FAQ's

WHERE DOES 100.3 REAL FM'S SIGNAL REACH?

You can catch Real FM on your radio at 100.3 FM across most of Benton and northern Washington counties in Northwest Arkansas, Delaware County in NE Oklahoma, and McDonald county in SW Missouri.

But this is actually a harder question to answer than you might think. Radio signals can be significantly affected by variables like terrain, weather, and obstructions. So if you're inside a building in a low-lying area, for example, you may experience some signal degradation.

Don't forget, you can listen to 100.3 Real FM here on our website or on the Real FM App no matter where you are! 

IS REAL FM A CHRISTIAN STATION?

People have struggled with applying the "Christian" label to music for a long time. For example, artists have been trying to distinguish between being a "Christian band" versus a "band whose members are Christian" for decades. So we suppose the answer to this question depends on your definitions. Are you asking if the people behind Real FM are Christians? Or if we only play songs related to Christian belief? Or...? 

Here's how we look at it. To keep it simple, yes, we'd call ourselves a Christian radio station. Our mission is clear and transparent: to share hope in Jesus with as many people as possible. 

That said, we play a wide variety of music (as explained in more detail below), and everybody is welcome to gather and grow with us. If you're not a Christian, our hope is that our music and shows resonate with you so much that by the time you realize they're "Christian," it's too late! You already love it. And if you are a Christian but just not always a very good one... well, welcome to the club! You'll fit in great here. We play music and host conversations about faith for people that need help to have faith.

IS REAL FM FAMILY-FRIENDLY?

Yes, most of the time! How’s that for an honest answer? 😅 Seriously, you’ll never hear anything profane or raunchy on Real FM, ever. In fact, that's one of the biggest differences between us and other hit music radio stations. We want to build up, not tear down. But we also don't shy away from addressing the real stuff we all deal with in life, even when it’s a bit uncomfortable.

Now, we also know lots of kids who love listening to Real FM, and we think that's super awesome! So you have our promise: if we are about to get into something you may not want the kids to hear, we’ll always give you a heads up first. And to be clear, most of our "adult" conversations will be found on Real FM podcasts rather than on the radio, so you can proactively choose if and when you want to listen to them.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE MUSIC YOU PLAY?

When evaluating a song, we process the decision using three main criteria: 1) Is it a hit song our listeners will love, or could it become one? 2) Is it edifying and redemptive? 3) Does it fit Real FM's primary genres (pop and hip-hop)? 

Some songs and conversations on Real FM are directly spiritual in nature and others aren’t, because we believe God is relevant to every aspect of our lives. We play songs about our relationships with God, each other, and the world around us. Whether you think we’re getting it right or missing the mark, we’d love to hear your feedback.

WHY DO YOU PLAY MUSIC FROM MAINSTREAM OR SECULAR ARTISTS?

For a few reasons! First, about 85% of our listeners prefer listening to a mix of Christian and mainstream music, so we're meeting them where they are by playing what they love. Second, distinguishing between "Christian" and "mainstream" is actually kind of difficult. How would you categorize a love song from an artist who is signed to a Christian music label? What about a song with spiritual themes from an artist on a mainstream label? Instead, we keep it simple: play good, edifying music. Third, as stated above, we believe music can be edifying without necessarily being directly spiritual. For example, God designed us for loving relationships, and He's the source of all joy. So songs about love or even just having a good time are a great fit!

SHOULD YOU REALLY BE PLAYING A SONG BY [INSERT ARTIST HERE]?

We generally (though there are exceptions in extreme cases) don't make our song choices based on an artist's personal morality or repentance. Trying to answer questions like "Is this person's heart in the right place?" or, "Is that person truly repentant?" is an impossible task. Let's be honest, we have no idea. We don't know the details of artists' personal lives. In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul acknowledges that he doesn't know others' true motives, and in fact he often doesn't even know his own. So we too try to stay out of the "judging hearts" business. Instead, we evaluate music on a song-by-song basis, asking ourselves whether or not each one helps serve Real FM's mission.

DO YOU PLAY MUSIC FROM INDIE BANDS?

Absolutely! Many of the artists we play aren’t signed to major record labels. That said, the songs we play have to fit with our accessible pop and hip-hop sound and meet a high level of production quality. We'll readily admit that it's a high bar to clear for any song to make our playlist. If you make music that meets that criteria, send us your best song and we’ll take a listen.