K-Love mum on new pro-life movie

The nation’s largest listener-supported Christian radio network has so far refused to promote the pro-life movie Unplanned, which opens at more than 1,000 theaters nationwide Friday. K-Love’s lack of on-air support for the film has drawn criticism from listeners who believed the network would break its silence by now.

A week ago, Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood facility manager on whom the movie is based, said K-Love told the movie’s fundraising staff that Unplanned was too political. Johnson later said the radio network also was concerned about the film’s R-rating, which filmmakers have protested. The rating, which stems from a scene with bloody images of an abortion, led the film’s directors to call the Motion Picture Association of America’s standards “deeply flawed” for giving movies with graphic sex and violence PG-13 ratings while classifying Unplanned, which portrays abortion in “a straightforward manner,” as too dangerous for people younger than 17.

“We focus on positive and encouraging content that is safe for the whole family,” K-Love posted on its Facebook page a week ago. “We have been and continue to be pro-life and believe in the sanctity of life.”

K-Love also did not promote last year’s PG-13 film Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer, which was about the 2013 trial of abortionist and convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell. Gosnell spokeswoman Bethany Thompson told me that marketing through K-Love was not part of the film’s overall strategy. “We did not make any real efforts to promote with K-Love, nor did we feel any unwarranted rejection from them,” she said. Gosnell grossed $3.7 million.

K-Love relies on twice-a-year pledge drives from its listeners for support. In 2017, financial records for K-Love’s parent company, the Education Media Foundation, listed its assets at $600 million, with $193 million in revenue and $113 million in expenses. EMF owns and operates 415 radio stations nationwide, including newly acquired stations in Los Angeles and Chicago, according to Streaming Radio Guide.

Johnson called out K-Love, noting its past support for the 2004 R-rated movie The Passion of the Christ and saying, “They can’t seem to keep track of what they stand for.” She urged supporters to contact K-Love and voice their opinions.

Then on Saturday, Johnson posted on her Facebook page that a K-Love representative had met with one of the film’s producers and reversed position: “I have a wonderful update! … K-Love Radio has decided to stand up for the unborn and promote Unplanned!!” The movie’s media representative, Kristina Hernandez, confirmed with me that this meeting took place.

But as of Friday, K-Love has remained silent on Unplanned. The radio network has not mentioned the movie or the meeting with the producer, Johnson and Hernandez said. I contacted K-Love and EMF numerous times this week but received no response. EMF Executive Administrator Myrna Smith told me that interim CEO Alan Mason was aware of my calls but was out sick.

K-Love listeners have noticed the silence, expressing disappointment and questioning the network on its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

“What a huge platform you’ve been given that could be a voice for the unborn with supporting the movie Unplanned,” a user named June Neal wrote on K-Love’s Facebook page.

Johnson updated her Facebook followers on Wednesday, a few days after she posted that K-Love said it would promote the film. “I don’t think they are being honest,” she wrote. “I don’t think they have any intention of promoting it. I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Meanwhile pro-life groups such as Students for Life of America have been working to promote Unplanned. Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for SFLA, called K-Love’s silence disappointing.

“They are making a big mistake by not paying attention to where the culture is at and, frankly, where their audience is at,” Hamrick said. “Abortion is tragic, and their audience wants this story to go out.”