One of our close friends and a major donor at the radio station where I worked was a gentleman who owned a Dairy Queen franchise across the street from the local high school. The restaurant was located in a prime spot and it had been there for many years. In a sense, our friend’s business “owned” the lunch crowd during the school year.
Some say it was inevitable, but regardless, it happened. A brand new, shiny McDonald’s restaurant came to town directly across from the Dairy Queen and on the same side of the street as the high school.
Many of us assumed that this was the end of the Dairy Queen! We envisioned the end of brazier treats, Blizzards, and Buster Bars for famished high-schoolers. And that may have been the case had our friend not taken the next right steps to compete for this lucrative and hungry audience.
As our friend tells the story, he started with an honest assessment of his current facility. The parking lot needed repair. The building looked and felt old, and there wasn’t a drive-thru lane. Until the arrival of the McDonald’s, they had seen no need for one. Their traditional thinking was that their treats were special and people would happily come inside and wait for them to be made.
So, before the lot was even cleared for the new McDonald’s, our friend began updating his lot and building, and also installed a drive-thru lane. It was a total makeover just in time for McDonald’s arrival.
Like the Dairy Queen, all of us in media face competition. New stations appear regularly in our markets, and new platforms, podcasts, and technology arrive almost daily. I am sure that many people believe that these innovations are designed to “steal” our listeners. The truth is, the listeners never belonged to us.
Today’s temptation is to try to keep up and be the best at everything, but you and I know that is not possible. So, before you ride off in all directions at the arrival of the next round of competition, consider these simple, but hard steps.
Assess.
- Take some time with your leadership team and do an honest, anonymous if necessary, S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Listen carefully and don’t react.
- Review your staff. John Maxwell famously says, “train them or trade them.” Continuing education and training are not options in 2021, they are essential.
- Take a detailed look at your facility and infrastructure. Are they hindering you or the staff from doing a great job?
Consult.
- Hire the best media, fundraising, and sales consultants that you can afford. It is amazing what an objective review of your organization can do for you and your team. And then listen to them.
- Take a 360 Leadership Assessment Test and share the results with your team. Peter Drucker says, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Your organization deserves the best leadership that you can give.
- Make time and money available for research. Music and market research will help you develop a roadmap to maintaining and growing your audience. (I am fortunate to work with Art Garza and others in the STAR / Pillar group who respect and appreciate the importance of having qualitative, objective research done for their stations.) Outside of the occasional market research project, you’re flying blind, at best.
Trust.
- What is your purpose for existence? Fred Jacobs calls it your “True North” but said differently, have you wandered from your mission? Is your mission still relevant?
- As Christians in media, our mission and ministry assume that there is a connection to the living God that guides us in all life and practice. What is God saying to you about 2021 and beyond? Have you asked and are you listening?
Act.
- Develop the timeline of the next steps and start the make-over of your station or ministry.
- Cut out the unproductive and wasteful programs of the past, so that you can invest in the future.
- Focus, focus, focus. Your job is to keep moving your station or ministry forward utilizing all of the resources that God has allowed you to steward.
There is much more to say on these matters, but it all starts with a “heart-check” of motives. Are we competing to keep our share of the market or are we motivated to improve to reach more people for Jesus? This is “to be determined”, right?
And now the rest of the story. At the appointed time, the McDonald’s arrived in our town with great fanfare and excitement. And predictably, for a season, it seemed like all of the cars were turning into the shiny new restaurant. But it didn’t stay that way. Within a matter of weeks, consumers tired of the long lines and rediscovered the new, improved Dairy Queen. The renovation and makeover had worked and both businesses flourished. They still do so to this day.
Catholic priest, James Keller says, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
God’s best to you and your team in 2021! May we all shine bright for Him and His glory! (That’s not a bad prayer for the New Year.)
Dick Whitworth
General Manager, WAKW/Cincinnati
Dick has been in Christian broadcasting for over 40 years having served as an on-air host, Station Manager, Assistant VP for Media, and Network Director. He is currently the General Manager at WAKW, STAR 93.3 in Cincinnati.
Married to Jayne for over 41 years, they have two children and two grandchildren. Dick & Jayne currently live in Mason, Ohio.
98.5 KTIS strives to point people in the Twin Cities to Jesus on the air, online, and on the street. Through remarkable service projects, 98.5 KTIS listeners are the hands and feet of Jesus to multiply the KTIS impact in our community. The first Friday of each month was 98.5 KTIS Drive-thru Difference Day, as listeners shared God’s love by paying for the order of the person behind them in the drive-thru. Moms overcame health, financial, and family difficulties through 98.5 KTIS’ Heart of a Mom initiative; meeting needs for a kitchen update, fulfilling a missed honeymoon with a cruise to Alaska, securing a reliable vehicle, and more. 98.5 KTIS’ Christmas Blessing resulted in remarkable stories of goodwill in the community, meeting needs by blessing people battling cancer, overcoming miscarriage, and recovering from financial devastation. Collecting thousands of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes filled with toys for kids around the world, the 98.5 KTIS Shoebox Showdown shared the hope of Jesus from the Twin Cities to children around the world. Listeners continued that generosity by working together to collect over 11,000 pencils for boys and girls in the Dominican Republic. 98.5 KTIS listeners ‘Shared the Warmth’ as a local business paid listener heating bills during the cold winter months, and listeners used those funds to bless their favorite Twin Cities nonprofits. 98.5 KTIS’ Ministry of the Month connected listener passions and talents to local ministries, highlighting the good being done in our community by these organizations on-air and online.
Through intentional, community focused service initiatives, Spirit 92.9 partners with listeners and businesses to help make their community better, together. The station’s first “Community Spirit” project in 2022 focused on showing God’s love to children entering foster care in the area after the ministry learned that there were more children than ever before in the system. During a weeklong collection drive, Spirit 92.9 listeners and business partners generously helped provide a new pair of pajamas and a stuffed animal for over 1,100 kids. Hoping to lead by example through serving, the Spirit 92.9 team helped prepare over 800 free meals for individuals and families in need for Easter, prepared and served a meal at the local homeless shelter, and helped clean up trash at an abandoned property near their studios. Hundreds of women in the community were served and uplifted in January at the station’s first Ladies’ Night Out-an opportunity to worship, laugh, receive support and prayer. In the fall, listeners and business partners joined together to help three local organizations provide free homemade, holiday meals to those in need. This ‘More Than A Meal’ on-air and online fundraiser helped feed over 3,000 in Central Minnesota. At the end of the year, Spirit 92.9’s “Share The Joy” promotion offered listeners the opportunity to nominate someone to receive a financial blessing. Single mothers, elderly homeowners, and the family of a father badly injured and hospitalized out of state were among the 12 people granted a $500-$1000 gift.
From entertaining the airwaves on KFRC-FM in San Francisco, to dancing away the late 90s on WKTU-FM in New York City, to encouraging and uplifting Atlanta on WFSH-The Fish every afternoon, Beth Bacall’s three decades on the air have had a lot to say. In 2003, she embraced CMB and the CCM sphere when she started working at Star 99.1 FM in NY/NJ. Since 2005, she has served on the Momentum Leadership Team while also offering mentorship to CMB’s Women in Radio community. Beth is a champion for others, taking a sincere stance of integrity and leading by example with her on air work, community engagement, and show prep. As a top talent coach, she equips multidisciplinary broadcasters and artists to embrace their authentic self, grow awareness, share stories effectively, and create meaningful Christ-centered content with all audiences. Beth specializes in moments that matter and is a driving force behind The Fish Christmas Wish Program and Fish Acts of Love. Working on all aspects of creating promotional, reward-based content, including research and execution, Beth is a dot connector that the Lord uses to bring joy and experiences into the lives of others. Even after these promotional seasons, she’s always looking for the next opportunity to be a blessing.
For over four decades, Rick Dunham has been at the forefront of marketing and fundraising for Christian nonprofits. In 2002, he founded Dunham+Company, which has become a global leader in providing multi-channel strategies across some of the world’s most influential sectors. Through radio and television, local churches and overseas missions, medical relief and philanthropic initiatives, Dunham+Company is multiplying the reach of the Gospel. The company currently serves nearly 100 clients in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand – whose collective effort is reaching nearly every corner of the globe. Rick is the author of Secure: Discovering True Financial Freedom and If God Will Provide, Why Do We Have to Ask for Money? He serves as a member of the board of The Giving Institute and is a former chair of the Giving USA Foundation, which publishes the most widely respected annual report on giving in the U.S. He has been published and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and more. From devotionals to blogs, webinars to books, Rick’s personal faith in Jesus and his Biblical training are the driving conviction of his communication.
Over the decades, Jacobs Media has become known for advising broadcasters on strategic planning and digital transformation, championing forward thinking of the in-car audio experience, developing its innovative Techsurveys, and driving research initiatives with some of the most influential companies in media. In partnership with Radio Ink, the Jacobs duo created the DASH Conferences in 2013-15, bringing together leadership from both automotive and radio broadcasting industries. Working with CMB, Jacobs Media launched the first of its annual tech surveys for Christian music radio in 2014. Working in collaboration with the NAB’s Connected Car Committee, they developed the original “Best Practices” report in 2017. Fred Jacobs, a 2018 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, is credited with the creation of the Classic Rock radio format in the mid-80’s. Paul Jacobs specializes in revenue generation for Jacobs Media’s clients including heading up jācapps – the industry’s first, and now largest, mobile application development company with more than 1,300 apps worldwide. In 2022, Fred and Paul were recipients of the National Radio Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Broadcasters. They were the first duo to receive the award as well as the first consultants.
Jim Leightenheimer has passionately pursued the mission of teaching, mentoring, and preparing college students to serve Christ in radio since 1982. A 30-year radio veteran, Jim implemented and developed a student radio station that started as an AM carrier current, transitioned to a low power FM, and is currently streaming as Resound Radio. Under his leadership, student radio has served to jump-start the careers of many current leaders in Christian radio stations and networks across the United States. His students, both past and present, credit Jim for being the catalyst in building their love for radio. Throughout his career, Jim has enlisted graduates and other professionals to serve as mentors to his student radio staff. He has introduced scores of students to CMB by bringing them to Momentum and, more recently, CMB University. Jim currently serves on the board of directors at WCVO (104.9 The River) in Columbus and continues to be a resource not only for his current students, but for those who are living out his legacy in radio.
Joe Paulo has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hope Media Group since 2018. With an extensive background in media and leadership, he began at KSBJ (now Hope Media Group) as Vice-President of Operations in 2017 after serving at Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE/Air1) as the Director of Donor Stewardship and Communications. Prior to that, he led a division of Columbia International University as Director of Broadcasting until 2014, overseeing the growth of successful radio stations in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. Joe has also provided volunteer leadership at the board of directors and advisory levels for other nonprofits such as Youth Commission International, CMB, and Crime Stoppers of Houston. In addition to speaking on leadership, fundraising and media, Joe and Kelly, his wife, have spoken at marriage and parenting events to share their passion for marriage, parenting and adoption.