Have you heard?  It’s been in all the papers.  There is a total solar eclipse on Monday.  It’s the first one since I was in college.

It begins in Oregon at 9:06 AM Pacific and ends in South Carolina at 4:06 PM Eastern.

Well, that’s one point of view.

You see, a total solar eclipse is ALWAYS occurring SOMEWHERE in space.   All I’ve done is state three perspectives from North America.

“Since I was in college” is a perspective relevant to only me.  No one else cares.

“It begins in Oregon” is relevant only to Oregonians or those one million driving their Magic Buses through the Columbia River gorge to camp out and smoke, smoke, smoke their cigarettes. *Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

The people that care most about the eclipse are those directly along the path; Corvalis to Kansas City, Nashville to Greenville.

Time magazine has a nifty little gizmo that shows how the solar eclipse will look from anywhere in the United States.  You simply enter your zip code and see what the eclipse will look like from where you are.

What if we had an app for that?

What if there was a nifty little gizmo where a listener could enter a code and our stations would immediately resonate with their life?  What if our stations resonated just as much with a seeker as someone deep in their faith?

I’m not suggesting changing the station’s purpose, mind you, but rather consider the ability to zoom that purpose directly into to people’s lives, like the way the eclipse resonates more with those along its path.

I like Roy Williams’ perspective.

“Have you ever used a zoom lens?  Think of your brain as having one.  As you zoom in, you exclude the context to focus on the tiniest details.  But when you zoom out, you see those details fold in on themselves to reveal the ever-expanding context of the big picture.”

When you discover that big picture you’ll discover the common ground to reach the largest possible audience.

Ian:  What did the sun say when it reappeared after an eclipse?
Angus:  What?
Ian:  “Pleased to heat you again.”
(Joke by Ian T., Acton, Mass.  Boyslife.org)

Back to school time is everywhere.  In the stores with sales.  On the highways with school buses.  There are even tax free days for Back to School.

It’s not an official holiday like Christmas, Ground Hog Day, or Millard Fillmore’s birthday, but it is just as evident.  Back to school affects everyone’s schedule, even those that don’t go to school.  (Can’t say that about ole Millard’s birthday.)

“The difference between school and life?  In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test.  In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
~Tom Bodett

My friend Tim McDermott of KSBJ recently introduced me to the book, “The One Thing” by Gary Keller, where he shares “the ability to dismiss distractions and concentrate on your ONE Thing stands between you and your goals.”

So, let’s go back to school and discuss the one thing that can transform programming.

I’ll begin this back to school lesson by asking for a permission slip to skip the obvious first answers – music and positioning.  Let’s save those for the second semester.

On this first day of school I’d like to introduce the idea that “The One Thing” for our radio stations is… meaningful content.  You know, the stuff between the records.   While that may not be a new idea on this first day of school, there are important ramifications that, if we ignore, could send us to detention.  Or extinction.

1. Meaningful content creates familiarity.  We care about things that relate to us.  And what we prefer is directly related to things we know.  Said another way, we can’t prefer things we don’t know.
2. Meaningful content creates humanity.  People relate to people.  A bunch of technical stuff can’t create a bond like an interesting, caring person.  (Even Facebook, which is a breakthrough in technology, is all about people).
3. Meaningful content creates distinction.  If your station is just like the other stations (i.e., playing the same music) there is no reason to prefer you.  Preference is directly connected to donor support and ratings performance.

So class, on this first day of school let’s return to Gary Keller’s “The One Thing.”  He asks, “What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

Beyond the fundamentals of music and positioning, The One Thing that your station has to do is to do things that matter.  That can only happen if you have meaningful content between the songs.

…to make a first impression,” so goes the famous quote from Will Rogers.

When we radio folk talk about increasing the station’s listenership, or  ‘building cume’ in PPM lingo, we’re really talking about making good first impressions.

“So how important are first impressions?  Well it determines if you get the second interview for your dream job or acceptance in the college or university of your choice.  A good first impression can mean a second date and who know what happens after that.  Making a good first impression gets you a meeting with the senior partners in the private equity firm evaluating your business proposal.  No doubt first impressions matter.”
~John Maxwell

There is an Outback Steakhouse near our place already adorned with custom signage with brand logo.  And it’s still under construction.  Their first impression is “coming soon,” signaling the arrival to your neighbor that their distinctive Bloomin’ Onion and Aussie Cheese Fries are only weeks away.  Folks will be waiting in line at their grand opening.  You can bank on it.

All too common in our format first impressions are unfamiliar music, unwelcoming voices, and conversations that make people feel like outsiders.

So it bears the question… which gives a better first impression; your radio station or this restaurant?  And Outback isn’t even open yet.

So here we are.  Nine months after the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, Chicagoland has a baby boom.

The Chicago Cubs did exactly what our stations should do… they descended on families of newborns to ensure Fans for Life.  The Cubs showed up in Chicagoland hospitals with the World Series trophy, the team mascot, and beloved players surprising unexpected new parents.

“The team honored this boon of championship babies… by awarding them special Fan Club memberships (containing a “Rookie of the Year” onesie, a beanie, a special birth certificate and a personalized Wrigley Field photo marquee)… the team’s mascot, Clark, was on hand as well for a great group photo.” MLB.com

The result?  Cubs fans for life.

As we arm wrestle with PPM for one additional listening occasion per week perhaps our time would be better spent by creating a radio station worthy of having fans for life.

You know, it doesn’t matter what we do if what we do doesn’t matter.

We’ve all done it.

Waiting through the first part of a boring movie.   You hope it will get better.

Sitting down at a restaurant.   The waiter is slow to come over.  Minutes tick by without giving your drink order.  You hope it will get better.

In a world of instant gratification, a better choice is only a push of a button or a click of a mouse away

Don’t make your listeners wait for your station to be good.

Be good now.

It’s not just an idea.  It’s the way all great program directors think.

*After reading this Frost Advisory, tune to your station and evaluate the very next thing you hear.   Are your listeners having to wait for your station to be good?