For decades, Christian communicators have operated under a looming, anxiety-inducing narrative: traditional television and radio are dying out. But when you ask those in the industry, the perspective is very different.
For Carrie Hartunian Smith and her team at Apex Media Partners, the broadcast mediums haven’t died. They have simply evolved.
“TV’s not dead. We are here today. Everyone is still watching TV in some shape, fashion or form,” Smith says. “It’s just about how it evolves.”
Figuring out what that evolution looks like is a daunting task. Apex Media Partners acts as a strategic guide to help modern ministries translate their deeply rooted missions into the increasingly complex digital landscape.
Today, Apex operates as a full-service agency and sales partner that refuses to accept a “cookie cutter” approach. They look at a client’s specific mission and work backward to develop a media strategy, identifying the most efficient reach, frequency, and diversity to build their audience.
A central part of this strategy involves shifting the mindset of Christian communicators away from traditional terrestrial boundaries.
“It’s not TV and radio anymore; it’s really audio and video,” Smith said.
For example, when ministries hesitate to try video because they view themselves strictly as a “radio ministry,” Apex reminds them that modern radio now encompasses streaming platforms like Spotify, Pandora, and SiriusXM.
A prime example of Apex’s modern capabilities is their pioneering work in the FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) space. Apex worked with In Touch Ministries to publish “In Touch Plus,” bringing uninterrupted ministry programming into a highly trafficked streaming environment where modern consumers are already spending their time.
Looking back at a career that began when her father, Dennis Hart, founded the company in 1993, Smith observed, “I think Apex found me instead of the other way around.”
The original iteration of Apex was a sales organization representing Christian television stations and selling direct response programming, primarily for televangelists. Over the next 18 years, Smith helped build the business into a full-service agency, a milestone cemented in 2001 when they became the agency of record for Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries.
The company’s trajectory shifted abruptly when Smith’s father sold the business in 2007. The new ownership group initiated an aggressive acquisition strategy, pulling Smith out of her day-to-day media buying role to oversee the complex integration of these diverse, “mom and pop” organizations, an experience that gave her a front-row seat to the broader industry’s mechanics.
Recognizing a fundamental shift in the media landscape, she left the company to immerse herself in the emerging digital space from 2012 to 2019. In 2020, an unexpected opportunity presented itself, allowing Smith to step up and buy back a piece of the original business she and her father had built.
Reflecting on that winding path, Smith said, “I realized I wasn’t just building a career. Rather, I’ve been stepping into something that I was meant to be part of.”
For Christian leaders attempting to function in this fragmented space, Smith offers grounded wisdom drawn from decades of navigating industry shifts:
Make meaning, not noise: In an era of content saturation, media should transform, not just inform or entertain.
“Don’t make content just for content’s sake,” Smith advises. “I think media that is actually impactful media transforms. … Less noise, more meaning … towards hope or truth or a deeper sense of purpose.”
Redefine the attention span: Communicators should not let digital trends dictate their format. While the average attention span is often touted as merely a few seconds, Smith argues that engaging content will always hold an audience.
“If you catch my attention, I’m going to stay for as long as you keep my attention,” she says. “And that could be an hour and a half.”
Embrace the unknown: Smith urges ministries not to fear new technologies or platforms.
“The biggest opportunity is for people to use media strategically to connect with who they’re looking to connect with,” she says simply. “Don’t be afraid of it. It’s okay to try things.”
Stay present in the highs and lows: Acknowledging that the journey will have turbulent seasons, Smith encourages leaders to remain present.
“Everything’s temporary,” she says, noting that we must ask, “How can you be as present as you possibly can be in that moment, … and receive what the lesson is?”
Ultimately, the strategies Apex builds rest on their three core values: Curiosity, Generosity, and Courage. But for a company that handles the lifeblood of a ministry’s message, absolute trust is the ultimate metric of success.
“If you don’t trust somebody, you’re not going to let them in completely,” Smith says. “You might be collaborating, but there’s something missing.”
Smith continued: “What would have me very proud and smiling about is people knowing us for us being trustworthy—not just in the work that we produce, but how we operate, how we listen, how we lead, and partner.”
Apex Media Partners has been an NRB member since 2018. Van Mylar, the vice president of Client Strategy and Revenue Growth at Apex Media, and currently serves as an NRB President’s Council Member.