There's an interesting piece by David Segal in the Washington Post today about new trends in Christian radio--specifically, the emergence of "Christian morning shows" that mirror the very popular, and often very raunchy, shock-jock morning shows on secular radio. Among other items in the story is an interview with a Christian DJ who once worked on a shock-jock show, but who is now putting his microphone skills to more uplifiting use:

You keep waiting for a Morning Zoo Insult--"Who cares, moron?"--but it doesn't happen. The show is high jinks with all the jinks snipped out. Religion pops up explicitly now and then. Like in an ad for a local OB-GYN who, we learn, invites patients to pray before each appointment. The prize for one call-in contest is a collection of hymns. [...]

Sells don't get much softer. These are Christians concerned for your soul, but they're going to inquire gently about it rather than threaten it with eternal damnation. There are old-school religious broadcasters who have told Stone that they find his broadcast insufficiently pious. But what else will work for a station talking directly to the country's answer to Sodom and Gomorrah?

I'm usually skeptical about Christians efforts that look like they're just mimicking non-Christian trends, but I'll make an exception in this case. Any alternative to the ubiquitous crude-and-obnoxious-morning-show routine sounds good to me.