SCAN's Snapshots of Hope
Bernie Lucas
Public Affairs Director for Clear Channel Communications
Part of the SCAN family since 2005
Bernie Lucas is the Public Affairs Director for Clear Channel Communications in the Washington, D.C. Metro Region. For much of his career, including seven years as a DJ with 98.7 WMZQ in DC, he happened to like making commercials. Ten years ago, he jumped at the chance to be the station’s Commercial Production Director.
Shortly after Bernie’s career move, SCAN began taping Raising Children Today, a monthly public affairs segment focused on positive parenting. Working with the show’s creator Jerry Phillips, who was Clear Channel’s Public Affairs Director at the time, Executive Director Diane Charles served as a host to bring current parenting challenges and discussions to thousands of listeners every month.
In 2005, Clear Channel needed to streamline some departments but did not want to reduce its commitment to airing public affairs programming like SCAN’s show. Clear Channel asked Bernie to take on the challenge of producing the public affairs programs for all eight of their Washington, D.C. stations.
“I’ve been able to do that,” said Bernie,” in large part because of the volunteer efforts of organizations like SCAN.”
Today, Bernie invites Diane to the studio every month, along with Tonya Fullwood of the National Center for Children and Families, to tape shows and related public service announcements for the Sunday morning slot on Clear Channel stations. In 2008, the name of the show was updated to, simply, Parenting Today.
Before SCAN was a part of Parenting Today, the organization’s outreach over the airwaves was limited to just a few PSA submissions. Coverage on radio stations was admittedly few and far between, and was focused more on specific outreach events and basic organizational information. But today SCAN is able to reach parents with messages of support in their daily challenges and triumphs with their children.
“My main perspective on public affairs programming,” said Bernie,” is that it must be designed to relate to a listener’s needs and interests and ideally should connect with people on an emotional level.”
Parenting Today became a golden opportunity for SCAN to use the radio to connect with parents and families on that emotional level, covering every subject from positive discipline to dealing with divorce to domestic violence. It also provides regular, monthly access to listeners of a number of the area’s most popular radio stations, including 98.7 WMZQ, 100.3 WBIG and HOT 99.5.
From time to time, SCAN receives calls from parents and other caregivers about the shows, which refer listeners to the SCAN website for more information on topics in the form of detailed show outlines and parenting fact sheets. Last year, SCAN began offering links to listen to the segments online as well.
“We don’t get all that much mail or email about the Sunday shows,” said Bernie, “but Parenting Today is one of two I’ve heard the most about.”
This year, as SCAN celebrates its 20th anniversary, Bernie facilitates the taping of not one but two Parenting Today segments every month, as well as two coordinating public service announcements. He also regularly allocates time for supplemental PSAs about SCAN’s programs and volunteer recruitment efforts.
Bernie Lucas is a unique community partner, providing an invaluable channel through which SCAN reaches thousands of parents every year that we might not otherwise touch. His commitment—along with that of Clear Channel—is a wonderful example of how corporate media can work with nonprofits to address community issues and invest in our community’s families, one listener at a time.