Category Archives: Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #240 – Bring Me The Bad News!

A couple of weeks ago I shared observations on leadership from the book, “Breakfast with Fred”, the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr, a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell and my friend Steve Brown.

Little did I realize that within a couple of weeks I would be attending the funeral of the greatest leader I have ever personally known, Bud Paxson.

My friend Eric Rhoads of Radio Ink describes Bud as “the smartest man he ever met.” Bud has been described as visionary, trendsetter, renegade, and innovator. He cared not about his critics nor about obstacles. After going on a buying spree of thirteen stations in the Florida panhandle I asked him, “Bud, do you ever think about what you’re going to do with these stations when you get them?” He looked at me with that all-to-familiar sly grin and said, “That’s your problem.” ‘Nuff said!

Bud’s innovations are legendary. He created a billion dollar TV shopping industry from what he learned selling green can openers on an AM radio station. He redefined radio consolidation by challenging the one AM/one FM per market status quo, and built a television network by building distribution first – dozens of UHF television stations that few wanted – then developed the programming; the opposite of what everyone else was doing.

Bud was a complex man with an unpredictable short fuse we referred to as “Bud quakes”. He was demanding and often difficult to work for, but those who endured knew they were on the ride of their careers.

One of Bud’s greatest leadership traits was summed up in the words “Bring me the bad news!” He believed in dealing with problems head on. He said that if he didn’t know about a problem he couldn’t do anything about the problem. His attitude set the tone for a culture of candor among his closest advisors, so much so that Alan Mason and I would murmer, “I can’t believe he’s saying THAT to Bud Paxson!”

Since my days of working for Bud I’ve seen numerous instances where people were hesitant to speak truth to leadership for fear of repercussion. Yes, even in Christian organizations. I’ve seen managers visit candidly with each other about their challenges but then remain muted in front of the big guy, the very person who could do something about it. Trust is lacking, and the organization suffers.

Fred Smith said, “A leader will take counsel from his people before he takes action but will act on what he sees as right. He has trained himself out of the fear of making mistakes.”

Everything about Bud Paxson was big. His 6’ 6″ frame, his booming radio voice, his philanthropy, and his public demonstrations of his Christian faith through the founding of The Worship Network and frequent keynote speaking opportunities.

Notorious to some, a champion to others. Bud Paxson was never too big to lose sight that any organization is only as good as its ability to speak truth to leadership.

Bud Paxon with friends

*Pictured are my close friends and business partners Alan Mason and David Sams during our pilgrimage last summer to let Bud know how much he impacted our careers and lives.

Frost Advisory #239 – The Curse of the Radio Selfie

“Daddy, watch this!”

“Momma, watch this!”

Our desire to be known has reached new dimensions via social media. People who study such things say that Selfies make up almost one-third of all photos taken by people aged 18-24.

I heard a comedian recently ask, “When was the last time you were in a picture that someone else actually took?”

A recent Fancy Gizmo trade show featured the latest contribution to our self-absorption – a pole that extends to allow Selfies from several feet away! I reckon’ that we’ll soon be yelling at our kids, “Don’t run in the house with your Selfie stick!”

selfie

It’s one thing to be self-absorbed as a pimply-faced adolescent, it’s quite another to be self absorbed as a radio station…

News bulletin! It’s not about us.

My talented friend Brant Hansen recently posted some news about the latest stations to carry his syndicated radio show. You’d think his fans would be celebrating! After all, they are the ones fanatical enough to have signed up on his fan page, and instead their reactions are…

Mikayla: “Too bad it’s not in Central Texas.”

Lisa: “I just know y’all are gonna come to Mississippi… Right?”

Diane: “But still no Ohio…”

Rachel: “No Texas yet?”

No responses like “way to go, Brant”. No “you’re doing a great job!” No “we’re out here rootin’ for ya!”

They don’t care about Brant’s syndication, charming guy that he is, except for how his show connects to their lives! And none of that matters if they can’t even hear his show. In other words to the listener IT’S ALL ABOUT THEM! And they’re right!

That’s the problem with the Radio Selfie. It’s all about us. It’s all about the station. And it’s epidemic in our little radio world.

Deejays that talk incessantly about things that happened in their lives that listeners can’t relate to. Newscasts with stories that sound newsy but aren’t relevant. Stations that position themselves with mindless slogans that are all about the station, not about what is meaningful to the listener.*

Radio Selfies are really about ego, and John Maxwell addresses that with…

“Dear Speaker:

Your ego has become a wall between yourself and me. You’re not really concerned about me, are you? You’re mostly concerned about whether or not this speech is really working … about whether or not you’re doing a good job. You’re really afraid that I will not applaud, aren’t you? You’re afraid that I won’t laugh at your jokes or cry over your emotional anecdotes. You are so caught up in the issue of how I am going to receive your speech, you haven’t thought much about me at all. I might have loved you, but you are so caught up in self-love that mine is really unnecessary.

“If I don’t give you my attention it’s because I feel so unnecessary here. When I see you at the microphone, I see Narcissus at his mirror … Is your tie straight? Is your hair straight? Is your deportment impeccable? Is your phraseology perfect? You seem in control of everything but your audience. You see everything so well [except] us. This blindness to us, I’m afraid, has made us deaf to you.

“We must go now. Sorry. Call us sometime later. We’ll come back to you … when you’re real enough to see us … after your dreams have been shattered … after your heart has been broken … after your arrogance has reckoned with despair. Then there will be room for all of us in your world. Then you won’t care if we applaud your brilliance. You’ll be one of us. Then you will tear down the ego wall and use those very stones to build a bridge of warm relationship. We’ll meet you on that bridge. We’ll hear you then. All speakers are joyously understood when they reach with understanding.”

– Your Audience

*(My all-time favorite bad radio slogan is “Not What You Think!” This positioning line assumes two things of the listener: 1) That they think anything at all about the station, and 2) that it’s WRONG!)

Frost Advisory #238 – Celebrate What You Value

The beginning of a new year seems to me to be a good time to consider how we internalize the values in our organizations.

Andy Stanley suggests, “Just start celebrating what you value. People will value what you celebrate, and they will celebrate what you value.”

I’ve recently been reading, “Breakfast with Fred“, the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr, a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell and my friend Steve Brown.

“When Fred was in his early twenties, he visited a cemetery and asked himself what he would want the epitaph on his tombstone to read. It was at that moment he chose the phrase that would set his life direction: ‘He stretched others.'”

That stretching led Fred to value conversations and the sharing of insights and wisdom. So much so that the “Breakfast with Fred” concept evolved as his health deteriorated as his breakfast meetings with a few moved online for many to read.

What does your organization value?

values

My friend Ken Blanchard, author of more than 30 best sellers including “One Minute Manager“, begins every workday with a personal message to go into the voice mail of hundreds of his staff and associates. I’ve actually been with him as he shared his morning message.

Why does he go to such trouble? Because he values encouragement and teamwork.

The hallways at most Christian radio stations are full of pictures of musicians, nicely framed gold records, and maybe a glossy photo of a deejay or two.

The walls at KSBJ in Houston are covered with statements of vision, purpose, and what they believe.

It’s a new year! Maybe it is time to celebrate what you value!

Frost Advisory #237 – What Is Your Station Becoming?

comfortzone

The urgency of the day makes it difficult to think about tomorrow. And yet, the end of another year can be that time when we ponder our lives, our own mortality, and thanks to George Bailey, whether our lives are making a difference!

“What you are going to be tomorrow you are becoming today.” John Maxwell

I’m told that the most common New Year’s resolutions are about quitting smoking, losing weight, and starting a regular exercise routine. Maybe these concepts that can be applied to help make your radio station healthier.

Stop smoking!

We know it is an unhealthy habit but clogging up your radio station’s arteries with bad programming can be addictive, as well. We justify by saying we’ve always done it that way, or that a donor would complain if we stopped, or we can’t get the air talent to do their show prep, but we know deep down our station would be healthier if only good stuff was flowing through our programming veins.

Lose weight!

Most stations have weight they can shed as well; weight made up of programming that doesn’t meet the primary needs of why people listen. The discipline of losing weight isn’t much fun, but the benefits are tremendous!

Exercise!

Flabby areas of your programming can be avoided with regular exercise. When you add a promotion, take away a promotion. When you add a programming feature, take another away. When you add a song, you can stay slim and trim by taking away another song.

But beware! Just like your chain-smoking friend who knows better but still doesn’t quit, change can be difficult even if that change is for good.

“Change brings new choices that create uncertainty. Think of how in an unfamiliar place you gravitate toward a familiar face… the most familiar place is always the status quo.” ~”Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard”, Chip and Dan Heath

Frost Advisory #236 – Steel Magnolias and Your Radio Station

steelmagnolias

I was channel surfing the other day and I stopped on the movie “Steel Magnolias”.

There’s the river!

“Steel Magnolias” is the story of a close-knit circle of friends who lives come together at Truvy’s Beauty Parlor in a small town in Louisiana.

I used to ride my bicycle down that street!

The movie stars Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis.

That’s the old McLung’s Drugstore!

It’s a clever movie and won some awards, but that’s not why it caught my eye.

You see, Steel Magnolias was actually filmed in the town where I lived during six of my Wonder Years. The man who wrote the original play went to high school with my brothers and lived one street over.

Advertising guru Roy Williams says, “People will be more interested in your home movies if they are in them.”

You watch a movie differently when it is based in a place you’ve lived a part of your life.

You listen to a radio station differently when its based on the things your life is about.

Frost Advisory #235 – What You See Depends Upon Where You Stand

Last week we chatted about the power of Christmas programming. This week I’m going to dig a little deeper.

One air talent responded, “Thank you… this helps me as Christmas music is driving me crazy.”

Another said, “I’m scared we’re going to lose more fans than we attract new listeners.”

Still another said, “I know we’re known for Christmas music but let’s just try something new.”

stop

“Each person has a different set of biases and values and assumptions, and those world views are influenced by their parents, their schools, the places they live and the experiences they’ve had to date.

Their worldview is the lens they use to determine whether or not they’re going to believe a story. The lens your consumers use shows them a different version of reality than it shows you or your colleagues or your others customers.” Seth Godin

Back in my deejay days I worked for a station that played the #1 song every hour. Every hour, I said. No one inside the radio station would have suggested it, and those of us on the air were ready to pull our hair out. But the listeners loved it. I mean, LOVED IT. The radio station was a huge success and became the prototype for dozens of successful stations across the country.

What you see depends upon where you stand.

If one is standing still, one sees AHEAD STOP.

If one is speeding down a bicycle path one sees STOP AHEAD.

Are these spray painted letters intended for someone standing still or someone speeding down a bicycle path? It makes all the difference.

If you want to do the right thing for your listeners do your best to understand their perspective.

Hint: I guarantee it is NOT the same as yours.

Frost Advisory #234 – The Power Of Christmas (programming)

Christmas music programming. Is it good or bad? Right or wrong? Hip or stale?

Viewed simply as a programming tactic, programming all Christmas music is about as crazy as it gets. Let’s see, your listeners come to you because you play the music they love – Chris Tomlin, Big Daddy Weave, Hercules and the Chicken Fat People.

Now you’ve decided to stop playing all the music that they love. That’s like ESPN deciding to stop carrying sports. How in the name of Bill Gaither is THAT supposed to be a good idea?

However, viewed as a programming strategy it’s a different thing altogether.

adoption

In our format the biggest barrier for growth is that new listeners don’t know the music. Since everyone’s favorite station is the station that plays their favorite music, it’s virtually impossible for someone to become a fan of your station if they don’t know the music. RISK impedes adoption.

RISK is something every business, every product, and every radio station must overcome in the Adoption process.

No one you’ve ever met has said that their favorite hamburger is from McDonalds. And yet McDonalds is the 6th most valuable brand in the world according to Forbes.

How’d that happen? It’s not because they have the best burger, but because they flawlessly deliver a consistent experience whether in Dallas, Dublin, or Dubai. (And their bathrooms are clean, thankyouverymuch!)

In other words, McDonalds has virtually eliminated RISK.

When done well Christmas music programming totally eliminates RISK for a new listener.

I’ll never forget the story told to me by my talented friend Tom Fridley. He spent a season working in the post office, where the dozens of employees went about their business of sorting the mail isolated in their cubicles listening on the headphones to their individual pop, country, rock, or AC station.

But something interesting happened when the Christmas music started. The headphones came off, and everyone in the office listened to one station – the station that played Christmas music.

“There was a time when our community was defined by our neighbors in a geographic sense. Today, our communities are based on shared interests, not shared sidewalks.” Mark Ramsey

Christmas is the largest possible “shared interest” for our format, allowing our stations to become instantly familiar as we connect to Christmas memories, shopping, decorating the tree, the local parade, the neighborhoods with the best Christmas lights, the dynamics of family get togethers, and the church Christmas pageant.

Tactically, programming all Christmas music makes no sense at all.

Strategically, it may the be the most important decision for growth that you’ll ever make.

Frost Advisory #233 – Thank You Mighty Much

“Thank you mighty much” were the words Ed shouted as folks left his tiny country grocery store.  Ed appreciated his customers, and everyone walked away with something free.

For the grown ups, it was the Coke machine that wouldn’t take their money.  For the kiddos it was “don’t forget your surprise” as they reached their tiny arms into the large jar of bubble gum.

Continue reading

Frost Advisory #232 – The Salvation Army and the Bell Ringer

bellringerEvery Christmas for the last several years I’ve thrown a few coins into the Salvation Army bucket down the street at the Piggly Wiggly. But not this year. Nope. They’ve changed their bell ringer. The guy standing outside the store ringing the bell is going to be different this season, so I’ve decided not to give.

Ludicrous, isn’t it? Obviously no one would stop donating to the Salvation Army because Bernie replaced Barry at the bucket.

Then why is it that our radio stations hear this type of complaint fairly regularly?

You’ve change programs!

You’ve changed the disc jockeys!

You cancelled Adventures in Odyssey!

You did this ONE thing that I don’t like… so I’m not going to donate to your station anymore!

They are basically saying “you’ve change the bell ringer.”

I know what the Salvation Army stands for. I believe in their cause of helping those who can’t help themselves. My understanding of the vision and purpose of their ministry is far more important to me than who stands outside Winn-Dixie ringing a bell.

Just this week I overheard a listener tell my friend Tyler McKenzie , “I got a mammogram because of you.” Tyler and her friend Ellis are the #1 morning show in their town, and not because they play 5 in a row or they hit the spotsets at the quarter hours.* It’s because they are meaningful, and may have even saved someone’s life.

No one will refuse to go to New York Yankees’ games because Derek Jeter has retired. I reckon no one stopped going to Starbucks because they quit serving the Captain Crunch Frappuccino.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum, you’ll likely hear complaints about the bell ringer because the bigger story isn’t being told.

*There is nothing wrong with tactics that potentially minimize tune out or aid additional listening occasions, but they should not be confused with creating compelling reasons to love your station.

Frost Advisory #231 – We Ain’t Got Enough Stuff!

We don’t have enough money! We don’t have enough marketing and research! We don’t have enough people!

Surprise! In more than forty years of being inside tall stations and short stations, successful stations and gonna-be successful stations, I’ve never heard anyone say they had enough stuff!

Every station needs more something! But every station has the same amount of something, too!

Time.

Rather than focusing on what we don’t have perhaps we should consider focusing on making the most of what we do have.

I’ve seen some program directors spend so much time on the on-line forums and Facebook during their workday that I wonder when they have time to actually program their stations. (Answer: They don’t). I’ve seen organizations spend so much time in meetings that they no longer have time to get anything done.

While obviously some meetings are important, Robert Pozen, productivity expert and contributor to the Wall Street Journal, recently wrote that meetings are “the bane of corporate life.” He insists that companies are scheduling far too many of them, failing to maximize that wasted time and – in effect – ignoring the “real” work of getting things done.

In short, meetings are an excellent way to showcase how busy you are, but are a horrific way to let actual productivity slide.

meetings

My talented friends at NGEN share their creativity on wasting time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8uqqmJKLv0&list=UUj2caSdz7Y2QW4iIq9gtNyw

Here’s a suggestion on how to make better use of your time, from Jack Kinder in “Breakfast with Ted”:

“At the end of each day, …sit down and identify the many things to be done the following day. On a second piece of paper, …list in the order of their priority.”

The next day start at the top of your list and scratch out tasks completed. Moving from top to bottom, you’ll seldom mark out all of them. However, you will form the habit of focusing on the highest priorities!

“Don’t get so busy dribbling that you forget we’re supposed to score.” Phil Jackson