24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Christian counselors standing by. Over 1,000 listeners each day. Worldwide. This is Radio Organic. And since its launch mid-November 2008, Radio Organic has already proven to be a very effective method of reaching Chinese youth and young adults.

Two thirds of China’s population is under the age of 40. That’s 880 million people. 250 million of those are internet users. For this group, internet may be their only access to the outside world. And these are the people who Radio Organic is designed to reach.

The internet has become the most popular media or communication tool for young people, whether they are at school studying or working on projects in a coffee shop. Web radio has no boundaries; you only need a computer and internet access. Webcasting is rapidly replacing traditional radio and TV broadcasting. (Webcasting, also called streaming, occurs when you access programs as they are being broadcast rather than downloading them to your computer and playing them back at your convenience. Radio Organic’s broadcasts are prerecorded but aired in a webcasting format as if you are listening to regular radio.)

Deborah Maak, the visionary behind Radio Organic, notes that Chinese youth and young adults are attracted to the internet because they can chat with many people from all around the world as they listen to internet radio programs. They like to listen to music, play games and interact with others on the internet while they work or study. As well, they want something immediate and instant; they don’t want to phone in or email and wait for a response.

To attract this audience, Deborah and her worldwide team realize that the program content must be relevant and interesting as listeners have many other options from which to choose. Therefore, they put together programs with a positive message based on the gospel and popular music. The hosts are between the ages of 20 and 40, someone with whom audiences can easily identify. The message is positive and focused on joy and hope in contrast to the world’s view of “eat, drink and be merry.” They encourage young people to work hard and dream while sharing the gospel in a conversational way.

Radio Organic broadcasts in six-hour blocks, repeated three more times during a 24-hour period. These blocks are made up of programs which include discussions, counseling-focused broadcasts, question and answer periods, testimonies and music programs. Content is gathered and developed through volunteers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. A team in Toronto does the final editing and posting to the website.

Due to the nature of Radio Organic, listeners can talk to other listeners and the host as the program is broadcast. This differs from an archive program where you select and choose a program to listen to at your own time without any interaction with other listeners.

It is our hope and prayer that after listening to the program and chatting with program hosts, the listeners will think about the meaning of their life and will come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.