How the Underdog faces the Giant!

While driving to the radio station the other day I decided to hit scan and check out our local radio landscape. After hitting the scan button eight times I heard no less than five Christian radio stations and only one was mine. At first I was a bit taken back by the sheer number of stations yet reminded of our call and our mission to serve our community.

If you happen to be like me in a medium or small market radio station and you’re surrounded by giants–(large stations or networks)…This is where the radio underdogs unite!

First off if you happen to be one of those large networks or stations. This is not meant to offend or complain that you're here. Simply do what God has blessed you to do. Meanwhile this is a simple encouragement to all of my underdog friends. It’s about a healthy path to your rightful place in your market. You're there so you might as well WIN!!

Here are a few ways to do it.

Never focus on them, focus on your unique mission

The temptation to listen to a somewhat similar station in your market can be overwhelming. You may immediately be looking to emulate what you’re hearing. Don’t become like them. Don’t beat yourself up or become intimidated! While iron sharpens iron, without question you should always be looking for ways to improve what you’re doing.

Focus on your station and innovate how you can do you better.

Remember iron sharpens iron and through self assessment the other station is now an ally to help you win. Mindset is everything and this should be yours!

God wasn’t shocked when another station showed up

Remember that another station playing your songs may have shocked you, but it didn’t shock God. He isn’t suddenly trying to figure out what He’s going to do now. He knows and He has got your back! He didn’t bring you into your marketplace to fail. Trust and lean into His purpose for you and the team.

Through self assessment, look for your opportunities to improve and grow

If another station is beginning to erode your audience, chances are it isn’t their fault. We get so comfortable and let things slip. Jesus called them the “small foxes.” It may be time to take a hard look at your station and self assess. Are you listening to your station? Is what you’re hearing lining up with your mission?

Here are a few key questions to ask as you assess your radio station

• Are you coaching your talent? Are your talents talking about the things most important to your listeners?
• Do you test your music with your listeners?
• Are you growing your team and yourself?
• Do you focus on creating listener experiences?

If you answered all those questions with a “yes,” you probably have very little to worry about! If you weren’t sure how to answer the above questions, then you may have some work to do. There are literally hundreds of colleagues and companies in our industry ready to help and add value to your station. If you just need to speak with an encouraging friend, feel free to reach out at Frankie@WPER.org.