Portland observer., January 25, 1995, Page 24, Image 24

Because No One Should Be Left in the Dark
by Ruth Heberling
Amy Grant, Carol Lawrence, Steve
an one half-hour “candle''
Bartkowski, Ricki Skaggs— godly talent of
ignite late-night television?
all stripes.
David Gallagher believes it
Don't overlook the fine seven-member
can. Gallagher, President of
band led by Rick DiGillionardo and the
LightSide
Productions,
delightful comedy troupe, the “Half-Lit”
along with car-loads of
off-the-wall sketches you
energetic volunteers and a small players,
handful whose
of
lightly-paid staff, hope to bring won’t
God’s want
light to miss. The “Half-Lit" players,
led by Clark Corkum, are looking forward to
to shine through secular, over-the-air, televi­
facing the challenge of producing whole­
sion— not cable. Their target: every
some, riotous comedy each week, starting in
American. “Look closer to home,” yearns
m id-1995, and heading for a nightly show as
Gallagher. "The mission field isn’t just
soon as God allows.
Africa or Afghanistan, it’s Portland. We’re
“It’s very difficult to keep humor
headed for Hell. Young adults are glued to
godly,” admits Corkum. “Comedy is bom
the media. They were raised on it and
out of tragedy, [but] when you laugh at
they’ve never been weaned. Everything may
something, there is always massive potential
look right on the outside, but you and I know
for offending someone. We want to use com­
that there is corruption— and death— going
edy as a way for healing instead of cutting.
on in the hearts of people in the USA. That’s
That's the key for turning it around."
what LightSide has been called to do: target
"LightSide wants to show Americans
the destruction and death that you can only
that you don't have to lose your sense of
see in the Spirit.”
The premier performance of their first
production, “Night Light,” an upright late-
night talk show alternative to Letterman and
Leno, aired on KPDX TV 49 in the Portland
area on Friday, May 20, at midnight.
Northwest time. The 800 number provided
for callers to respond to the show brought
many favorable comments including, “This is
a breath of fresh air!”
This first show featured Portland's
home-grown NBA All-Star, A.C.
Green, following the opening ban­
ter between the blond Gallagher
and the 5 ’10”, dark-haired
Adrianna Carr, a former model
and
wife
of ex-Portland
Trailblazer Kenny Carr. Green
unveiled his program promoting
purity in dating relationships,
and detailed his incessant drive
for fearless excellence on the bas­
ketball court, all motivated by the
love of Jesus, his Savior. Up-com­
ing shows will feature some of
Portland’s finest, like fitness guru
Victoria Johnson, as well as national­
ly known names like Kirk Cameron,
C
10
J a n u a r y /F e b r u a r y
1995
humor as you grow in Christ. You don’t have
to be a stick in the mud," smiles Gallagher in
his black and white striped shirt. "When you
know Christ, you enter a world of incredible
freedom that you don't find any other way.
Our first production, "Night Light," is a
down-to-earth, relevant program for young
adults 18 to 35. We’re providing an alterna­
tive to late-night talk shows with strong
entertainment value that also has a Christian
testimony. But we don't drag a Christian tes­
timony out of our guests, or manipulate the
conversation so Christ is featured. We don't
need to do that. When people who love
Christ get together, Jesus is a vital part of
each face, of their lives and that comes out
naturally in their conversation."
Harnessing the power and influence of
the visual media to reflect the image of God
and reconcile people to Him through Christ
would be a valuable tool for accomplishing
the Church's mission of making disciples.
But can this be done on non-cable secular
stations? Challenging the enemy on this par­
ticular turf is certainly a courageous and
vita! maneuver to reach our large,
English-speaking people-group that has
sold out to that small, bright box
named Television. Numerous friends,
already in the television broadcasting
business, have carefully told Gallagher
that it would take a miracle for his
ideas to take root in such a moral-
. ly decadent field. But miracles are
« exactly what Gallagher is counting
1 on— because when God works,
( miracles happen.
Glancing briefly heaven-ward, the
blue-eyed
Gallagher
reflects,
“Trying to ge, involved in the media,
as you can imagine, is a daunting task.
If I had known half of wha, I was get­
ting into, I would have been too scared
to death to ever do it. I’ve discovered
that G(xl is not into full disclosure. When
He calls you into something. He often
doesn’t show you the entire picture
because it would be too overwhelming.
Your frail humanity would run in terror