Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego with the Kids Must Do the Dishes

November 8, 2026

Tension inside story lines is what makes it electric. Tension forms drama and it’s drama that makes people lean in. So let’s do a Thanksgiving-themed idea that creates some relevant humor for your show. John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego conceived an idea where their co-workers told their kids they had to do the dishes after the Thanksgiving dinner. And…the best part…they recorded all of it for a break that, whether you have kids or not, is incredibly fun. When thinking about an idea like this, always think “what’s the opposite”. In this instance, when we brainstormed, we thought kids having to do the dishes would be the opposite of how the table actually got cleaned. There’s your tension and drama to make listeners want to hear the reaction.

Thunder and PT, 102.9 The Wolf, Minneapolis with Hillbilly Jean

November 1, 2026

One of the things I’ve learned from research (focus groups and dial testing) is that listeners love when you do something centered around the music you play on the station. This is not something like gossip around artists, but when you actually do music-based content. It draws you into the station brand (always smart) and is widely liked. Thunder and PT, 102.9 The Wolf, Minneapolis did this regularly. PT tells a story about singing at the dinner table with his family, then Thunder gets creative by meshing two songs together for an ear worm. Here, they marry country artist Billy Currington with Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean. All around fun, distinct, and unique for content.

Trey and Loren Raye, WCBS-FM, New York City with Primetime Disasters

October 25, 2026

An iconic radio station gets a new morning show and the haters will show up. This stems from the fact that listeners hate change. Their disliking the new show usually comes from discomfort because of the disruption in their morning routine. Enter Trey and Loren Raye, WCBS-FM, New York City who started on the iconic brand a few weeks ago. Also welcome those who voice this displeasure with the new show on social media. Every great storyline has a villain. So the show used the negative comments to build sympathy for the show. Normally, I’d avoid inserting a negative perception into a storyline for a new program. But this one is different. They did it through comedy – when you generate laughter, the content becomes more universal. The show used A.I. for a feature they call Primetime Disasters, highlighting the negative comments.

Zog and Ivy Unleashed, Power 96, Miami with Office Gossip

October 18, 2026

Listeners love hearing stories and they adore gossip. Here’s a fresh angle for a new feature that will bring both to your show: Office Gossip. No doubt at work, you know stuff about co-workers and have made value judgments on all of them. In this new occasional bit, open the phones to listeners to share some gossip about something happening in their workplace. The entertainment comes in the details and follow-up questions you ask. Zog and Ivy Unleashed, Power 96, Miami do this every few weeks. Here’s a sampling of what they get. (Remember – no names – people or offices – probably protect you legally.)

Dave and Veronica, WQYK, Tampa The Mayor Does Thriller

October 11, 2026

I post this every year around Halloween because it’s truly one of the most innovative breaks a show I’ve worked with has done. When I worked with Dave and Veronica, WQYK, Tampa, we hatched an idea one October to get the mayor of St. Pete to do his version of Vincent Price’s poem at the end of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Dave was fearless. He went to a town hall meeting the mayor was having with constituents and told the moderators he wanted to go last with his question. Once engaged with the mayor, he asked in front of everyone if he would read the poem. The mayor had no idea what was going on, but played along (it was not a set-up). It’s dangerous and fun. And at the time unique and topical. Here’s the terrific audio of Dave doing it. Dave passed away years ago. I miss that guy.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego with the Kids Must Do the Dishes

Thunder and PT, 102.9 The Wolf, Minneapolis with Hillbilly Jean

Trey and Loren Raye, WCBS-FM, New York City with Primetime Disasters

Zog and Ivy Unleashed, Power 96, Miami with Office Gossip

Dave and Veronica, WQYK, Tampa The Mayor Does Thriller

Some of the Great Radio Stations I’ve Helped...