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| Categories | Music magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | New content daily |
| Founded | 1978 |
| First issue | July 1978 (1978-07) |
| Company | Logan and Amanda Sekulow |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Nashville |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 1524-7848 |
CCM Magazine is anonline magazine focusing oncontemporary Christian music and media, published by Logan and Amanda Sekulow.
CCM was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has been owned by Salem since 1999. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the magazine, which would continue in an online-only format.[1]
When the magazine was first published, it was calledContemporary Christian Music and covered that music genre.[2] The name was later shortened toCCM, which was still an acronym for "Contemporary Christian Music".[2] For a short time, the magazine changed its name toContemporary Christian Magazine (keeping the "CCM" but broadening the scope) but then ultimately went back toContemporary Christian Music (CCM). Then in May 2007, the name's meaning was changed to "Christ. Community. Music." The editor explained that the term "contemporary Christian music" was dated and marginalizing and that Christ, community, and music are three entirely different things — thus, the periods after each word of the acronym to show that they are not related. The editor's explanation of the name change can be found in the May 2007 issue of the magazine.
In October 2006,CCM launched its ownsocial networking site, MyCCM.
Since its start,CCM has covered mainstream musical artists that mix spiritual themes with their music, includingBob Dylan,Johnny Cash,T Bone Burnett,Victoria Williams,The Call,Sam Phillips,U2 andBruce Cockburn, as well as more mainstreamChristian radio artists such asAmy Grant,Larry Norman,Michael W. Smith,Steven Curtis Chapman,Benny Hester,Steve Taylor,Phil Keaggy andRandy Stonehill. In the 1980s,CCM also focused on some of the more obscure spiritual artists coming out of the SouthernCalifornia punk rock andnew wave music scene likethe 77s,Daniel Amos,Undercover,Altar Boys,Crumbächer,the Choir,Adam Again, and others. However, as the 1990s rolled around, the magazine focused more and more on artists that were heavily played on Christian radio.
In February 2025, CCM Magazine announced its purchase by Logan and Amanda Sekulow, media producers unaffiliated with Salem Media Group.[3]
On July 8, 2009, Salem announced thatCCM Magazine will be re-launched as an online publication, released four times a year.[4] The magazine is updated daily on ccmmagazine.com and social media platforms.
In 1983,CCM Magazine spun off its contemporaryChristian music industry analysis and charts into a new publication,The CCM Update (originally known asMusicLine and laterMusicLine Update). While the new magazine focused on the contemporary Christian music industry-related content that was previously included inCCM Magazine,CCM Magazine retained the consumer-related content.The CCM Update publishedcharts until its closure.[5] At the time of its closure, the magazine published Christian album charts as well as four radio charts:adult contemporary,Christian hit radio/Pop, Inspirational/Praise, and Rock.[6] It had previously published a Christian country radio chart[7] as well as southern gospel, black gospel, and metal charts.[citation needed]
The CCM Update folded on April 15, 2002, with its feature content being incorporated into a full-page column inRadio & Records, also called The CCM Update. It also stopped publishing charts, leavingRadio & Records as the major chart publisher in the Christian music industry; according to James Cumbee, the president ofSalem Communications, they felt that continuing to publish charts was a conflict of interest, as Salem owned many of the radio stations that reported to the charts.[8]