Twenty Years And Some 2000 Radio Spots Later

A modest size agency, on an extremely modest advertising
budget, found a modest way to reach out to its public.

It all started back in 2000 when local author and teacher John Drescher announced he was moving out of the area, and that he would no longer be recording his daily 90-second inspirational radio spots for EMU's ten-watt radio station, WEMC.

At the time I was on a marketing committee for Family Life Resource Center, looking for affordable ways of getting word out about the services our young agency provided.

Just weeks before I had been in conversation with media consultant Paul Souder, who made a point I've always remembered: "The most effective advertising," he said, "is not a lot of talking about yourself or your product, but about presenting something of interest to your audience." In other words, focus on addressing real-life concerns of your constituency, not just on getting more information out about your agency.

That's when I began thinking, What if FLRC could air some daily insight on mental health and relationship issues, using short radio messages in a format like Drescher's?

Station manager Lynn Scofield was immediately warm to the idea, so "Centerpiece" was born, and has continued ever since. It now airs on weekdays on WEMC (now a classical music station owned and operated by WMRA) and on Broadway-Timberville's WBTX and on the nearby WNLR station in Churchville (1150 AM).

At first some of my my colleagues and I took turns producing and recording a dozen or so of these daily messages at a time, but later it fell to me alone to carry on this labor of love. So I continue to do several dozen of these at a time, all with the good editing and engineering help of the recording staff at the WMRA studio, without which Centerpiece would not be possible or affordable.

Commercial break: Please feel free to make a generous donation to the station (!)

None of the three stations carrying Centerpiece (for free) has a huge audience. WEMC, for example, is still broadcast from its original tower on the hill behind EMU (via a phone connection from WMRA), so its range is limited to the central Shenandoah Valley, and to those who access the streaming option online. But response to the spots has been gratifying, and occasionally people write in or call us for a copy of one of the scripts.

I won't be able to do this forever, of course, but as long as my energy and health hold out, I may continue, at least until the stations choose otherwise.

I so appreciate the encouragement of past EMU station managers Lynn Scofield and Phil Easley, and the help we now have from the great folks at WMRA to produce these messages.

Centerpiece can be heard on WEMC (91.7 FM) each Monday through Friday at noon and at 8 am each Sunday. WBTX (1491 AM) airs the spots at 9:20 each day, and WNLR (1150 AM) on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday forenoon.

Here's a sample of something I'll be recording next week:

My friend Judith Trumbo, whose family was part of my church many years ago, and who is now CEO at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, recently wrote the following reflection in anticipation of her very young 60th birthday. “Aging will be a time of purposeful living, full of delight and gratitude.  Every interaction, every process, every communication will sing of aging well and living fully.  Inevitable moments of loss will be embraced as part of life’s journey and celebrated within community.  No longer will persons scoff at assistive devices but rather see them as methods to enhance independence.  Learning will be part of the everyday experience that blossoms within an intergenerational context.  Spiritual beauty and relationships will be valued over physical appearance.  Elders will be sought out for their wisdom and engaged at all levels of society.  Memory loss will not be a curse but rather seen as holy ground knowing that the image of God is embodied in all people.  Love between the generations will be palpable as persons live together in vibrant, authentic community that is not constrained by geographical boundaries, ethnic divides or savings account size.  Mortality will be accepted so that resources are spent on giving life to years rather than prolonging years.”