Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
August 29, 1969
Dear Co-Workers with Christ:
The special emergency letter I had to write you from our English campus August 8th, started the ball rolling sufficiently that, so far, I have not been forced to cancel more radio stations, as it then appeared I might.
Now I want to bring you up-to-date on the STATE OF GOD'S WORK. I had previously, as I told you, found it necessary to cancel a few radio stations, and I have cut in half the powerful worldwide advertising that caused a 65% increase in the power and scope of the Gospel Work the past year.
So now first, I want you to know the REACTION, after taking The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast off the few stations we already did. One station we cancelled was WJAC, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Here is the almost heart-rending letter I received from the Vice President of that station, Mr. Edward J. Klym:
"Dear Mr. Armstrong:
"WJAC Radio has broadcast your 'World Tomorrow' program for five years. We have truly enjoyed our relationship with you and we have enjoyed the radio program.
"Suddenly your program has been cancelled on WJAC by M.B. Scott Agency, effective August 6, 1969. We can't tell you what a disappointment this is to all of us at WJAC and to our listeners as well.
"Announcement of this program change has brought in hundreds of cards and letters from listeners protesting the cancellation. Frankly, we've never seen the likes of it before. The comments we've received are a real tribute to the fine quality of the program.
"We have sent a large number of the letters to M .B. Scott. We're also including a few for you to read so that you can see how truly disappointed our listeners are to see the program leave the air.
"To me it's like losing an old friend. You might also be interested in knowing that the 'World Tomorrow' on WJAC had a No. one pulse rating equal to or better than that of the top rock and roll station in Johnstown. Postmarks indicate we've received comments (protests) from 36 cities and towns outside the Johnstown area. I hope you can get to read more of the mail we've passed on to the agency.
"We all hope you will reconsider and return to WJAC. Many thanks for your past kindness and your wonderful program."
Sincerely, Edward J. Klym Vice President
I have quoted his letter In full. I want you, whose tithes and offerings make this most powerful Broadcast on earth possible to know Just HOW TREMENDOUS is its impact on the world. Co-Workers, I know you cannot realize HOW DIFFICULT it has been, through the years, to get radio stations to accept our program, clear time for it, and take our money. They want the money — but THEY DON'T WANT religious programs. We have to convince them, generally, of the EDUCATIONAL nature and value of The WORLD TOMORROW — of its tremendous LISTENER appeal — of the fact it is DIFFERENT from religious programs. In some cases, it has taken us YEARS to convince a station manager he ought to have The WORLD TOMORROW on his station. But, once we are on, and they begin to REALIZE what our program is like, and get the feel of the tremendous LISTENER INTEREST — its top listener rating — they feel just like Mr. Klym does now.
Co-Workers and Brethren in Christ, it's a SHAME, and a TRAGEDY to have to cancel out good stations like WJAC, once we are established on them — and deprive MANY THOUSANDS of people of hearing Christ's Gospel! Notice Mr. Klym states that the rating agency shows we were the NUMBER ONE rated program in number of people listening. We are number ONE on most stations. No program on the air compared to it!
Here are just a few of the letters from WJAC listeners, written to the station:
"I was very sorry to hear that The World Tomorrow program is to be taken off the air. At a time when there is so much 'garbage' on the air it was good to hear a worthwhile program that made people stop and think about present world conditions.
"I hope you reconsider, as I will really miss the program and I'm sure many others will too."
"Please do not discontinue The World Tomorrow program. I am sure there are many like myself who find it very educational and enlightening.
"Since this program is not carried locally by any other stations, I am sure it would be a mistake for your station to stop it."
"Please do not take The World Tomorrow program off the air. I enjoy it very much and listen to it daily.
"It would be a shame for such a high quality and educational program to be put off the air. People today need more of these programs; not less."
"I have been listening to The World Tomorrow program on WJAC station for the last several years now, and as far as I am concerned it is the best program on the station. I see no reason why this program should be discontinued.
"As for Garner Ted Armstrong he is the only man I ever knew of in all my sixty-two years of life on this earth who has the 'guts' and courage to speak out the truth concerning world affairs regardless, and I am for this man one hundred percent. Certainly this world needs more like him."
"Being a regular listener of The World Tomorrow broadcast, I was saddened on hearing that the program will be discontinued. It became a natural thing (a habit), for me to turn on my radio at 7:30 p.m., and hear The World Tomorrow on the air.
"I hope you will continue The World Tomorrow program."
Another station we discontinued was KFSB, Joplin, Missouri. The station made an announcement over the air asking the feelings of listeners about it. They sent us a great pile of mail they received from that announcement, overwhelmingly deploring the cancellation, and asking the station to try to keep The WORLD TOMORROW on the air. Since listeners wanted the program at 6:30 p.m., (we had been on at 12:30 noon) the station now offers us this FAR BETTER time if we will go back on. Whether we are able DEPENDS ON YOU, our Co-Workers. Here is the letter I received from the Manager of the station, Mr. W.H. Clark:
"Dear Mr. Armstrong:
"When we were notified that broadcast of 'The World Tomorrow' was to be discontinued, effective August 6, we decided to find out what our audience thought about the matter. Last weekend we put this announcement on the air, 'Present plans call for the discontinuation of broadcast of The World Tomorrow. If you have feelings about the matter either way please write to us to let us know what they are.'
"I am enclosing the mail we received in response, together with the tabulation of where it came from. If you take time to read the mail enclosed you will find that many of those who liked the program would rather have heard it at about 6:30 p.m. than at the 12:30 p.m. time at which it was broadcast.
"If you decide to resume broadcast on our station I suggest that we air the program at 6:30 p.m. each evening."
Sincerely yours, RADIO STATION KFSB W.H. Clark Manager
Now here is the STATE OF THE WORK at the moment:
In my letter of August 8, I gave you a thorough explanation of this LOAN situation. All year we had been paying back more than we were receiving in loans. Last year the money available for use from loans from Co-Workers had mounted to 12% of total funds received. So in that letter I was forced to once again ASK FOR EXTRA HELP IN THE FORM OF LOANS — only, this time, as far as possible, on a 5-year basis. I explained, however, that if any emergency came up in the circumstances of any Co-Worker who had loaned the Work on that basis, we would feel morally obligated to repay more than 20% — even up to total amount — in case of need.
The result of that letter: There has been a fairly good response so far — not yet NEARLY enough — but it has reversed the trend so that I have not been forced to cancel any more radio stations.
It is going to be a hard, difficult, UP-HILL effort the rest of this year, however, or I WILL have to start taking the vital message off the air over more and more stations.
Co-Workers, THAT JUST MUST NOT HAPPEN!
Instead, let's PRAY, diligently, earnestly, and BELIEVINGLY, that God will lay it on the hearts of enough Co-Workers so that we may PUT THE PROGRAM BACK on these stations we already had to cancel!
PLEASE, in this year of transition, increase the amount of offerings if possible! And IF you have larger sums you simply CANNOT give outright as an offering at this time, but could let it be WORKING where the living CHRIST is directing and blessing, SEND IT IN AS A LOAN — on a 5-year basis if possible. But PLEASE, Brethren and Co-Workers, do NOT put it on a loan basis if you can make it a straight offering! Loans DO HELP — but NOT NEARLY AS MUCH as outright offerings. The loans mean operating on borrowed money, outright offerings mean operating on REAL income.
Our new approach is GETTING THE MESSAGE to a class of people WE NEVER COULD REACH BEFORE! I do not feel I can make their names public, but I have on my desk a heavy pile of letters requesting The PLAIN TRUTH, and/or booklets, from prominent motion picture stars, directors, and officials, and from literally scores and scores of officials and professors in colleges and universities all over the world. Noted scientists are requesting our literature. Government officials. Never before were people in these brackets interested in the TRUTH we are getting out.
This is the GREATEST WORK on earth today! It is saving precious lives by the thousands and thousands, every year.
It MUST NOT GO BACKWARD! Let's not ALLOW any more stations to be cancelled. Instead let's PRAY — and HELP — that the TELEVISION program may go on more and more stations. Garner Ted Armstrong is MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE on TV than on radio. TV people rate him one of the very top, if not the very top TV personality in America today. What a shame only a FEW stations are televising it! I want YOU to see it.
Let's put our hearts into this GREAT WORK OF GOD as never before!
Time is VITAL! It is LATER THAN YOU REALIZE! The need is URGENT!
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