CEDARVILLE, OHIO, April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radio was once expected to fade in the digital age. Instead, it has adapted.
Christian broadcasters are now reaching listeners not only through traditional airwaves but through streaming services, mobile apps and other digital platforms. Cedarville University alumni are helping shape that work at organizations like WayFM, The River Radio in Columbus, Ohio, Focus on the Family, K-LOVE and Air1.
For many of those graduates, the path began at Cedarville’s campus radio station, now known as Resound Radio, where students have spent decades preparing for careers in broadcasting and digital media.
At K-LOVE and Air1, alumni Jim Houser, chief radio officer; Mandy Young, vice president of radio and Steve Shore, music platform program manager, help lead a faith-based media network that reaches more than 18 million people worldwide each day through broadcast radio, streaming services and mobile apps. The three Cedarville University alumni recently shared their radio journey on the Cedarville Stories Podcast.
More than a student activity, Resound Radio, formerly known as WSRN and U99, has long served as a training ground where students learn the craft, responsibility and purpose of broadcasting. Founded in 1990 by retired professor James Leightenheimer, the station has spent decades equipping students with technical broadcasting skills and a vision for strategic communication, audience engagement and mission-driven storytelling.
“Resound was extremely helpful in preparing me for a career,” said Houser. “As students, we learned how to do radio like the pros, all the while getting to experiment and having fun. I learned a lot about leadership and how to communicate effectively at Cedarville.”
Leightenheimer said he saw that transformation year after year as students discovered a passion for media and left prepared to lead in both traditional broadcasting and digital media.
“The on-campus radio experiences have served as a launching pad for fresh talent into media ministries and companies,” said Leightenheimer. “It’s been an honor to help individuals become the next generation of leaders in Christian media and global communications.”
That preparation goes beyond learning how to operate a board or host a show. It develops a mindset shaped by changing technology, shifting audience habits and the need to communicate clearly across platforms.
That mindset is evident in Houser, Young and Shore, whose work at K-LOVE and Air1 places them at the forefront of contemporary Christian broadcasting in a competitive, data-driven media environment.
Though their roles place them within one of the nation’s largest contemporary Christian music networks, their influence extends beyond broadcast radio through digital streaming and online engagement. When they reflected on their journeys together, a common theme emerged: Cedarville shaped both their calling and their character.
For Houser, that journey was especially personal. After losing his father before his freshman year at Cedarville, he arrived on campus searching for direction. On the drive to campus to begin classes as a freshman, he heard Christian radio for the first time, a moment that became part of God’s redirection in his life. What began as a single listening experience eventually grew into a lifelong calling to serve through Christian broadcasting, including leadership roles at Focus on the Family and K-LOVE.
That sense of purpose now guides his leadership in a media environment increasingly shaped by personalization algorithms and listener engagement metrics.
Behind every song, voice and on-air moment at K-LOVE and Air1 is intentional care. Teams spend hours praying, planning and analyzing audience needs not just to fill airtime but to provide content that resonates emotionally and spiritually with a diverse global listenership.
The K-LOVE leadership team understands something simple but powerful: What people consume through media shapes how they think, feel and often how they live.
A song can steady a difficult morning. A voice can bring calm in the midst of anxiety. A lyric can redirect someone’s thoughts back to God at just the right moment.
In that way, Christian radio continues to offer something increasingly rare in a crowded media environment: consistency, encouragement and truth delivered through trusted voices and meaningful content.
“Radio is home for everyone with a desire to make a human connection,” said Craig Vinson, instructor of communication at Cedarville, who benefited from Leightenheimer’s guidance as a student and now leads Resound Radio. “Resound is a place where students can experiment and experience that in a fun, professional way.”
That connection is one reason Christian radio has remained relevant in an era of podcasts, streaming platforms and digital-first media consumption. As platforms continue to expand, the mission remains the same: to meet people where they are and point them to Jesus.
From a student studio in southwest Ohio to leadership roles shaping national and international media networks, Cedarville graduates are helping influence the future of Christian media. Through their work, Christian radio continues to meet listeners in ordinary moments and point them to something greater.
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
Audio Podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/58f0cbbc
Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhcIb68NeA
Photo Cutline:RADIO LEADERS -- Mandy Young, Jim Houser, and Steve Shore learned how to be media professionals as students at Cedarville University. Today, the trio are leading in their roles at K-LOVE and Air1 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Mark D. Weinstein)
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Mark D. Weinstein Cedarville University 937-766-8800 mweinstein@cedarville.edu