This week I’m jumping on a big airplane to share some nifty ideas with a group of your CCM radio sisters and brothers. In case you weren’t invited, I’ll give you a tease.

A while back I was trying to hire a major market pro to do the morning show in a really big market with very tall buildings. Although we had never worked together directly I did trick him into being the image voice for a bunch of my stations.

It’s ironic, isn’t it?

In a format that is all about belief, few stations ever share what they believe.

Not a doctrinal statement, but a brand position. A flag in ground. A line in the sand. A reason to be on the air.

Chick-fil-A has one. Your money is no good there on Sunday.

The celebration of our nation’s 248th birthday can be a reminder of the transformational power of reflecting beliefs and values, and adopting common ground.

For 25 seasons I’ve had the best seat in the house as a semi-professional public address announcer for St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training and the minor league season that follows. That’s lots and lots of National Anthems, dizzy bat races, and seventh inning stretches.

Do you know what I enjoy the most? It’s when my voice is the cue for veterans and active service members to rise and be acknowledged for their service and sacrifice for our country. And, incidentally, that is when the ovation is the loudest.

What in the name of Thomas Jefferson does this have to do with programming your radio station?

Let’s have a little fun.

Tune to another Christian music radio station for 30 minutes, it can be one in your market or somewhere beyond, and listen to hear if they communicate their mission statement. You know, those scribblings on their walls, or their bumper stickers, or their post it notes and tee shirts.

In 30 minutes, do you as a listener get any sense of WHY this station is on the air?

I’ll wait.

“You can do anything… once”

I often heard those words from my dad’s booming voice. His acknowledgment of his son’s innate desire to reach out and try new things, while also mindful of his adolescent son’s propensity toward immature decisions.

Those words served as a life lesson of accountability. But, you know what? Those words were also true. I COULD do anything… once.

Do yourself a favor. Wander through your nearby Cracker Barrel store with the spirit of learning about how to better communicate your station’s attributes, benefits, and beliefs and values – the core elements of any radio station’s position in the marketplace.

This is what you’ll see.

“Opinions are like noses,” the saying goes. “Everyone has one.”

I like her voice! She sounds nasal! He’s funny. He thinks he’s funny.

Subjective opinions are inevitable in an industry that is a combination of music and art. The question is… how do we keep subjectivity from driving our most important decisions, staying clear of those being driven by the loudest voice or the one in the largest office?

Memorial Day weekend is a time to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Maybe, just maybe, there is a legacy lesson for our stations.

How will your station be remembered?

Will it be remembered as the station that plays 25-minute music sweeps without any talk, OR that it helped your community to be a better place to live and raise a family?

A legendary broadcaster recently asked me, “If you claim that your format can be so transformational, why are the stations so ordinary?”

Gulp.

Ken and Barbie in the morning, who replaced Ken and Barbie before them and few even noticed.* Nice Christian people talking about nice Christian things to nice Christian people.

Nice, indeed. But clearly not transformational to a listener’s life.

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!