United Christian Broadcasters

The Word For You Today is a free, daily devotional written by Bob Gass[2] and distributed internationally by United Christian Broadcasters, as website content, as an email newsletter and as quarterly print editions. One million copies of the United Kingdom and Ireland print edition are distributed each quarter to UCB supporters. Other regional editions are distributed to subscribers, churches and Christian organisations in other parts of the world.

Bob Gass has described the devotionals as "a kick start for cold mornings, when you don't feel like reading your Bible or find it a bit dry". He started writing The Word for Today devotional readings in 1992 as various inspirations he had received in forty years of being involved in Christian leadership and from the Biblical principles instilled in him by his mother. After positive response in the United States, he offered international rights to the devotionals to United Christian Broadcasters CEO Gareth Littler, with a successful first print run of 3500 copies in 1994 being distributed to UCB supporters in the United Kingdom.

Broadcast area	United Kingdom
Programming
Format	Talk Christian Music
Ownership
Owner	United Christian Broadcasters ltd
Links
Webcast	UCB Player
Website	UCB

United Christian Broadcasters is a Christian media charity that exists to offer opportunities to hear, watch or read the Word of God. UCB has two national Christian radio stations (UCB 1 and UCB 2), the UCB Player app, and several publications including two daily devotionals (the UCB Word For Today and the Word For You for young adults). They also run UCB Prayerline, staffed by volunteers who take calls all year round from people who need prayer.

UCB UK History 1980s In 1986, UCB's founder, Ian Mackie, received two promises from God: a big move of God was coming to the UK to provide the nation with a much-needed national Christian Radio Station. Operating out of a volunteer's spare bedroom, everything UCB owned, from the typewriter to the filing cabinet, was borrowed. In 1987, UCB did its initial broadcasts via Manx Radio in the Isle of Man, but this had limited geographical reach and only aired from 10pm until 2am. However, it did allow the station to bypass some of the UK's broadcasting laws and commence transmission earlier in the company's lifetime than would have otherwise been possible.[3]

1990s In 1991, UCB met Bob Gass, and a special ministry began. In 1992, Bob put pen to paper and began jotting down inspirations. A year later, he started sending copies of them to his friends and supporters in the United States, where he had lived since he was eighteen years old. These inspirational readings proved very popular, and Bob was astounded by the response. Having a vision for Christian radio in the UK, Bob offered UCB his devotional readings to encourage Christians to support UCB. With no access to national AM or FM frequencies, UCB Europe was granted a licence to commence satellite broadcasting. Thus, UCB Europe became the flagship station at the start and provided encouragement and support to thousands of listeners, and in April 1993, UCB Europe was heard for the first time across the UK via the Astra satellite. In 1994, the first edition of the UCB Word For Today, written by Bob and Debby Gass, was published, and 3,500 copies were distributed for free. January 1995 saw the birth and official launch of UCB's telephone Listening Line. This service was established to support, encourage, and pray for listeners of our radio broadcasts, along with readers of the UCB Word For Today. A small team began work covering the phone lines for six hours each weekday. The growth in demand for this service meant that in 1998, UCB began working in partnership with other Christian ministries to meet Listening Line callers' needs.

2000s From January 2003, UCB Listening Line became UCB Prayerline, operating from UCB headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent. In August 2003, Word 4U 2Day (now Word For You) was launched. This new devotional was adapted from the UCB Word For Today and was designed to help young adults spend time with God. In 2006, UCB Radio began broadcasting on regional DAB in the London area and four other areas of the UK, which allowed the radio stations to be more accessible. In 2007, UCB began a strategic alliance with OneHope, distributing Bible literature to children and youth across the UK. By 2009, the first promise to Ian Mackie was fulfilled as UCB UK (now UCB 1) began broadcasting nationally on DAB radio.

2010s In 2014, UCB began a partnership with Freeview TV channel and TBN UK, and from there, UCB created and launched the UCB Player app, which provides inspiring videos, podcasts and devotional content. UCB celebrated 30 years of ministry in 2016, and their second radio station, UCB 2, expanded its coverage on DAB radio. In 2019, UCB celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the UCB Word For Today, which is distributed to over 400,000 readers in print and across digital platforms each quarter. Bob Gass, the author of the devotional, passed away in 2019, but before he was "promoted to glory" (as Bob would have said), he began a long writing project, which means that the UCB Word For Today can continue for many years to come.

Rhema Media is the founding organisation of United Christian Broadcasting. It is also New Zealand's largest Christian media organisation, broadcasting four radio networks and a television station, and publishing the quarterly The Word for You Today devotional publication, from the Rhema Broadcasting Centre on Upper Queen Street in the central Auckland suburb of Newton.

Vision Christian Media (formerly UCB Australia) operates the nationwide network "Vision Christian Radio", (previously called Vision Radio Network and Vision FM). It also publishes The Word for Today and word4U2day, coordinates the Vision Christian Prayer prayer ministry and provides mailorder Christian resource service Vision Christian Store. It was featured in the Andrew Denton documentary film God on My Side. Vision's motto is "Connecting Faith to Life" and the radio network aims to make Christian Radio available for every Australian as a means to that end.

As at the close of 2008, Vision operated on over 360 licences, including low powered services in metropolitan suburbs and rural towns. It also operated some higher powered services in some regional areas and in Western Melbourne on 1611 AM. By mid 2015, Vision had expanded to over 600 relay stations, mainly LPON licences (low power open narrowcast) but also including Adelaide 1611 AM. Vision's talk and music programming is aimed at "unpacking" what it means to follow Jesus Christ in an understandable way.

In the Philippines, United Christian Broadcasters operates The Edge Media network under Christian Music Power (formerly UCB Philippines). The station is an advocate for a Christian worldview and is used as a training ground for students from 15 Asian nations to learn how to open low cost stations in their countries. It plays contemporary Christian music including pop, hip hop, alternative, praise and gospel songs. It plays music from a wide range of Christian artists of various nationalities, including local contemporary Christian artists which fit its format.[9]

The Edge Media is available in two formats: The Edge Radio, a national radio station which is available nationwide via Cignal Channel 312 and worldwide via internet, with four FM stations across the country serves as affiliates; and The Edge TV, a blocktime program currently airs on Light TV in Metro Manila.

In Ontario, Canada, United Christian Broadcasters' Canadian affiliate operates 6 stations.

• UCB Canada
• UCB International
• UCB UK
  • UCB 1 UK livestream
  • UCB 2 UK livestream
• UCB TV live on your mobile phone with Yamgo
• UCB Prayerline
• Forces Prayerline