K-LOVE, the nation’s largest Christian radio network, announced it is “resting” all music by Newsboys and DC Talk following a recent report detailing sexual abuse allegations against former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait.
“We are aware of the allegations against Michael Tait, former frontman of the Newsboys,” a K-LOVE spokeswoman told The Roys Report. “As the investigation proceeds, our prayers are with all those involved. In the meantime, our Programming Team is resting Newsboys and DC Talk music on our stream.”
The Christian Post reached out to K-LOVE for comment. A response is pending.
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The move follows a sweeping investigative report from The Roys Report published last week, in which three men alleged Tait sexually assaulted them during separate incidents spanning from 2004 to 2014. One also claimed Tait offered him cocaine while aboard the Newsboys tour bus.
Tait, 58, has not responded to repeated requests for comment. He abruptly left the band in January, shortly before a scheduled tour.
At the time, he issued a statement, saying, “I have made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to step down from Newsboys. This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.”
Following the abuse allegations, the group’s four current members — Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips and Adam Agee — released a statement saying Tait had admitted to “living a double life,” though claiming to be “horrified, heartbroken, and angry” by the revelations.
In a Facebook group, Agee, who took over the position of lead singer following Tait’s exit, also said the band had “obviously heard rumors over the years,” but “each time something came up we tried to find the source and no one would tell us.”
“We asked Tait each time something would come up and he would deny it emphatically. He called a meeting the first week of January and none of us knew that the next day we would be a 4 piece band instead of a 5 piece,” he said.
K-LOVE’s decision to temporarily pull the bands from rotation represents a major setback for the Newsboys, who recently released Worldwide Revival (Deluxe), their first album since Tait’s departure.
The network, owned by Educational Media Foundation (EMF), reaches over 14 million listeners each week across more than 400 stations in 48 states. It is the largest Christian radio network in the U.S. and the second-largest radio network overall.
DC Talk, the Grammy-winning Christian rap-rock trio Tait co-founded in 1989 alongside Toby McKeehan (TobyMac) and Kevin Max, had long been celebrated as a cornerstone of modern Christian music, with hits as “Jesus Freak,” “What If I Stumble?” and the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Between You and Me.” Their 1995 album Jesus Freak won a Grammy for best rock gospel album.
The band went on hiatus in 2001, and Tait joined the Newsboys in 2009.
Several local and regional Christian radio stations have already followed suit. KYCC 90.1-FM Radio, a Christian broadcaster based in Stockton, Calif., issued a public statement saying it would suspend all Newsboys music “until further notice.”
“The leadership of KYCC has decided to not play any Newsboys songs till further notice,” the station said. “We have already heard from listeners who believe that hearing the Newsboys on the radio would trigger negative emotions, and we agree.”
The station said it was “shocked and saddened” by the allegations, especially after recently hosting the band in-studio.
“In the meantime, we are praying for the victims, the other band members, the Newsboys management, and all Newsboys fans who are emotionally impacted by this news,” the statement continued. “We also offer a prayer for Michael himself, that the power and grace of God will do a mighty work in his life.”
Other stations that have pulled Newsboys or DC Talk from rotation include broadcasters in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Geelong, Australia, reports TRR.
Some have also removed Tait’s short-lived solo project, “TAIT,” from airplay.
