“… and everything will live wherever the river goes” (Ezek. 47:9b).
It’s been a part of the Logan County community for over a dozen years now, but the Christian radio station that started out as Shine FM in 2012 and was rebranded as Rise FM in 2021 now has a new identity: The River. Rise FM Ohio has joined forces with River Radio Ministries (RRM) out of Columbus.
Even though the station has a new name, the heart, the mission and the music haven’t changed. In fact, if you were to ask Rise FM founder Mark Boyer, things will only get better.
It all began in September 2023, when the idea of merging with RRM hit Boyer and wouldn’t let go. Deciding the nudge was coming from God, he reached out to RRM CEO Bill Montgomery.
“I’ve known Bill almost 20 years,” Boyer explained. “He replied in less than 10 minutes, saying he’d been thinking the same thing but didn’t know how to approach me.”
Both men sensed God leading them to answer two questions:
Are we better together?
Is this what’s best for God’s kingdom?
“After many months of discussion and prayer, we determined the answer to both questions was a strong ‘yes,’” Boyer told the industry website HisAir.net. With this merger, RRM now reaches west central, north central, southern and central Ohio with 15 signals.
The official switch from Rise FM to The River took place on Nov. 29, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving, as the stations joined forces and flipped to all-Christmas music at the same time.
Of course, such a major transition comes with a number of concerns:
- Will the staff keep their jobs?
- Will the station still have that Logan County connection and local content?
- What about the annual Rock the Lake and Labor Day Festival concerts?
Boyer addressed all three questions, starting with the staff. Besides Boyer, three other employees have chosen to continue on with RRM. Heather Tipton, community relations, and Jeremy Ryan, digital specialist, are still at the Bellefontaine office with Boyer.
Scott Saunders, who split time in Mansfield and Bellefontaine while commuting from Canal Winchester, took the opportunity to work closer to home and is at the Gahanna location. His duties include production and being the overnight on-air talent.
Angie Vertucci, Rise FM’s long-time morning show host and operations director, exited in August 2024 to become the executive director of The Hope Center in Marysville.
And though you now hear new-to-us DJs, the content during breaks will remain Logan County-based.
“You will continue to hear local business and church sponsors, along with community events and spotlights featuring area organizations,” Boyer said. “And you will still see us out and about supporting community events.”
With that in mind, the station’s biggest concerts—Rock the Lake and the Labor Day Festival—will continue. In fact, they recently announced this year’s schedule for their eleventh Rock the Lake on Saturday, Aug. 2, at Indian Lake. Featured performers will be Blessing Offor, Rend Collective and headliner We the Kingdom.
They are still working on the lineup for their twelfth Labor Day Festival concert in August.
In the end, Boyer is pleased with the opportunities he believes this merger will bring to Logan County and Ohio.
“By combining the strengths of both ministries as well as our resources, our connections, and the talents of our employees,” he said, “we can have a greater kingdom impact than we would by ourselves.”
The River airs locally at 88.9 FM. Find out more at riverradio.com.