Ambassador Advertising Agency is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
In 1959, while still serving as vice president at Biola University, Al Sanders founded Ambassador primarily to serve the school’s broadcast, The Biola Hour. A decade later, Sanders left Biola to become the host for the Radio Bible Class television production Day of Discovery. The ensuing 15-year relationship ultimately led to his role as executive producer/director of the telecast and agency representation for both television and radio outreaches of the Grand Rapids-based ministry.
In 1977, Sanders was the facilitator in bringing Chuck Swindoll’s teaching messages to radio audiences. A few years later, Sanders urged and helped Dr. James Dobson and Focus on the Family begin a daily quarter-hour broadcast. Other broadcast endeavors Ambassador was privileged to launch include FamilyLife Today (Dennis Rainey) and Renewing Your Mind (R.C. Sproul).
In March 2000, Ambassador (in providing leadership to the Christian Radio Consortium) completed a three-year process to help Christian broadcasting move into new technologies via digital satellite delivery. With that accomplishment, attention turned to best utilizing the internet in the future for broadcasting ministries.
Ambassador (in partnership with Focus on the Family) once again led the way in radio syndication technology, changing the industry, when Amb-OS was launched in July 2008. This allowed for customizable local programming without multiple recordings, automatic program downloading, and other technological advances.
Over the course of 60 years, Ambassador has had the unique opportunity to serve nearly 100 different ministries. Today, Ambassador represents 63 programs on behalf of 21 ministries placed on 3,800 radio stations nationwide. And its staff of committed individuals works hand-in-hand with those ministries to ensure good stewardship, expert production, and comprehensive outreach to their constituencies.
Ambassador is guided by 2 Corinthians 5:20, and its philosophy is that the agency’s expertise is meant to facilitate for the communicators they serve – typically in a behind-the-scenes manner – thereby accomplishing the greatest impact for those gifted men and women communicating God’s truth through media ventures.
Located in Irvine, California, Ambassador is a longtime member of NRB and a recipient of NRB’s radio impact award. Its founder, Al Sanders, was inducted into the NRB Hall of Fame in 1997.
