The Smoker’s Choir

With American Idol and GLEE being big buzz shows, form your own group to entertain the audience.  It’s called “The Smoker’s Choir”.  It’s as simple as it sounds.  Find listeners who smoke and put together your own singing group.  They can perform at show remotes, you can play your own version of “Name That Tune” with them, or any other idea that requires singing. This is one way to parody these big TV shows and find local listeners who can be characters on the program to create laughter around as well.

Double Down Dare

Everyone’s talking about KFC’s new Double Down (this is the bunless sandwich).  Go grab four of them for each show member.  The challenge?  Each person on the show must finish their four within an hour.  The last person to finish all their Double Downs must go to the closest KFC and buy the first 50 people who come by that sandwich.  You can position this as though the losing show member must spend their own money even though the it comes out of promotions.

Nick’s American Idol Character

Rollin' With Nick CannonIt’s not just the topic you choose, but what you do with the topic that makes it entertaining, sticky, and unique.  Nick Cannon at NOW, New York City is all over American Idol.  Here’s a guy he met in the lobby of the building who comes on each week to offer his perspective on the show.  This is something that can’t be done across the street, which is why it works.

Planet Reynolds: Why Duke Always Wins and the Lesson for Morning Shows

Planet Reynolds:  Why Duke Always Wins and the Lesson for Your Morning Show

Long Lost Loves

Gene and Julie in Dallas do a great feature called “Long Lost Loves”.  Listeners of a certain age sometimes wonder whatever happened to someone from their past.  Maybe an ex-boyfriend from college, a teacher who had an impact on them, or a boss they had when they were a kid.  A listener comes on each Friday and talks about the person they’re wondering about.  The show’s private eye then pokes around to find out how that person’s life has turned out.  He returns on Monday’s show to tell the listener.  This works with a great listener, solid memories of a person, and a private eye who has to be a terrific storyteller.  It’s captivating radio.

Calling Bank of America

Cliff & BrooksGreat breaks are fun and relatable.  They make you laugh.  And when they really work, they communicate that the talent is just like you.  Cliff and Brooks at KSON, San Diego were talking about how tough it is to get someone on the phone when you need customer service.  So they’re taking calls and then Cliff decides to call his bank to see how hard it’d be to find an actual person.  Listen to this short break – hasn’t it happened to you, too?  That’s great radio!

The Celebrity Call In

If you record in-studio celebrity interviews after the show for air the next day (when they’re in town), here’s an easy idea that’ll help you push audience from one hour to the next. After you record the celebrity in the production studio, have them also cut a short phone call with you, too, to say they’re in town asking if they can stop by to say hello or that they’re headed in and to ask if you want them to stop and pick up some McDonalds. Then, schedule the interview in a later hour of the show, but air the recorded “call” earlier to push audience to hear it.