| |
 |
| History |
|
|
1.THE BACKSTORY
|
 |
| WILLIAM KUIPER, FOUNDER OF WFUR
CHRISTAIN RADIO, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.
HIS FATHER OWNED A CLOTHING STORE ON GRANDVILLE AVENUE. BILL WORKED
AT HIS FATHERS STORE. AFTER WORK HE OFTEN PLAYED VARIOUS SPORTS.
OF THOSE, HIS FAVORITE WAS BASKETBALL. ALTHOUGH HE ATTENDED CHURCH,
BILL HAD NEVER MADE A PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO CHRIST. WHEN HE WAS
33, HIS FATHER SUGGESTED THAT IF HE PUT HALF AS MUCH EFFORT INTO
THE LORDS’ WORK AS HE DID INTO SPORTS, HE COULD REALLY BE
SOMETHING. ABOUT THE SAME TIME AN ELDER APPROACHED BILL , WONDERING
WHY HE HAD NOT MADE HIS PROFESSION. AFTER A SHORT TIME OF THOUGHT
, BILL APPEARED BEFORE THE CHURCH COUNCIL. HE PROFESSED HIS FATIH
AND DETERMIND TO DO WHATEVER THE LORD WANTED HIM TO DO. FROM THEN
ON, HE ALWAYS SAID YES WHEN ASKED TO DO ANY CHRISTIAN ENDEVOUR. |
| 2.THE SMALL START |
 |
| SEVERAL YEARS LATER A LOCAL RADIO
PROGRAM CALLED THE “HOUR OF PRAISE” WAS FLOUNDERING.
THE “HOUR OF PRAISE” DID LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST FROM
AREA CHURCHES, FEATURING A HYMNSING AND A MESSAGE. ITS’ FINANCES
WERE EXHAUSTED . WHEN ASKED HOW MUCH HE WOULD CHARGE TO TAKE IT
OVER , BILL SAID “NOTHING”. HE HAD THE JOB! OVER THE
NEXT DECADE, BILL KUIPER ORGANIZED THE WEEKLY BROADCAST, PURCHASED
THE AIR TIME AND HOSTED THE HYMNSINGS. THE OFFERINGS WERE ALWAYS
ENOUGH TO COVER THE COST OF AIR TIME. THE ONE PROBLEM HE HAD WAS
WITH THE RADIO STATIONS. IF THEY FOUND SOMEONE WHO WOULD PAY A
LITTLE MORE FOR A GIVEN TIME SLOT THE “HOUR OF PRAISE” WOULD
BE CANCELLED. THEN BILL WOULD HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER STATION TO
AIR THE PROGRAM. |
| 3.THE BIG CHALLENGE |
 |
WFUR –AM 1570 WAS PUT ON
THE AIR BY A GROUP OF WWII VETERANS IN 1947. IT WAS PRIMARILY
A SECULAR RADIO STATION.AS SUCH, WFUR WAS NOT DOING VERY WELL.
BILL KUIPER BOUGHT AIR TIME FOR THE “HOUR OF PRAISE “ ON
WFUR. AFTER A WHILE, THE OWNERS SUGGESTED TO BILL MAYBE HE SHOULD
BUY WFUR. AFTER BEING STUNNED BY THE IDEA (BILL WAS STILL RUNNING
THE CLOTHING STORE) HE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY. HE PRAYED ABOUT
IT AND FELT LED TO PURCHASE WFUR. HIS IDEA WAS A NON-DENOMINATIONAL
CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION. IT WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY CHRISTIAN ADVERTISERS.
LISTENERS COULD HELP BY DOING THEIR NORMAL SHOPPING AT THE ADVERTISERS
BUSINESS. BILL BELIVED THE TITHE SHOULD GO TO THE CHURCH OR MISSION
PROJECTS----NOT A RADIO STATION.
THE PRICE ASKED FOR WFUR WAS AN ASTRONOMICAL ONE FOR BILL KUIPER. $50,000. HE WOULD NEED
HELP. HE WENT TO AREA CHURCHES TRYING TO DRUM UP SOME INTEREST AND INVESTORS. MOSTLY HIS
PRESENTATION WAS MET WITH SILENCE. SOMETIMES A FEW WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT WERE OFFERED.
HE WAS NEARLY READY TO GIVE UP ONE NIGHT AT A JENISON AREA CHURCH. DISCOURAGED… AFTER
ANOTHER LUKE WARM RECEPTION. HE WENT AND SHUT HIMSELF IN A CLOSET. BILL PRAYED. HE PRAYED
AS TO WHETHER THE RADIO IDEA WAS THE LORDS WILL FOR HIM. WHAT DID THE LORD WANT HIM TO
DO? |
| 4.GOD WILL MAKE A WAY |
|
| AFTER HIS PRAYER, THAT NIGHT,
BILL MET AN AREA FARMER WHO QUERIED AS TO HOW THINGS WERE GOING.
BILL SAID “FRANKELY NOT VERY WELL AT ALL.” HE ONLY
HAD $500 IN COMMITMENTS SO FAR. THE FARMER SAID”PUT ME DOWN
FOR SEVEN” BILL THANKED HIM NOT ASKING FOR CLARIFFICATION.
THE NEXT MONDAY THEY MET AT THE CORNER OF 28TH STREET AND BURLINGAME.
THE FARMER GAVE BILL A HANDFUL OF CHECKS AND CASH TOTALLING $7,000!
THIS ENCOURAGED AND ENERGIZED BILL. SOME TIME LATER THE FARMER
DISCLOSED THAT HE AND HIS WIFE HAD PLANNED TO GIVE ONLY $700.
HE JUST DID NOT KNOW WHY HE GAVE SO MUCH MORE? BILL REMEMBERING
HIS EARNEST CLOSET PRAYER, SAID RIGHT AWAY “I DO”!
FUNDS CAME IN EASIER AFTER THAT START. BILL STILL HAD TO SELL
HIS HOUSE AND THE CLOTHING STORE TO COVER THE REMAIDER. AT FIRST,
WFUR WAS LOSING $1,500 A MONTH(1950 DOLLARS), THE STAFF WERE MOUTHY
AND MOST PEOPLE SAID IT WOULD SURLEY FAIL. |
| 5.CHRISTIAN RADIO IS ON THE AIR |
 |
AT FIRST, IT WAS DIFFICULT. TO
SAVE MONEY STAFFING WAS REDUCED. THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH. BILL KUIPERS’ SON
MET A MAN, WHO WAS INVOLED IN SALES, AND HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED
WITH HIM. HOWEVER,HE DID NOT GET HIS NAME. WITH ONLY SKETCHY INFORMATION
TO GO ON ,BILL SEARCHED TILL HE FOUND HIM AND INDEED, WITHIN A
FEW MONTHS SALES WERE UP. WFUR WAS FINANCIALLY SOLVENT.
EVENTUALLY BILLS’ SON, WHO HAD HELPED HIM OUT WITH A LOAN FOR THE DESPOSIT ON WFUR,
CAME TO WORK AT WFUR. IN 1960 WFUR-FM 102.9 WAS CONSTUCTED. ALSO WKPR-AM 1420 IN KALAMAZOO
WENT ON THE AIR. ADDITIONAL STATIONS WERE ADDED IN MUSKEGON AND DOWAGIAC. |
| 6.CHANGING TIMES |
 |
IN JUNE OF 1978 WFUR FOUNDER BILL KUIPER WENT
HOME TO HIS LORD. WFUR AM/ FM AND WKPR AM ARE STILL OPERATED BY
THE KUIPER FAMILY. THROUGH THE YEARS THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF CHANGE.
EQUIPMENT, STAFF,PROGRAMS AND MOST NOTICIBLY MUSIC. THROUGH IT
ALL THERE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION IN JESUS.
THE FURNITURE CITY BROADCASTING CORPORATION CURRENTLY PROGRAMS
THREE WEST MICHIGAN RADIO STATIONS. THE WFUR CALL LETTERS CAME
FROM THE WORD FURNITURE . GRAND RAPIDS USED TO BE KNOWN FOR THAT.
WFUR-AM 1570 (1000 WATTS) COVERS AN AREA OF 30 MILES IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND IS ON 24HOURS
A DAY. ITS PROGRAMING IS A MIX OF TRADITIONAL/CLASSIC CHRISTIAN MUSIC AND A BROAD SELECTION
OF CHRISTIAN TEACHING PROGRAMS. WFUR-FM 102.9 (50.000 WATTS) COVERS 90 MILES OUT IN ALL
DIRRECTIONS FROM GRAND RAPIDS. PROVIDING 24 HOUR SERVICE. IT FEATURES SELECT CHRISTIAN
TEACHING PROGRAMS AND A FAIRLY WIDE SELECTION OF TODAYS CONTEMPORARY CHRISTAIN MUSIC.
WKPR-AM 1420 (1000 WATTS) IN KALAMZOO COVER 30 MILES OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS. WKPR IS ON
EACH DAY 6AM TIL SUNSET. IT OFFERS TEACHING PROGRAMS AND MUSIC RANGING FROM TRADIONAL
HYMNS TO CHRISTAIN CLASSICS AND NEWER CONTEMPORARY HITS. |
|
|
|
