That is, the awards given to excellence in magazine (online and print) publishing by ASME (the American Society of Magazine Editors).

Here are this year’s nominees.

Like the Emmies, a lot of the same ole people giving the same ole people the same ole recognition.

KFUO radio, the voice of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, for many years has broadcast a popular interview program, Issues, Etc., hosted by Todd Wilken. It offered sound apologetics and a panoply of interesting guests offering orthodox Christian commentary on the issues of the day.

I should say “used to broadcast,” as the show seems to have been peremptorily yanked from the air. Last night, the KFUOam.org website was down. This morning: There is not a trace of the show’s ever having existed. Archives: gone.

There is, however, a centrally placed photo of LCMS president Gerald B. Kieschnick.

Would love to know what happened to Rev. Wilken and Jeff Schwarz, who produced that fine, serious, and confessionally Lutheran program. I will resist the temptation to link to some of the angrier blog posts around the Web. Right now what we need is an explanation for what by all appearances is a precipitate and callous act.

UPDATE: I see that a short message has been added to the KFUOAM.org homepage regarding how for “programmatic and business reasons,” Issues, Etc. had been discontinued. The archives have also been restored. Weird.

YouTube: Yes, there is now a video calling attention to this debacle. (Although, it was made before the archives were restored to the website. I guess the lingering idea of a “purge” and the making of Wilken and Schwarz “nonpersons” was seen as a PR misstep by some.)

UPDATED AGAIN (3/20—10:30am): There is an online petition available for anyone interested in persuading the LCMS communications board to reconsider this decision.

SUPPORT TODD WILKEN AND JEFF SCHWARZ: There’s an opportunity to donate to a fund for these two gentleman on the right-hand side of this Wittenberg Trail page (scroll down).