Can You Top This?

Thanks to Brent Lane in Pensacola for some inspiration on the power of great social posts:

15,861 "likes" is certainly impressive, but look how many Facebook estimates saw the post!

Can YOU top this?

I hope so. 

It's "the" game we're all in.

Going Over The Top For The Community

As usual, when it's time to do a little bit more for Boy Scouts and thousands of other worthy causes, radio - as represented by Cat Country 98.7/Pensacola's morning guy Brent Lane, is the first one to volunteer (click to watch the WEAR-TV video of the event).

Of course, Gannett's News-Journal was there to cover it too.

Lane termed Friday's stunt: "a top 3 adrenaline rush of a life time."

It's such a source of pride in seeing radio's people and all media working together both up in the air and on the ground to help make a big difference in shared positive values.

Please let me know what YOU are doing in your home town too!

The Best Mechanics Own Their Own Tools

Cat Country 98-7/Pensacola afternoon guy Captain Chris, I learned the other day, pays out of his own pocket for his very own talent coach/consultant to his show, even though A&O works for the station.

I have long been impressed by his on air content and production, and now I know why.

Some garages do buy tools for their mechanics, but most mechanics provide their own tools.

No mechanic would try to work on your car without tools, but it never ceases to amaze me how many air personalities refuse to get prep help simply because of the excuse 'the station owner won't buy it.'

Be entrepreneurial. If you don't invest in self-improvement, who will?

(an ongoing series) Why I Love Radio

1. WYCT-ADX/Pensacola’s Melinda Bowden hit a home run last Thursday. She got a call as she began at 10am about family who's mother is from Honduras and she is terminally ill. The story had been on WEAR-TV for a few weeks because they have been trying to get her kids from Honduras to the states to see her for Christmas and ultimately before she passed. The state department approved their Visas on the Thursday morning, but the cost of the flight was nearly $3,000.00. Melinda aired the original call back about how people could make a donation... By the end of her shift at 2p... she had raised nearly $4,100.00 and the children arrived in Pensacola Christmas Eve at 930p from Honduras... She did good radio!

The Cat Country evening personality completes the story:

“On Christmas Eve my family and I were invited by the family to the airport to greet the sons as they arrived in Pensacola. What an honor! I was humbled and encouraged by the love that surrounded that family, the nurses and my own family in the airport that night. A Christmas miracle indeed! As a result, my determination and love for radio was renewed. I was reminded that one voice can touch many, many people. I thank God that this time, he chose mine.”

2. Jack Latimer, PD/Morning co-host at Larche’s KICX/Barrie-Orillia-Midland also had one of those great moments on radio this week that worked so well with the Christmas season.

"After we did this break listeners were calling and crying on the phone about this being what Christmas is all about."

3. 92.3 WIL and "Cornbread's Kids Crusade" Raised Over $260,000 for St. Louis Children's Hospital.

"Thank you for supporting our efforts to provide St. Louis Children's Hospital with a life-saving Mobile Intensive Care Unit."

4. Bonneville's WUBE/Cincinnati's listeners have been saluting their family and friends who are in the military over the Holidays.

Bringing people together to do good things, bigger things than any ONE of us can do alone is that makes this season so special and radio does it better than any other medium!

I am so proud to be in RADIO. If you've been up to something you're proud of, please let me hear about it.

You Can Get Into This Picture

That's ADX Broadcasting's WYCT/Pensacola PD Kevin King with Sugarland, celebrating the station's ACM 2009 wins. Now, it's time for you to enter next year's radio award competition.

Two 90's Country Superstars Aid "Cat" Causes

Coincidentally, two very active "Cat Country" radio stations, one in Colorado Springs and the other in Pensacola, have undertaken two great causes and two class acts, Tracy Lawrence and John Michael Montgomery are lending a hand.

Lawrence headlines an already nearly sold-out benefit for “Aden’s Friends” – named for the cancer-stricken 6-year-old son of Citadel’s manager, Mike Knar. “Cat Country 95.1” is donating all proceeds through the Aden’s Friends charity to Childhood Hematology Oncology Associates, where Aden is being treated for leukemia.

Montgomery is doing a free show for the troops, their families and the listeners of "Cat Country 98.7" on board Naval Air Station, Pensacola.

Hats off to the two stars, who continue to prove they know what it means to go that extra mile to give back and the two owners of WYCT, ADX Broadcasting, and KATC, Citadel Radio, for working hard to give back to their communities.