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RSSAssociated Press/AP Online
TYRONE, Ga. - Growing up the son of televangelist Rex Humbard, Charles Humbard remembers family suppers with gospel music greats: Pat Boone, June Carter Cash, The Gatlin Brothers.
Charles Humbard later chose a career in cable television, not the ministry, but he returns to his roots this fall as he launches the Gospel Music Channel, the first 24-hour music network for Christian music.
Set to begin in seven markets this October, the Atlanta-based cable network aims to be as popular as MTV and a blessing for gospel artists who find themselves mostly ignored on television despite selling millions of records.
"This is a music genre with a large, underserved, passionate audience," said Humbard, who left a top post at the Discovery Networks to start the Gospel Music Channel along with Brad Siegel, a former president of Turner Entertainment Networks.
The channel will span all Christian music styles, from rock to rap to traditional gospel. A different music style will be featured each night of the week, with an artist biography show called "Faith & Fame."
The genre is growing. Album sales have gone up 10 percent since 1998, accounting for 47 million albums sold last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. During the same five-year period, overall music sales dipped 10 percent.
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