The beginning of a new year is a good time to review the basics. For instance, at my church our pastor takes the first two Sundays of each year to restate the purpose and vision of the church. Twice a year may not sound like a timely enough reminder but how many radio station share their purpose AT ALL? Fitness clubs and diet plans often base their marketing on people’s desire to return to the basics and embrace new habits.

A simple truth is that there are only two distinct elements to programming a radio station.

This is my 800th Frost Advisory. It really is a lot of trouble, you know. I hope you feel sorry for me.

I’ve written this blog diligently every week for fifteen years and four months. I did the math. That’s longer than I’ve held any one job. That’s longer than I’ve lived in one city, minus one.

Frost Advisory #1 was prompted by my programming mentor Alan Mason saying bluntly to me, “You should write.”

The Christmas season brings out the best in our format. More people tune in than at any other time of the year, some stations topping a million listeners per week, once unthinkable. A handful go to the top ranking #1 in their market.

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

Is there a connection between Christmas and your station’s strategy? No, I didn’t say Christmas MUSIC. I said Christmas.

I’m told there are more “religious” radio stations in the United States than any other format category. They also say that those religious stations often have fewer listeners than the other format categories. Ouch!

Many Christian radio stations could best be described as “A bunch of stuff all on one station,” consisting of a little of this and a little of that with little connection to the WHY.

From time to time I’ll hear radio stations use the phrase, “music and ministry,” which, ever so subtly, infers that music isn’t ministry. Perhaps that dates to a time that many of us remember that Christian radio stations had long talk blocks, and that music was often considered the “fill” between what was considered the real ministry.

That still is in the conversation as stations discuss the value of playing Christmas music to reach new listeners.

By the time you are reading this, Christian music stations up and down the dial have swapped out their typical playlist for the 137 best versions of “Holly Jolly Christmas.” While the strategic upside to that wacky Clark Kent-to-Superman identity change has been well chronicled in these 15+ years of weekly Frost Advisories, I reckon’ one aspect of this format flip may not have received enough attention. That’s the part that isn’t about the music.

“You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”

Will Rogers

This week’s Frost Advisory is a bit of a departure from my weekly musings on how to make your radio station really nifty. Instead, I’d like to take this moment during Thanksgiving week to encourage you in the important work you’re doing at your station.

I’m told that the word “encouragement” means literally to pour courage into. This word for “encouragement” appears over 100 times in the New Testament.

Over the years I’ve learned that there are basically three different levels of discussions that happen about programming.

There are conversations about being competent. Basic stuff like having real people (even if voice-tracked) offering companionship in your listener’s life RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW.

And there are conversations about incremental improvements. Move this widget here, etc.

But those two topics are not necessarily transformative.

And… FOX news! (Seriously!)

Have you seen FOX News’ latest image campaign? To me it’s reminiscent of ESPN’s classic campaign awhile back where famous athletes in uniform appeared in ordinary situations in the ESPN headquarters – in the break room, walking through a hallway, in the parking lot.

In other words, making celebrities (Aaron Judge, Payton Manning, Derek Jeter) ordinary, and making ordinary people (the ESPN anchors) celebrities.

It’s the most important question we can ask. Or better, it’s the most important question we can ANSWER.

Our format is foundationally based on values. It attracts people that share those values. Our most loyal listeners and donors and even staff are those that share those values the deepest.

That’s our WHY!