A recent conversation with a program director new to the format reminded me of an idea that I wished I had understood two decades ago coming from a world of mainstream radio.  

People don’t tune to your station because of what YOU are, they tune to your station because of who THEY are.

“Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.”

Donald Miller, “Blue Like Jazz”

Sir Paul McCartney has just had his 80th birthday! And he celebrated by doing what he loves; touring and playing music like he’s done for more than 60 of those 80 years.

If it seems curious that a Frost Advisory would be about a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer becoming an octogenarian, stick with me.

In my travels I’ve found almost all discussions about programming revolve around things close to us; the music and deejays, the promotions and contests, the clocks and service elements. While these elements are important to the station’s design, they are not transformative. Why? Because those things are all about us. And the closer things are to us the more important they seem. To us.

The great brands (and stations) go beyond the nuts and bolts of design and reach into their listeners’ lives.

As a follow up to this year’s Momentum, my friend Joe Paulo shared a video with every member of the newly formed Hope Media Group communicating the vision for the organization moving forward “while the ink is literally still drying on the merger.”

Joe cited the perspective of ten years ago when no one could have imagined a merger between then KSBJ-centered ministries in Houston and the WAY-FM ministries of Nashville and Colorado Springs.

While citing specific metrics the organization will be using to measure growth and impact, Joe was careful to qualify, “It’s going to be in ways that we don’t even know today because we get to create…”

Memorial Day is often considered the official kick off to summer. But more importantly it is a time set aside to remember those who gave their lives for our country.

Perhaps this time of remembrance is a good time for us to reflect on how we hope our stations will be remembered.