Chad Bonham has been working in various divisions of the multi-media industry for the past 14 years. From print to the Internet, radio to television, he's done it all in a relatively short period of time. His most recent endeavor was the founding of Catalyst Media Group and the non-profit organization Global Action Media. This action came from his desire to instigate positive change in Christian and mainstream media. Here's a look at Chad's experience in these different fields:
JOURNALISM: Chad began his foray into the world of media while at the University of Tulsa where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1993. At TU, he began his career in print journalism serving on the editorial staff of the Collegian and also writing for the Tulsa Tribune. Since then, he has written hundreds of articles for such publications as CCM, 7 Ball, Release, Profile, Christian Retailing, Charisma, Relevant Magazine and Urban Tulsa. He has also written two cover stories for New Man including a piece on professional wrestler Sting (May/June 2000) and Houston Astros outfielder Lance Berkman (July/August 2003).
AUTHORING: In October 2001, River Oak Publishing released Chad's first book "Wrestling with God." He is co-authoring a second book set to release in June of 2003 through Relevant Publishing. Chad is also currently working on a fiction novel, a series of children's books (with professional wrestler Lash Leroux) and a series of sports devotional books.
TELEVISION: From 1998-99, Chad worked with All-American Syndication as the lead Account Executive for the Dove Award-Winning music video program "24 Seven." Chad was largely responsible for the show's high coverage rate of 250 million potential households. He was also the force behind its creative marketing and planned the show's most memorable on-location shoots in Orlando, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn. Chad is currently producing a nationally-syndicated sports program to begin airing across the United States in June of 2003.
RADIO: In 2001, Chad began an 18-month stint as the program director, music director and on-air personality for Live 101.5 (KMRX-FM), Tulsa's first-ever progressive Christian radio station. The station was ranked fifth among teenagers before a format change in July of 2002. During that time, he was featured twice in "Radio and Records" magazine. Previously, he created and produced Name Brand Radio, a weekly radio program that started in October of 1996 and continued through January of 2001. He was a guest speaker at the annual GMA convention in 2002 and will make a return visit in April 2003. As a college student, Chad spent four semesters as a DJ for the TU campus station.
MUSIC: Chad's early days were shaped by his upbringing in a solid Christian home. His mother was a pastor and evangelist while his father was a recording artist and studio musician. He has been involved with Christian music for the past 23 years. Starting as a drummer at the age of eight, he has also been a singer, published songwriter and member of various worship teams and performance bands. Chad was the executive producer of two recording projects, The Secret Recordings, Volume One, and The Spotniks 2000 CD. He has also lent his drumming skills to multiple projects.
PERSONAL: In 2001, Chad was elected as a lifetime member to the Kingston's National Registry of Who's Who. He resides in Broken Arrow, Okla., with his wife Amy. The two traveled to Nairobi, Kenya in March 2002 with LifeAids International. Chad is currently exploring the creation of a Christian youth radio station in Nairobi. His long-term goal is build an entire network of stations throughout Africa.
