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 to be remembered.

We get a glimpse of this each year as we compile the Station of the Year entry. 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?

Now don’t take this the wrong way, there is nothing wrong with fun and games on the radio. In fact, playtime is how many friendships are formed and light-heartedness can be a great relief during this stressful pandemic. But…

The things your station is doing during the pandemic are a part of the new foundation for how your radio station will be remembered.

There are so many incredible examples of stations demonstrating their purpose during the pandemic. There have been drive-in worship services, listeners in their cars at hospital parking lots cheering healthcare workers at shift change, online concerts, Zoom conversations with air personalities and listeners, the donation of hand sanitizer and face masks to first responders and those in need, on air and social media shout outs to 2021 graduating seniors, and preempting regular programming to broadcast “A Day of Hope” focusing on offering listeners hope, prayer, and resources to get through this season.

I like the way that Andy Stanley says it,

“When the story of COVID-19 is just a story we tell, let’s make sure our stories are stories worth telling. Let’s not settle for getting through this. Let’s decide to be better for it.”