CCECYOUTH.COM

In our attempt to ‘go global’, On the Poddy has been featured in the May edition of Southern Cross. If you’ve missed all the ‘Poddy Royale’ episodes – go and listen now! (Have you played our game?)

Below is the first half of the article:

One of the top rating internet radio shows amongst Australian teenagers was born in the toilet of Central Coast Evangelical Church’s youth minister.

The low-budget, low-effort weekly chat show is regularly ranked in the Top 50 Australian iTunes downloads. On occassion it has peaked in the Top 10 with nearly 1,000 subscribers.

“And sometimes this even happens when we don’t rig the number of downloads!” laughs youth minister and radio show host, Dave Miers.

“In an average week we have about 300 listeners.”

But is it worth the effort?

“It’s not a huge investment of time,” explains Dave.

“A 15-minute show takes us no more than 30 minutes to make.”

The success of Dave Miers’ internet show illustrates how new media can give ordinary youth ministries the chance to proclaim the gospel well beyond their church walls using ordinary backyard technology.

Dave knows his show is regularly played by kids to their non-Christian friends via their iPods in the playgrounds of local schools.

Jodie McNeill, who helps train youth ministers at Youthworks College at Loftus, says the internet has made ‘subjective content king’ and ‘this is good news for churches’.

“The cost and quality of the packaging doesn’t matter so much as the meaning behind it. People are happy to download a poor quality video shot on a mobile phone if it tells a story that has not been told before.”

Two factors are at play here.

Firstly, low-budget productions tap into the widespread suspicion of authority amongst young people – often something which is seen as ‘too slick’ loses their trust because they suspect it has been manipulated.

Secondly, expectations of quality have dropped as new technology has offered young people the chance to personalise media products.

Media products that are a success on the internet tend to exploit the interactive potential within new media technology.

It is important to note that Dave’s show taps into both these factors. It has an irreverent edge. It’s not a straight sermon.

Although Dave also podcasts his Bible talks, they have less than 200 subscribers.

“Mainly regular members who weren’t [at church] to hear the talk,” he says.

The cheekiness of the chat show podcast is captured in the title – ‘On the Poddy with Dave and Dan’ – the name a play on the word ‘podcast’, which means an internet audio broadcast, and the fact the show is usually recorded in a bathroom.

They even do live ‘Christian prank calls’ – where they randomly ring people up and encourage them in a satirical take on commercial DJ’s habit of humiliating their phone call victims.

A typical show will include an interview with an ordinary church member about how they became a Christian or how God helped them through a struggle.

Dave will offer some Christian commentary on an issue of popular interest, as well as a brief comment on a Bible passage.

But critically, Dave also reads out and engages with his audiences’ responses as posted on the show’s internet page, thereby enhancing the sense that the show is at the fulcrum of a dynamic community.

Dave believes the low production values has been the secret of the show’s success for a further reason.

The small amount of time required to resource the show means it has been sustainable for the youth minister to include in his busy schedule.

He says he knows other youth ministries which have failed with new media initiatives because they have raised the bar too high, aiming to be very tight in their editing and production.

He says the key to success is not quality, but to produce a program on a regular and predictable basis so that you build up a subscriber base.

Like an old-style radio program, Dave has a strict ‘one-take’ policy.

“All our special effects are done live,” he says. “It’s much better to do something achievable and not aim high.”

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE