Brian Fisher (1981-1984)I have had bios written about me at radio stations I previously worked at, but to write one of my own? This will be a challenge! I spent my formative years in Chatham, New Jersey, a city 25 miles from mid-town Manhattan. Being the youngest of three children, I was greatly influenced by the hobbies and interests of my older brother and sister. It was the 1960's, and we lived on the edge of the entertainment capital of America, thus had access to the very best in Television and Radio. I took a keen interest in electronics, photography and music at an early age, starting with recording my favorite songs from 77 WABC (the greatest top 40 radio station of all time). After bumming around for a few years after high school, a family tragedy caused me to re-think my life and career priorities. Given my love for radio, I decided it was time to seriously pursue a career in broadcasting. I enrolled at Morris County (New Jersey) College, and later Connecticut School of Broadcasting. After graduation, I began to look for work in broadcasting. But instead of looking to be the next "Murray the K" or "Cousin Brucie", I chose an unlikely direction—Christian Radio. You see, In the mid 1970's, I was "Born-Again" In fact, Larry Flynt, Chuck Colson and Jimmy Carter heard about me and decided they wanted to be "Born Again" too. However, Mr. Flynt later decided that "Porn Again" was more fitting for him…. On a more serious note, I came to believe the words of Jesus Christ in "I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father (God) but by me." This unalterably affected my worldview, and I then began to take an active involvement in became known as the "Jesus Movement", and an outgrowth of that movement, Contemporary Christian Music. I was already a big fan of such up-and-coming Christian artists as Phil Keaggy, Love Song, and the 2nd Chapter of Acts. By the late 1970's and early 1980's a few radio stations around the country were beginning to experiment with an all CCM format. One of these was WLIX, which I could hear from my room on the south shore of Connecticut. I sent my resume and aircheck to Lloyd Parker, and in March of 1981, I had my first full time radio job at WLIX. From 1981 to 1984, I learned "the ropes" of broadcasting, working every shift that was available at the then daytime-only station. This began what would turn out to be a 26 year career. After returning to New Jersey, I went to work for WAWZ (now Star 99.1), and later WWDJ. In 1992, my new wife and I moved to Minnesota (her home state), where I went to work at KYCR, spending several years there as not only afternoon drive host, but also Program Director and Operations Manager. In 2000, I was offered the position of General Manager of a 50, 000 watt CCM station in northern Minnesota, and my wife and I rented out our house in the Twin Cities and headed north! By 2001, I did a lot of soul searching, and decided that, after 20 years in Christian radio, it was time to step away and focus on other priorities. My wife and I enjoyed life in the north woods, and decided to stay in the region, finally selling our house in the Twin Cities and settling in Bemidji Minnesota, a growing and progressive town of 15,000. But, I found I could not stay away from radio completely. Even though I had spent most of my radio career playing what became known as Contemporary Christian Music, I still had a love and incredible knowledge of the mainstream music I grew up listening to. And as I have matured as both a man and believer, I've learned that relationships and caring for people often made a bolder statement than the spoken word does…. Anyway, in addition to pursuing free-lance writing, I began to explore and rediscover my roots in mainstream radio, which led to a six year stint as midday personality on regional Adult-Contemporary radio, as well as a community liaison for the company. I had a wonderful time playing the hits of such artists as Celine Dion, Three Doors Down, Five for Fighting, and many others. Today, I am semi-retired from broadcasting. In spite of some recent health issues, I still maintain an active schedule driving school bus, free-lance writing, helping out in my wife's daycare, and even some occasional radio! I am looking forward to being with you on CHRISTIAN 54 WLIX ONLINE weekdays from 2-to-7 Eastern Time. It is an awesome privilege to be able to, in a way, return "home" to where it all began for me 27 years ago. I have finally sufficiently recovered from my lingering illnesses, as well as secured the necessary equipment for my "remote" studio. So I will be making my official return by the first of May!! Be sure to check this page frequently, as I will update it with what you can expect to hear on my "show", and of course my personal WLIX memories and "musings"... God bless... and welcome to CHRISTIAN 54 WLIX online!!
Email: christian54wlix@verizon.net
A tribute to 16 great years of ministry and music on Long Island, Christian54 WLIX-AM