Music & the Spoken Word
Music & the Spoken Word is a religious radio and television series. Broadcast weekly from the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, the program primarily features performances of music by Tabernacle Choir (Choir)—often accompanied by the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ and the Orchestra at Temple Square. The program also includes spiritual messages and passages related to a specific episode's theme (the "spoken word"), presented by Derrick Porter.
Genre
28 minutes
United States
English
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- KSL NewsRadio (radio)
- KSL-TV (television)
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- Ted Kimball (1929–1930)
- Richard L. Evans (1930–1971)
- Alan Jensen (1971–1972)
- J. Spencer Kinard (1972–1990)
- Lloyd D. Newell (1990–2024)
- Derrick Porter (2024–present)
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- Joni Hilton
- Luke Howard
- Roger Miller
- Lloyd D. Newell
- Heidi S. Swinton
- Derrick Porter
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- Lynn Clayson
- Wendy Crossman
- Michael Hunter
- Robert O. Morton
- Lee Wessman
- Nathan K. Wright
Edward J. Payne
Eldon Griffin
Salt Lake Tabernacle and Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
-
- July 15, 1929 (radio)
- October 1949 (television)
present
4,945(as of June 23, 2024)[1]
"Gently Raise the Sacred Strain"
"As the Dew from Heaven Distilling"
"God Be with You Till We Meet Again"
Music & the Spoken Word has been broadcast continually on the Salt Lake City-based KSL radio since 1929, making it the United States' longest-running national radio program carried continuously on a network.[2] The program has received two Peabody Awards, and was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2004, and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.[3] The program made its television debut in October 1949, and is currently the longest-running non-news program on television. It airs in syndication on television.
The radio program is distributed by the CBS Radio Network; its flagship station is KSL, which is owned by Bonneville International, a division of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). KSL is a former CBS Radio affiliate; it switched to ABC Radio in 2005. The program is also heard on Sunday mornings over 50,000 watt KOA radio from Denver, also a former CBS Radio affiliate. In addition, it is currently broadcast by over 2,000 television and radio stations worldwide, including Bonneville International-owned KOIT-FM in San Francisco, KIRO-FM in Seattle-Tacoma, and KTAR-AM-FM in Phoenix.[4][5]
History[edit]
The Choir's first network radio program, Music & the Spoken Word was first transmitted on July 15, 1929. The organ, choir, and announcer shared a single microphone that was attached to the ceiling of the tabernacle. The announcer stood on a ladder in order to speak into it. A telegraph was used to alert the sound engineer at KSL radio to start the broadcast.[6] Anthony C. Lund was the director of the Choir for the first program, with Earl J. Glade, the general manager of KSL, as its director and producer.[7]
Beginning in 1930, Richard L. Evans became the program's first regular host. Evans held this role until his death in 1971, when he was succeeded by J. Spencer Kinard.[8] Since 1991, Lloyd D. Newell has been the host of the program.[8]
In 2004, in conjunction with its 75th anniversary, Music & the Spoken Word was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Radio Hall of Fame. It is one of only two radio programs to have been inducted, the other being the Grand Ole Opry.[9]
The program was also inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.[10]
Through early 2020, the program's continuous new weekly broadcasts led to it becoming the longest continuous weekly program in television and radio broadcasting history.[11] The program has occasionally aired reruns when the Choir is on concert tours.[12]
In March 2020, the Choir suspended activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Music & the Spoken Word went on hiatus and broadcast reruns. By April 2020, these reruns were augmented with new studio segments recorded in the Tabernacle by Newell with a skeleton crew.[12][13][8]
In July 2021, the Choir announced that it would begin to resume operations.[14] New episodes of Music & the Spoken Word officially resumed on October 24, 2021, originating from the LDS Church's Conference Center with no studio audience.[15][16] Due to the Omicron variant, the Choir suspended operations again in December 2021, extending a pre-scheduled hiatus for the holiday season through March 2022. At the time, Music & the Spoken Word resumed broadcasts from the Salt Lake Tabernacle for the first time since March 2020.[17]
