If you’ve been following this storyline the last couple of weeks (Part 1, Part 2) you know I’ve brought up an idea that I believe is transformative for our format.

Let me review for those just tuning in.

If all stations begin with the same general stack of tools (music, deejays, etc.), why are most stations in our format ordinary while only a few are transformational?

We radio folks are somewhat good at thinking about WHAT we do but far less good in thinking WHY we do it. Perhaps we should ask…

“What do we want our listeners to say when they listen?”

What if we design those elements with intentionality, understanding that our stations have the potential to be transformational?

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On last week’s show I asked… so if radio stations in our format all begin with the same general stack of tools (music, deejays, etc.), why are most stations ordinary while only a few are transformational?

Last week I shared how my friend Joe Battaglia and I partnered with Ken Blanchard, author of the best-selling “One Minute Manager” series, to develop the national radio campaign for “Lead Like Jesus.” As we brainstormed ideas, Ken shared his experience of training the ballpark staff of the Padres’ Petco Park in San Diego.

They began with the end in mind:

What do we want fans to say when they are leaving the ballpark?

After several hours of discussion, it was transformed to this specific idea…

“I want to come back and I want to bring a friend.”

That one sentence crystalized their definition of success. The staff then went to work on creating a ballpark experience that could influence the conversation toward that response.

We radio folks are somewhat good at thinking about WHAT we do but far less good in thinking WHY we do it. Perhaps we should ask…

“What do we want our listeners to say when they listen?”

Continue reading →

Every Christian music radio station starts with the same set of tools. There is a stack of tunes, access to a varied list of air talent, some highly trained and some just sticking their heads out of the egg, a laundry list of promotions, and marketing resources ranging from billboards and bumper stickers all over town to your city’s best-kept secret.

So, if we all start with the same set of tools, what makes some stations ordinary while others are transformational?

In my almost 50 years of broadcasting (hey, I started when I was a wee little child) one of the things that has made our format my all-time favorite to program is that every day it has the potential to be transformational. We certainly know that is true from a spiritual perspective in the remarkable music we play and the messages that are crafted to touch the soul, but there is another way our format can be transformational.

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As your listeners and your town get back to living post-pandemic how is that being reflected on your radio station? “Live and local” is often cited by many in our industry as a panacea for what’s ailing us. While there is nothing wrong with giving time checks and pronouncing the street names correctly, it doesn’t have the transformative power of creating shared community.

“Content that is perceived as helpful always addresses a felt need. Content that doesn’t address a felt need is perceive as irrelevant. Notice I said perceived. It may be the most relevant information an audience has ever heard. But if an audience doesn’t understand how content interfaces with their lives, it’s just not all that interesting.”

Andy Stanley, “Deep and Wide”

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245 years ago our country was born with a Declaration of Independence and a subsequent Bill of Rights for all citizens for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But as Believers, we know that with those rights comes responsibility.

Your radio station has the right to do anything you want. Even the right to be mediocre if you so choose.

Many Christian stations are just that … a result of a mishmash programming schedule comprised largely by songs people don’t know by artists they’ve never heard of.

But with every right comes a responsibility.

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