John Frost, Alan Mason, and David Sams (executive producer of Keep The Faith) pictured with broadcasting legend Bud Paxson (founder of Home Shopping Network, Paxson Communications, and PAX-TV), a man whose influence was life-changing in our careers.
All posts by John Frost
Frost Advisory #215 – If Only The Words We Use
If only the words we use were compassionate words… and not distant newscaster words.
In our format, what if we only used the words of a friend, not those of a scolding teacher, or a detached observer.
I literally heard these words on a radio station this week:
“Extricated the lone occupant…”
…which, I guess, means that someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife was trapped in their car when heroes (someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife) came to their rescue, something those heroes do almost every day for someone’s daughter or son, or brother or sister, or husband or wife.
Instead of instructing and scolding, I wonder how many more people would listen if if our stations were known for the caring and loving people on the air.
What if the key to your station’s impact was contained in these simple words:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15
Frost Advisory #214 – Names, Names, Names
“My friend told me to call because you called out the name of my daughter. I’ve never listened to your station before!”
Stations that play the Family Name Game® understand the power of a name. A community of voices introducing traffic or weather, birthdays, anniversaries, can all be used effectively to create word-of-mouth. (They can also be used ineffectively adding clutter).
Coca-Cola’s new campaign invites you to #ShareaCoke with the someone whose name is on the label. This a ‘trigger’, something designed in that creates a reason to act.
Frost Advisory #213 – They’ve Closed My Favorite Restaurant!
I couldn’t believe my eyes. The sign on the door said CLOSED. Our favorite Mexican food restaurant back home has closed its doors.
It would be easy to assume that the food went downhill, the service got worse, and the mariachis started singing “La Bamba” off key. But none of those things happened.
The restaurant stayed the same, but everything around them changed. Ironically, it was a victim of being in a neighborhood that was booming. Apartments and office buildings sprouted up all around hiding the restaurant from ravenous fajita-hunting motorists. Trendy new restaurants made what was hidden easily forgettable.
The same thing can happen to your radio station.
Frost Advisory #212 – Driving Miss Daisy
It felt really weird. The seat was uncomfortably close to the steering wheel. She couldn’t see out of the rear-view mirror.
It felt weird because my daughter Daisy was sitting in MY car. It was designed for my comfort, not hers.
That’s the problem in attracting new listeners to your station. We are comfortable with it, but it can feel weird to them at first particularly if they have some preconceived notions about this “Christian radio thing”.
Frost Advisory #211 – The Ten Commandments of John Frost
Thanks to my pal Kevin Avery at The Fish in Atlanta for his creative musing on success.
Kevin and his talented pal Taylor’s morning show just so happens to be #1 in Women 25-54 in Atlanta, a very competitive radio market of 4.5 million people! So, maybe Kevin knows something worth hearing (‘cept #4, perhaps!)
The 10 Commandments of John Frost!
10) Thou shalt take the first exit!
9) Thou shalt give the listener ‘hugs’!
8) Thou shalt get to the point!
7) Thou shalt reflect back the listeners values!
6) Thou shalt love children!
5) Thou shalt love childrens’ mommas!
4) Thou shalt talk baseball with me whenever I visit!
3) Thou shalt tattoo the values pyramid on the inside of thou’s eyeballs!
2) Thou shalt be relevant!
1) Thou shalt be enthused about being in the best format in the world!
Frost Advisory #210 – See Me, Talk About Me!
Most people in your town have never heard of your radio station.
That’s hard for us to grasp because we’re involved with our station every day, and almost everyone we bump into knows where we work. But our world is not their world.
I’ve written in previous Frost Advisories about social proof, the grown-up term for peer pressure. Jonah Berger’s remarkable new book “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” discusses “The Power of Observability”; the easier something is to see, the more people talk about it.
Consider how the kind of car your neighbor drives is far more likely to affect your buying decision than does the toothpaste he uses. One is visible, the other is not.
It has always baffled me why Christian music stations seem content to be invisible. We have the greatest reason to reach people (see: The Great Commission), we have the most tribal format (our audience gathers without us even asking them to), and the format is about the things people care about most.
Frost Advisory #209 – Father’s Day Thoughts for the Family Format
Quick! Name a TV dad that is portrayed as a positive role model! How about in the movies?
Where have you gone, Cliff Huxtable?
It’s said that 85% of youths in prison grow up in fatherless homes. Role models can change the trajectory of a life.
With more and more successful Contemporary Christian music stations than ever before we have the opportunity to tell a better story to more people. I know stations that have created on-air features just so they can say, “You must be a great mom!” or “Atta boy, dad!”, affirming listeners for one of the most important roles in their lives.
I recently heard Amy Grant say, “Every once in a while it’s good to think about what is really important in your life, and then see what aspect of your life actually reflects that.”
“Sing something that matters”, her dad would often remind her. On this Father’s Day I think that’s good advice for our stations, as well.
Frost Advisory #208 – Making Time for the Big Idea
Programming a successful radio station can often seem like jumping on a moving train. It’s challenging enough for a programmer to simply find time to listen to the station or meet with the air staff, much less actually plan the next event.
We’re often so busy with the urgent that we don’t take the time to think.
At Mark Ramsey’s recent Hivio conference I heard filmmaker Emma Coats share that the process of creating a great story often involves discounting the first thing that comes to mind. That’s because the first thing is seldom the unique thing.
The more you drill down, the closer you’ll get to the big idea.
Frost Advisory #207-The Power of Precision
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts,” John Wooden often said.
Many of the happiest times in life are associated with learning. I remember my friend Dan Heidt teaching me how to fingerpick on my Taylor 310 guitar. It was great fun learning to fly during college in my friend Bob’s Cherokee Citation. My career took a new trajectory because of the remarkable mentoring in programming by the legendary Alan Mason.
Learning seldom happens alone. The exchange of ideas is often the basis of longtime friendships.