United Christian Broadcasters
United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) is an international Christian broadcasting and media group, founded by Rhema Media. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass's daily devotionals The Word for You Today and Word For You (young adults' version - from 1st February 2023, this is only available via the UCB Player app[1]).
Industry
The group was started in New Zealand by Richard Berry, an evangelical Christian from Christchurch. In the early 1960s, Berry was inspired by Ecuadorian Christian short-wave radio station HCJB to set up a radio station in his garage. The station became a permanent operation in 1976, and in subsequent years it expanded throughout New Zealand.
The Rhema Media model was used to establish UCB affiliates in Australia, the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and beyond. In July 2010, UCB United Kingdom's UCB TV and the mobile TV and video on demand network Yamgo to launch the world's first ever live Christian mobile TV channel.[2]
The Word for You Today[edit]
The Word For You Today is a free, daily devotional written by Bob Gass[3] and distributed internationally by United Christian Broadcasters, as website content, as an email newsletter and as quarterly print editions. One million copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed each quarter to UCB supporters. Other regional editions are distributed to subscribers, churches and Christian organisations in other parts of the world.
Gass started writing The Word for Today devotional readings in 1992. After positive response in the United States, he offered international rights to the devotionals to United Christian Broadcasters CEO Gareth Littler, with a first print run of 3,500 copies in 1994 being distributed to UCB supporters in the United Kingdom.
Broadcast area
United Kingdom
Talk
Christian Music
United Christian Broadcasters ltd
New Zealand
Rhema: talk radio (1978)
S Star: CCM (1997)
Life fm: CHR (1993)
Shine: Christian TV (2004)
Rhema Broadcasting Group
Terrestrial/Internet
The Edge Radio
Christian Music Power
United Christian Broadcasters
2005
Regional