have been lumped together is because we did have an employee who worked for us 3 years ago and he has started his own business. He has started Radio Assist Ministries, Edgewater Ministries and World Radio link. I believe they are incorporated from Twin Falls and I believe that this is where a lot of confusion has come from. Please do not refer to CCTF or CSN INTERNATIONAL in future in regards to LPFMÂ’s or to that massive filing that someone else has done. Thank you for being responsible to help correct any information from going out that is inaccurate.
Kind Regards
Don Mills
Station Manager KAWZ
Program Director
CSN INT.
My short response to him is as follows:
Mr. Mills,
I am glad to post on my website your statement, as you sent to me, that
CSN has nothing to do with the LPFM applications, and point out the
difference between Radio Assist Minisries, Edgewater Ministries and
World Radio from CSN. For the record, I have never asserted that CSN is
affiliated with these other organizations.I have not done a radio program specifically about Calvary Chapel of
Twin Falls, however archives of my program are available for download at
my website.Regards,
Paul Riismandel
I’m refraining from any further comments until I’ve had an opportunity to do more fact checking.