That article from 1955, "Christian Channel of Communication", is one of my favorite discoveries. I found it while staying up the entire night searching for data on the WT CD-ROM. The biggest moment from that is where they say "prophet or channel of communication"--thus clearly indicating that the terms are interchangeable. Therefore, by their own admission, being God's channel of communication is equivalent with being God's prophet.
So, hand, meet cookie jar. Oh, oh you've met before? Ah, I see...
--sd-7