Archive for month: December, 2012
WBMX Intern Adam Levine and His Mom
Family + The Holidays = Drama! Intern Adam Levine, who works each morning with Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston, had some drama with his family about the holidays. How best to maximize his story? Park his mother quietly on the hotline to surprise him as he told the story to see how the drama changes with both of them on the phone.
Know Your Mate
Looking for a new relationships-based feature for your show? Jim and Kim, Fresh 102.7, New York, just added “Know Your Mate at 6:38”. One couple, three questions (much like the “Newlywed Game” but with some attitude). Ask her the questions (with him in the “sound-proof booth”) and then ask him the same questions. If they match two answers, they win. Make sure at least one of the questions has an edge to it. And remember, time-stamped benchmarks are more memorable because they arm listeners with a piece of marketing information to share with friends when it’s on.
WPGC “Going Postal”
Just up the road in Baltimore, a school bus driver lost their temper with a student. This lead to a great phone topic about the time you lost it at work. Great phones are always stories. Here’s a break from Pablo and Free, WPGC, Washington, who talk to a listener who defines again the meaning of “going postal”.
Jailhouse Rock
Living in an area of the country with lots of college stations, I get to hear some very innovative radio, considering they are not slaves to PPM. NC State’s radio station, WKNC, does a weekly show called “Jailhouse Rock” where they read a letter from an inmate at the maximum security prison a few miles down the road, and then they play the inmate’s request (read the article here). Great features sometimes focus on the fringes of life. Maybe read letters from area inmates and then play their requests in this new, weekly feature for your show.
WZLX Dial-a-Carol
As we enter the holiday season, shows often spend time focusing on those who were naughty (because they result in better stories). Karlson and McKenzie, WZLX, Boston came up with an idea that focuses on those who are nice. They’re taking calls from listeners who’ll tell the show about someone they know who’s been nice in the past year (to play off the “naughty or nice” theme). Then, they’re having their very funny co-host, Heather, call that person to give them some holiday cheer by having her sing a Christmas Carol to them. They’re calling it “Heather’s Dial-a-Carol”.
WWFS/WGFB Powerball
How did two Reynolds Group shows handle one of this week’s big topics, Powerball? Jim and Kim, Fresh 102.7, New York got several people from the same office on the line, bought them a ticket, then made them recite a pledge to their boss on the show to resign the next day when they won the money. Sean Henry, B103, Rockford, IL brought the sales guy in who put together the office pool together to figure out how the eleven people who pooled their money would split their winnings, which was eight dollars. Both approaches to the hot topic were novel, unique, and well executed.