Today I’m proud to announce something new: A new division of my company, Mark Ramsey Media. For many years we have served the research needs of all broadcasters everywhere. That will not change. Christian broadcasters, however, are a special subset with special needs and – in many cases – a business model driven by fans, not by ratings. Over time, my company has become the leading strategic research firm for Christian radio. So now we’re doubling down with a new division buil

The title of the (somewhat cheeky) Washington Post piece said it all: “We can’t take any more of 2017, so we’ve turned to the Hallmark Channel in desperation.” Most radio broadcasters seem to think that Christmas is about Christmas music, but it’s not. And while Christmas is ultimately about the birth of Christ, that’s not the meaning I’m talking about either. Christmas is a time of hope, of kindness, of togetherness, of love, and of nostalgia. And in an era of political divi

I am blessed to do a lot of research work with Christian non-commercial broadcasters. As I travel around the country working with these amazing and passionate folks, I have discovered something unsettling – a trend that, I believe, should concern them a great deal. Here’s what I hear: Over time, the magnitude of giving is steady or rising, but the total number of givers is declining. Also – as my own research shows – the age of the giving audience is not just a little older t

Nobody had ever done this before. What if you take the leading programmers to one popular format and ask them a slew of in-depth questions about the way they program their stations, how they conduct fundraising, how they market and what they spend, how they perceive the priorities for their brands, etc? Then what if you correlate all that data with ratings outcomes? This gives you the ability to see what best practices – what “secrets of success” – characterize the highest-ra

If you were born in the 80’s or 90’s, you’re in your late teens to early 30’s today. You are also a digital native and quite unlike older folks, including the older folks running the radio business. That explains why these older folks don’t know a lot about you – only what Nielsen tells them – only what radio their PPM devices are exposed to – and not much else. But oh, there’s much more to know. And it’s terribly important for the future of an industry that must maintain its

Here’s a special post for my clients and friends in Christian radio…. Typically, there’s a distinction in that space between music and “teaching.” We have “teaching programs” and sometimes refer to them as such on- and off-air. But what if there’s no such thing as “teaching programs”? What if, instead, there are only programs that happen to teach? This is no small distinction. Do I, for example, seek a show out because it is a “teaching program”? Or do I seek it out because i

A couple weeks ago I gave a presentation at the Christian Music Broadcasters’ Momentum Conference, and the topic could not have been more timely: “Betterness.” My argument is that improving the lives of our consumers is the highest calling for any broadcaster – and certainly for any Christian broadcaster.  This is not a generic thing or a symbolic thing.  This is a very specific action that begins with one listener and spreads to her family and her neighborhood (not the other

It’s one of the most important and least understood conversations all broadcasters should be having:  What business are you really in? This is a highlight of the recent Christian radio CMB Momentum Conference in Orlando, where I introduce this concept. It’s worth noting that the answer for (non-commercial) Christian broadcasters is completely different from the answer for their commercial peers.  I would go so far as to argue that Christian radio is not even in the “radio” bu

I’m always on the lookout for great things broadcasters do that make a difference in the lives of their consumers – the things that make radio unlike anything else.  This video came across my email this week and is squarely in that category. Wally is a terrific personality with Christian broadcaster WAY Media and is syndicated to a slew of stations across the country.  Recently, he collaborated with artists TobyMac, Building 429, Sidewalk Prophets, Jamie Grace, Fireflight, Mi

One of the media genres I work in regularly is Christian radio. There is something different about a project with Christian format broadcasters from one with more conventional, let alone commercial, broadcasters. And what’s different isn’t simply the source of funding or the familiarity of the songs on the air. What’s different – what’s palpable – is that everyone on staff knows the brand stands for something bigger.  And this feeling is generally lacking for most broadcaster

As I listen to it again, I must have had my coffee because I was firing on all cylinders. There's value in this audio to you whether or not you're in the Christian Radio space. So check it out. And discover, among other things, why you should NEVER compare radio to "Black & White TV." And thanks again to Doug Hannah. (You can also pick up the show on iTunes). #christianradio #future #radio #DougHannah #hear20 #christian #markramsey #Media #radioindustry #hear2com #trends #rel