Premier at 30: The fight to legalise Christian broadcasting

It’s hard to believe that before 1990, Christians were prevented from owning a radio station.

For years, Christian campaigners including Peter Meadows, the former editor of Buzz (later Premier Christianity) magazine petitioned both parliament and the broadcast regulator. 

Finally, the law was changed, and the Broadcasting Act opened the door to Premier’s existence. 

First steps

Thirty years ago this month - 10 June 1995 - the launch party was held at Battersea Park, for Premier Christian Radio.

Initially, Premier played both secular and Christian music as it sought to reach people with the gospel. The Beatles and Whitney Houston played alongside Graham Kendrick and Charles Wesley, but it was a rocky road, and within six months of launching there were real doubts whether Premier would even reach its first birthday. Running a Christian radio station of this magnitude had never been done before and it took a while to establish a sustainable financial model. Many of the early staff had to be let go as expenses were cut. 

Under the chairmanship of David Heron and a new CEO, Peter Kerridge, the station moved to a better financial footing and began to focus solely on Christian music, with greater involvement from US-based ministries. The much-reduced staff, supported by some incredible volunteers and our phenomenal prayer partners, set about raising the profile of the station. 

Always innovating

It would be a few years before magazines were added to Premier’s ministry. In 1999, Christianity magazine and Youthwork added a print component, with Woman Alive joining in 2019. 

Throughout the past 30 years, Premier has been at the forefront of using the latest technology to ensure as many people as possible can encounter God through media. In 1999, it launched Premier Online, streaming Premier to the world; 2006 brought about Premier.tv, providing Christian internet TV on demand – a year before the BBC launched their iPlayer – and in 2007, Premier’s first podcast ‘Unbelievable?’ was released.

Our radio stations reach more people than all of the churches in the UK combined

Soon after, in 2009, Premier began to broadcast nationwide on DAB digital radio. Finally, you could tune in from anywhere in the UK! The following year, a second radio station, Premier Gospel, launched. Its success encouraged expansion to a third station, Premier Praise, in 2016. 

Premier was also one of the very first stations to provide radio on demand, and with the premier.plus website and app launching in 2023, even more people are now able to hear the good news and access the very best Christian content via their smartphones and smart speakers. 

Today, almost two million people connect with Premier each and every week.

Looking forward 

This year, we are celebrating God’s sustenance over the last three decades. And we are grateful for the many who have journeyed with us and supported us during this time. Premier’s story really is one of God’s faithfulness: as financial needs have arisen, so too has God’s provision. On one occasion, a six figure legacy arrived precisely in time, covering a shortfall just as the annual accounts were submitted! 

But it’s not just large amounts that are important. Every gift that Premier receives represents the love and concern of God’s people, who have partnered with Premier over the years to give listeners an opportunity to hear the good news for themselves. 

Your subscription to this magazine aids us in fulfilling our mission, ensuring as many people as possible, through as many means as possible, hear the life-changing news of God’s love and encounter him for themselves. 

As we do so, we are keenly aware that we stand on the shoulders of giants who have gone before us, who created the foundations on which we now work.  

For more on Premier’s 30th birthday this month, visit premier.org.uk/30