While playing varsity baseball, basketball and football, Jon Walden had his sights set on a career in professional sports.

“I always thought that if I didn’t play baseball for a living, I’d be a sportscaster,” he said.  “SportsCenter was my fallback plan.  I never thought I’d go into radio.  It came at me out of nowhere.”

He embraced it, and these days Walden is living on the air in St. Clair County as general manager and morning show host for Revocation Radio, an Odenville station that launched earlier this year.  From his swivel chair behind the microphone, he explained the station’s mission and why he’s happy to be helping it reach its goal of “taking back the airwaves.”

The station:  Revocation Radio is 88.1 FM, a 4,000-watt station owned by Take Back the Airways Ministries, a non-profit broadcast ministry started in 2007.  Its coverage area includes St. Clair County, Leeds, Trussville, and Irondale.  Live streaming is available at www.myrevradio.com.

Its format:  Christian rock, hip-hop and rock.  “It’s something nobody’s really doing.  The response we’re getting is pretty sweet after being told for years that it’ll never work.”

Its audience:  “We have a broad range of listeners,” Walden said, “from the 40 and 50-something crowd grew up with Lynard Skynard, ACDC, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith to the fans of the 80s and 90s who were there for Poison, Motley Crue, Metallica, Nirvana, Run DMC, Dr. Dre and Tupac to today’s listeners of Nickelback, Kayne West, Katy Perry, Ludacris, and Maroon 5.  Our music has the same style and passion, but for something that is greater than us.  Not only that, but parents and their children can finally listen to the radio without fighting about what station to turn it to.”

Taking back the airwaves:  “These days, secular music is preaching too much into the subconscious about blatant drug use, promiscuous sexual activity, alcoholism and love of money, especially to our young people.  Secular music tells us that it’s OK to live this way and do what you want because ‘everybody else is doing it.’  Revocation Radio provides music that is the same or better quality as anything you can hear in secular music, but with a message of love, hope, and peace.”

Crossover appeal:  “We are not overtly Christian.  We don’t have to be.  God handles that.  If the music is good, people will enjoy it.  And that’s happening.  People love music.  It speaks to the soul.  Groups like Switchfoot, Skillet, and Red have been carrying the torch for crossover, and not long ago Skillet had the number-one song on the secular rock charts.  That’s incredible for a Christian band.”

With so many media options available now, is there still a place for local radio?:  “I really say yes.  You want to listen to people you know are at the local level with you and talk about things you’re familiar with.  Plus, people like to win prizes, and you can only do that at the local level.  Pandora is not the same.”

His background in radio:  While in college, Walden began working part-time at Christian station WDJC in Birmingham, eventually getting his own show.  He was on 7 p.m. to midnight for seven years at 93.7 before joining Revocation Radio.

How he views his work:  “I’m just here to do what God told me to do.  This station is not about me running it.  It’s about teenagers and college students and people stuck in a life I was stuck in, people who are searching for significance and acceptance and aren’t finding it at the clubs, bars and parties.  If one person is flipping through the radio and God speaks to them through the music, it’s all worth it.”

His life-changing experience:  Walden earned an academic scholarship to Jacksonville State University and walked onto the Gamecocks’ baseball team as a sophomore.  “I hit the party scene pretty hard in college.   That was my downfall.  I was consumed by partying.”  He eventually lost his scholarship and gave up his spot in the pitching roster.  “I was too busy drinking and getting high.  I fell into depression. I’d ruined everything, and it was my own fault.  I was drowning myself.  Then on my 21st birthday, I’d been to a party, and I drank so much I got sick.  I woke up on the bathroom floor and had a come-to-Jesus moment. It was as if he was telling me, ‘You’re playing with fire.  Are you ready or not?  Here’s your chance.’  

About a week after I’d made the conscious decision to get things right, I got the call to come do this show (at WDJC).  It blew my mind how faithfulness works.”

In the works:  The station hopes to stage a benefit concert for local residents affected by tornadoes.  “Areas like Ashville, Odenville, Moody, and Pell City were hit really hard, and we just want to say that we love you, St. Clair County.  It’s been rough times this year, but we’re praying for you, and we’ll do whatever it takes to be here for you.  God put this station here in this area for a reason, and we’re ready to jump in and help do something.”