“Second verse, same as the first.” Herman’s Hermits

Over these last several months these weekly Frost Advisories have had a few recurring themes. For one thing, it doesn’t look like the pandemic is going to be over anytime soon. For another, we need to be thinking about not just getting through the day-to-day grind but also what we are learning through it.

What are we learning about how to encourage during a national emergency? What are we learning about creating a shared experience where people don’t feel isolated? What are we learning about being human and relating to what people are going through?

The worst version of our format is “nice Christian people talking about nice Christian things to nice Christian people.”

The best version of our format is like a friend who sticks with you through life’s ups and downs and is an encourager every step of the way.

In execution, the first option is any day anywhere. The second option is right here right now.

When a station focuses on “right here right now” it forces the elimination of all generics. No more platitudes. No more “hang in theres.”

COVID-19 isn’t going away, at least anytime soon. Our normal in March is not the normal in July and may not be our normal in October.

Our focus needs to be now. Because “now” is the one thing we most have in common; yes, even more than our beliefs or our values.

You can’t make me! Because I’m a Republican/a Democrat/a Texan, a hard working self-made man/someone that can’t be pushed around/a free thinker!

I find the “controversy” over wearing a face mask to be peculiar. Why? Because from my perspective, MY world view, it makes perfect sense to wear one. It’s only a minor inconvenience, if that, it’s a great conversation starter at the grocery store and the gym (about the only places I can go), and it covers up my big nose.

244 years ago our country was born with a Declaration of Independence, and a subsequent Bill of Rights for all citizens to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But as Believers, we know that with those rights comes responsibility.

Your radio station has the right to do anything you want. Even the right to be mediocre if you so choose. Many Christian stations are just that as a result of a mishmash programming lineup comprised largely by unfamiliar songs by unknown artists.

But with every right comes a responsibility.

If you’ve been following along over the last several weeks you may have noticed that my Frost Advisories have focused on the challenges our stations are facing during this season of the coronavirus and racial tensions across the country.

I’ve commented on training talent, on connecting with the local African-American community, on finding the right camera angle for our format that is designed to encourage, and about sharing stories that give insight and create empathy.

“You can do anything,” boomed my dad’s voice to his mischievous adolescent son. But he added one more word. “Once.” “You can do anything… once.”

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

So can your station.

Interesting times, eh?

So… what are you learning through this season of COVID-19 and the protests of racial injustice?

What are you learning about your radio station that wasn’t as clear before?

One of the things I’m learning is that when we get outside “our lane” we are noticeably irrelevant. In other words, when we start doing a bunch of stuff that no one comes to us for we lose our impact.* It’s bad enough to be talking about National Pie Day (that’s 3.14, don’tcha know?) in ordinary times, but in these times we sound pert near foolish.

A few weeks ago my Frost Advisory titled, “We’ll never have more in common,” I cited the coronavirus pandemic as the basis for sharing that we’ll never have more in common than now with the people tuning to your station for the very first time.

Well, I was wrong.

The murder of a black man by a white policeman last month in Minneapolis has set off a series of protests and marches that still occupy many hours of cable TV news. My brilliant friend Brian Yeager at KTSY in Boise shared a unique perspective with his listeners:

I reckon’ there has been an easier time to work in Christian radio. But there may have never been a more important time.

But, gosh, it’s tough sometimes.

How do we talk about it?

We know what our format is NOT. We’re not about dividing people. We’re not about stirring up controversy. We’re not about drawing attention with alarming BREAKING NEWS alerts. We know that we should be a unifier of people of faith.

But, gosh, it’s tough sometimes.

But you know what? I’ve heard some remarkable radio this past week. I’ve heard honesty. I’ve heard compassion. I’ve heard self-reflection of our own thoughts, behaviors, and prejudices.

Memorial Day is often considered the official kick off of summer. But more importantly it is a time set aside to remember those who gave their lives for our country.

This time of remembrance is a good time for us to reflect on how we’d like our radio stations remembered.

We get a glimpse of this each year as we compile the Station of the Year entry for Christian Music Broadcasters. It forces us to stop our day-to-day busyness and ponder the most noteworthy things of the preceding twelve months. We discover some things stand out, other things are vapor in the wind.

When people talk about your radio station do they speak of the 25-minute music sweeps with fewer commercials, or do they talk about how you help people help people?

Do they talk about how Jack and Jill read “This day in history” from Twitter every morning at 7:20, or that your station cheers on moms and dads for the most important commitment they’ll ever make – raising good kids?