OUR STORY

About Our History

Over two decades of building the infrastructure for internet radio and television — from a single Shoutcast stream in 2003 to 56 million listeners worldwide.

2003 · Christ the King Radio Launched Click to expand

Christ the King Radio, founded by Michael Van Lowe in Denver, CO, marked its debut — pioneering internet radio broadcasting via Shoutcast. This laid the foundation for all digital broadcasting that followed under Internet Media Providers.

2005 · T.A.T. Radio Launched

T.A.T. (The Absolute Truth) Radio was founded by Cleveland Rhodes as a college project at ITT Technical Institute, broadcasting from Memphis, TN via Shoutcast. Dissolved on May 29, 2007.

2007 · Day of Silence: Internet Radio Goes Dark

Internet radio stations across the U.S. went silent in protest of proposed royalty rate increases by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board — a coordinated blackout that threatened the viability of online radio.

2016 · Resilient Christian Radio Network Launched

RCR Network launched at 3:45 PM CST with its inaugural program, "Get Your House in Order" hosted by Bro. Tim Aaron. Despite starting with just two listeners during the Trump/Clinton election year, this was just the beginning.

2017 · RCR Network Went International — Overnight

The Resilient Christian Radio Network expanded internationally overnight. 25 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia tuned in to listen to the Word of God, sparking a wave of affiliate interest worldwide.

2017 · CTK Radio & RCR Network Join Forces

The Purposethon — a 12-hour nationwide simulcast event between CTK Radio and RCR Network — brought in over 155,000 domestic listeners. This collaboration showed the power of networked radio partnerships.

2018 · New Radio Vendor: Zeno Media

RCR Network and My Genre Radio Network established over 100 virtual radio stations within major U.S. cities through Zeno Media, enabling 24/7 broadcasting with local hosting capabilities.

2019 · Internet Media Providers Was Created

Cleveland Rhodes (C.R.O.S.S. Media Networks) and Michael Van Lowe (CTK Radio Ministries) formed a conglomerated partnership. IMP launched with 350+ media stations, giving everyone the opportunity to become broadcasters.

2020 · COVID-19 Hit IMP's Streaming Box Shipment

IMP had developed a streaming device to connect to any media content and stream it everywhere. 350 units were scheduled from a supplier in Hong Kong. Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the entire shipment.

2020 · IMP Launches Its Own Internet Television Networks

With the streaming box plan halted, IMP pivoted to Plan B — creating its own video streaming platform. Three television networks launched under one umbrella, leading to the birth of OTTU Media.

2021 · Broke the Internet — Silently

OTTU Media soft-launched its three television networks and made history on New Year's Eve 2020, partnering with a local DJ from Columbus, OH to broadcast live music celebrations across all U.S. time zones. 654,798 concurrent viewers tuned in at 2:45 AM.

2021 – Present · IMP Is Making History Right Now

Since that New Year's 2021 event, OTTU Media has evolved into a full media center: Radio (America's 1st Grassroots Radio Network), Television (Urban Core TV, Valuable TV Network), On-Demand (The REEL Television Network), and live broadcasting. 56 million people reached globally. Next up: X-Cable streaming devices and OSM (OTTU Social Media).