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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Northern Cross Talk is a new weekly Christian radio show that premieres on CKLB FM later this month.

Pastor Ryan Peters of the Yellowknife Vineyard Church sits in Dancing Sky Studios as he prepares to record the first guest commentary on the upcoming paid program Northern Cross Talk on CKLB Radio. His partner, Theresa Peters, will contribute a weekly audio column on women's issues. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Yellowknife musician Rick Poltaruk purchased the weekly time slot from the station for the next three months through his company, Dancing Sky Studios. Poltaruk will produce, host and solicit sponsors for the paid program.

His show will feature special guests from across the North who represent a variety of denominations.

"We're talking about the North so we want to deal with all aspects of the North," Poltaruk said.

The show will also include Christian comedy, snippets from the golden age of radio and, of course, lots of music.

"It's not just Christian music because there are a lot of Northern artists, especially coming out of the communities, that need encouragement as well," Poltaruk said.

"However, there will be old-time gospel music the elders will enjoy and we'll touch some of the youth with some of the newer, contemporary Christian music. There's rap, hip hop, funk, progressive rock - it's all there in the Christian music scene."

Among the artists to be featured on the show will be Cheryl Bear, a Christian recording artist from the Yinka Dene Nadleh Whut'en First Nation in northern B.C. The Aboriginal Peoples Choice award-winning artist believes there is a role for Christian music on the Northern airwaves.

"You can live in a huge city and feel isolated or you can live in a small Northern town and feel isolated," said Bear.

"Christian music goes in where people are feeling far away, and maybe far away from God, and the music will bring them back and touch them in a unique way. Music has a way of doing that anyway. Music touches all people."

Each episode of Northern Cross Talk will highlight a different community through interviews with chiefs, mayors, church leaders and other community representatives, Poltaruk said.

Guest commentator Theresa Peters will explore women's issues through a regular segment called Today's Women. Spencer Heslep, program co-ordinator with the SideDoor Youth