I have a new friend. His name is also John.

He’s like a baby chick sticking his head out of the egg when it comes to Christian music radio. After decades in mainstream radio he knows he doesn’t know the format, but he asks REALLY good questions.

Because he is so charged up about his own faith he asks me, “Why isn’t there more celebration?”. Gulp. Out of the mouth of babes.

He is SO excited at the opportunity to work in this format but he’s perplexed why it often sounds dull and uninterested. I know of an air talent that was so disengaged that she chose to record her tracks in advance and then sit at the board while they played. The joke was if you needed a quiet place to have a discussion go to the control room.

When was the last time you heard laughter on your station?

When was the last time we sounded like people other people would actually like to hang around?

To paraphrase Andy Stanley, what if Christian radio was known primarily as a format with “the most generous and compassionate people.”

Thanks, John. Your question is worth asking.