When I wrote Frost Advisory #661 – What Christian Radio Can Learn From… Bud Light, I didn’t imagine there could be other companies that would say, “Hey, that’s a good idea” and follow along.

Silly me.

I’m told that Anheuser-Busch has lost 27 billion dollars in value since Bud Light decided to feature a “trans-athlete” on a Bud Light bottle.

As unlikely an example to follow it seems that Target did just THAT. Yes, the brand that appeals directly to young moms and kids decided there was another agenda. You know the story. They knew implications of Bud Light’s decision. But anyway…

Memorial Day weekend is a time to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Maybe, just maybe, there is a lesson that can apply to the legacy of your radio station.

How will your radio station be remembered?

Did you know that a lot of hotels don’t have a 13th floor? Seems that enough people have a weird superstition about the number 13 that they wouldn’t want to stay on that floor. Or something.

Well, this isn’t really Frost Advisory #667, it’s really #666. My editor (my dog Maggie) insisted that I change it to Frost Advisory #667 because she’s one superstitious golden doodle. I’ve learned not to tempt fate when Maggie puts her foot down. Or lifts it up for that matter.

But enough of that wild goose chase about my dog…

They say opinions are like noses; everyone has one.

The boss, the Facebook posts from listeners, the sales manager, or the weekend disc jockey, everyone has an opinion on what your station should be doing to be better. At least for them.

On this Mother’s Day I wonder what Mom would say!

The ratings arrive. Our emotions react. There is running up and down the hallways and gnashing of teeth! DO SOMETHING!

I’ve heard some pretty wacky ways that people have reacted to ratings. Moving the deejays’ shifts around, playing music from a completely different format, and implementing formatics that make the station sound more generic and less distinctive. I’M NOT MAKING THIS UP, as Dave Barry would say.

Making programming decisions based solely upon ratings is like driving with a GPS that shows only where you’ve been.

On last week’s show I shared how important it is to fall in love with the format. This week I’m sharing a bit of a different perspective.

I’ve worked with many amazingly talented people over my five decades in the biz. Regardless of the format, regardless the size of the market, regardless of job title, and even regardless of the level of experience talent shines through.

(Make a list of the ten most talented people you’ve worked with. The names will pop into your head with little effort).

We programmers tend to be pretty nifty at analysis. It’s too long. It’s too short. There’s too much of “A” and not enough of “B.”

Successful radio stations are analyzed regularly. But analysis, if it goes no further than analysis, can have blind spots.

You read that right.

In case you’ve missed it, there is quite a controversy over a recent campaign from Bud Light.

It seems that the marketing department at Bud Light decided to make Dylan Mulvaney, a “trans woman,” one of its paid spokespersons. For the purposes of this blog I’ll not focus on the obvious moral and societal aspects of that decision but instead focus on the branding implications. After all, Christian radio stations regularly face scrutiny about who they are FOR or AGAINST.

So, what’s going on here?

There’s a financial talk show on a small AM radio station where I live. Yep, I listen from time to time but please don’t tell anybody. It’s terrible radio, but the guys are really smart, they cough a lot, have lots of room noise and give insightful advice.

Besides, they’ve helped me make a gazillion imaginary dollars in the stock market!

The trouble is they don’t understand radio. Much of the show includes inside references (the office necktie policy), dropped phone calls (“is the caller there? Hello? Please turn down your radio!”), reading articles out loud from the Wall Street Journal (BORING! I can do that myself!), or making references to things they said thirty minutes ago (“Do I have to repeat this again? Weren’t you listening thirty minutes ago?”)

Don’t worry! I’m not going to ask how many times you play “Easter Parade” by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

Easter, from a programming perspective, is not like Christmas in that there are 27 different versions of “Mary, did you Know?” that we can play.

But the principle is the same.