Question: What are UCB's principal aims?

Brian Bennett: United Christian Broadcasters’ mission statement is ‘changing lives for good’ and our principal aims are to reach people from all walks of life with the Christian message, providing hope and encouragement and also to be a resource to the church and to Christians.  

We do this by offering a variety of resources; radio programming (UCB UK and UCB Inspirational are now broadcast to large parts of the country on DAB and nationally, via digital cable, digital satellite and the Internet), television programming (UCB TV is available on digital satellite), Prayerline (a dedicated phone number staffed by volunteers who will pray for people in need) and printed resources, such as the free quarterly devotional, The Word for Today, which is being read by over a million people across the UK and Ireland.  

Right now, we are broadcasting to the whole of the UK via cable, satellite and the internet, and also to two-in-three adults able to receive DAB digital broadcasts, but UCB’s vision has always been to provide national Christian radio. We believe we’re now closer to achieving that than ever before.    

Question: UCB started from very humble beginnings, and has progressed significantly, do you think there is still room for expansion, and if so, how?

Brian Bennett: Firstly, as I mentioned, providing national Christian radio is a key area for us and as we have not yet achieved national coverage, this remains a priority.

We’re also looking to strengthen our TV and web resources, to really ‘get the word out’ that UCB is here as a resource for the church, for Christians and for anyone who is seeking a better understanding of the Christian faith and its relevance to life today.   

Question: Do you see UCB as a progression from, or an alternative to, standard church services?

Brian Bennett: UCB is not the church. We’re here to complement what the Church is doing through our broadcasts and the provision of quality resources. Some churches are experiencing extremely rapid growth and enjoying a sense of ‘revival’. 

We believe the time is coming when there will not be enough churches, enough pastors and enough Bible groups to support the rapid influx of seekers and new converts. 

At UCB, we welcome the opportunity to work with churches and Christian organisations across the UK, providing them with resources to help them be more effective.  

Question: How have technological developments, especially the switch to DAB digital radio, affected your work?

Brian Bennett: In the past, legislative constraints have meant that religious and Christian national radio broadcasting was not a possibility, although this changed with the 2003 Broadcasting Act. 

For the first time, UCB was able to apply for DAB digital radio broadcasting licences and, today, around 30 million people across the UK now have access to at least one of our two stations via DAB and, of course, we continue to broadcast nationally via digital satellite, digital cable and the internet.  

We’re also continuing to make the most of other technological developments, by delivering a unique approach to Christian television and by utilising our expanded internet presence, offering resources, from music, books and Bibles (UCB2GO.co.uk) through to downloadable Bibles via UCB mobile (ucbmobile.co.uk).

Question: Do you see any conflicts between the use of technology and your Christian message? 

Brian Bennett: Not at all. Throughout history, Christians have used technology to spread the message of Jesus. 

In the Middle Ages, they used the printing press, which allowed the Bible to be printed and given to the ordinary person for the first time.  

In the Bible, in the book of Corinthians, the writer Paul said that he would use ‘all means possible’ to spread the message of Jesus.   This remains a strong commitment for UCB also, to use all types of technology available to us, to allow as many people as possible to hear the Christian message.  

Question: What role do you think faith has in UK politics?

Brian Bennett: That’s a good question. The UK political system was founded originally on Judeo-Christian values and, in earlier times, there wasn’t the separation between faith and politics that we see today. 

We believe that faith and politics are intrinsically linked and that it is incredibly important for Christians to use their vote and their voice to speak up on matters of national and social importance. 

In the last general election, the UK showed record levels of what the media termed ‘voter apathy’. 

This could be due in part to the view that there is little difference between the main political parties.  

Instead, we seem to have a ‘political machine’, which can be impersonal and can lead to people believing their vote doesn’t really count. 

Through many of our resources, UCB is trying to restore the balance, by providing programming on important social and religious issues, so that our listeners and viewers can once again begin to connect the reality of their faith with the political issues of the day.

Question: Do you have any final messages for ePolitix.com readers?

Brian Bennett: Yes, if you don’t already own one, buy a DAB radio and tune in. The good news is that we hope to have national coverage by the end of the year and there is a good likelihood of that being a reality. We believe that the Christian message is for everybody and soon, that message of hope will be available for everyone, via national Christian radio.