The Christmas season brings out the best in our format. More people tune to our stations than at any other time of the year, some stations topping a million listeners per week, once unthinkable in our format.

Many stations do their best job of connecting on common values with stories of hope, forgiveness, and fresh beginnings. Over the last several weeks I have heard some amazing stories and songs.

Jessica asked The Fish Atlanta for help in collecting Christmas for her son Logan in the Air Force, only to be surprised by Logan showing up in person.

I heard how Pamela and her daughter were helped to move out of the homeless shelter and start a new life!

I heard Craig’s story of being able to hear for the first time because of a caring surgeon.

I heard the story of the man who decorated his house with Christmas lights knowing that his son wouldn’t live to see Christmas. When his neighbors found out they joined in and decorated their houses months early.

Stories and songs. These stories resonate just as much with a brand new listener as a station fan. Consider the impact on your radio station moving forward.

“There is nothing more powerful than to be able to give something to someone that lets them know they matter. This is the beauty of Christmas. Isn’t it interesting that the day that centers around the coming of Jesus into human history has provoked the greatest movement of generosity and giving the world has ever known? Where Jesus is generosity flows.”Erwin McManus

What can we learn from this?

Our format can be so much more than songs people don’t know by artists they’ve never heard.

Maybe this New Year we’ll resolve not to settle for radio stations that aren’t interesting enough to even be listened to in our very own hallways (Litmus test #1), but instead to devote ourselves to the hard work of creating radio stations that really, really matter.

After all…

It doesn’t matter what we do if what do doesn’t matter.