The Corona Filter

Up front, I’ll admit to you: I was not prepared for Corona.

In fact, almost a month ago, when a peer PD emailed me his station’s Corona Contingency Plan, I was like “Pshh, it’ll never come to that!” I went on vacation. Of course it “came to that” while I was on vaykay. Cue up a certain Alanis Morrisette song and save a seat for Murphy and his law. Since you may be busy watching your second quarter plans go up in smoke, I’ll quickly share with you a few Corona decision-filters we have found useful. Then, perhaps like me, you can get back to working from home; which, in my case, means letting our two dogs out about every 99.1 seconds.

Filter 1: Do we have anything on-air or online that’s tone deaf to the situation and mood of my market/listener/country

We found a handful of elements on both of our stations that weren’t offensive, but they were definitely out of touch with the mindset of most in our audience. This is a filter to revisit often, as the news is moving quite fast right now.

Filter 2: Are the decisions we’re making to get by in the short term going to help or hurt us in the long term?

The most obvious application of this filter is station fundraisers. Yes, we have budgets and fiscal years breathing down our necks. It’s quite possible keeping a fundraiser on the calendar helps us meet or come close to meeting those needs NOW. What might that do to the trust we’ve built up with our listeners? Trust that took years to cultivate. As you know, trust can be lost in an instant. Our team is leaning on God like never before to make the right call here

Filter 3: Are we keeping the main thing the main thing

The most effective radio brands aren’t known for LOTS of things but often ONE thing. Now is a great time to scrutinize what your brand is saying and doing to see if your ONE thing is loud, clear, and relevant to your listener’s situation.

Filter 4: Am I making my decisions out of faith, or fear

Sure, the right answer…the one that gets you the ‘A’ in class, is faith. Suddenly though, fear is masking itself as the logical and prudent choice. This is a good time to up your dosage on things that feed your faith.

Filter 5: Are we taking our roles as public servants seriously?

While CCM radio can talk about Rona through a hopeful lens like few others, it can’t be the only thing we do. Excellent public service on the radio is essential. The federal government and most state/local governments put radio on the list of vital operations allowed to remain open. If all we’re doing is sharing the same music we always do and laying inspirational Bible verses over intro’s, we can voice-track those shows and call it a day. Public service means passing along timely updates from authorities, connecting our audience to resources, and proactively working to meet our audience’s needs (spiritual and otherwise). When we do this through our lenses of faith, AND deliver hopeful music/content, there’s nobody who can touch us.

Certainly there are other filters I’m missing. These are the five which have been top-of-mind for me lately. If we navigate this season with excellence, our listeners will be our dear friends for years to come.