Jobo and His Wife

Eddie & JoboOne very efficient way to do character development is to put a relative on your show.  Recently, Jobo, from Eddie & Jobo, KHITS, Chicago, gave his mom a car for Christmas.  He was beside himself when one of his brothers drove the car (against orders!) and smoked in it.  Jobo wasn’t too pleased.  Being too emotional about it, Jobo asked his partner, Eddie (who knows his mom very well), to call her to get things right.  What you have here is a break, grounded in real life, that’s quite fun to listen in on.

WBMX Karson’s Grandmother

Karson & KennedyNothing humanizes a radio talent more than when you put a fun relative on the show.  It’s terrific character development as the talent shifts from being an entertainer to someone’s kid, spouse, or parent.  In these segments from WBMX, Boston’s Karson and Kennedy, Karson’s 93-year old grandmother calls the show to see if Karson knows that that town’s famed Fenway Park is turning 100 years old.  Real life is funny…and these two segments with his grandma are.

WBMX The Black Box

Karson & KennedyThe Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts was recently in a car accident where it was discovered, via the car’s black box, that he was traveling over 100-mph.  That lead Karson & Kennedy, at MIX 104.1, Boston, to wonder what the black boxes in their cars might say.  This is not only innovative, it’s terrific character development.

WWFS Reading the E-Mail

Jim & KImThere is no doubt that relationships topics always work on female-targeted radio shows.  Jim and Kim, Fresh 102.7 New York’s morning team, saw a multiple page letter a Wall Street broker wrote a gal he had one date with that was way over the line.  They could have just read the letter (or parts of it) on their show.  Instead, they found someone fun in the building and had them read it to the listeners, thus shifting into a position to react, which made it much more fun because of this added dimension.

Eddie & Jobo Go to the Courthouse

Eddie & JoboReality shows have conditioned listeners to want to be entertained by real life.  One place real life happens for some people is in courthouses.  Eddie & Jobo, on KHITS, Chicago head to their local courthouse once a week to talk to people about why they’re there that day.  What ensues are fun conversations that really entertain those listening.

KSON Golden Globes or Golden Girls

John & TammySometimes breaks go completely sideways.  That’s what happens when performing.  How you handle it is what turns it into lemonade.  John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego, came up with a fun game called “Golden Globes or Golden Girls”, with our entering the awards show season. They gave a fact about one show or the show and the listener had to figure it out.  Really simple and very easy to follow, right?  The listener got completely confused with how to play and here’s the audio.  Listen as John and Tammy just back up, letting this take on a life of its own, making it even funnier.

Do Something With Hollywood Reports

Two breaks from two shows dealing with the same issue – what to do with Hollywood reports to make them more entertaining and memorable.

Eddie & JoboKyle & RachelI have never been a big fan of Hollywood reports because they tend to be nothing more than the regurgitation of things listeners can find on Perez Hilton’s website or TMZ.  In order for it to be great, you must do something with it.  Here are two examples of this.  In the first segment, with the pending Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries divorce, Eddie and Jobo, KHITS, Chicago, talked tp a divorce attorney who offered her prospective on why Kris asked for an annulment.  It’s very efficient, but more importantly, it engages the listeners emotionally.  

In the second segment, when Jerry Sandusky’s attorney suggested that detractors call 1-800-Reality to get a grip on life, Kyle and Rachel, Radio Now, Indianapolis’s morning team did just that and found it to be a gay sex line.  They could have just told listeners that’s what you got, but instead, they let me feel it by actually airing the audio.

WWFS Use of Street Audio at Holiday Party

Jim & KImHere are three very simple examples on how the use of audio can help make a break come alive.  Jim and Kim, FRESH 102.7, New York’s morning team, knew the CBS office holiday party was coming up.  Instead of just talking about Christmas parties, they brought listeners there in these three very short examples below.  In the first, they walked around the building asking CBS employees what not to do at a holiday party (they knew they’d get stories based on previous gatherings).  In the next two, they went to the party, waited until a certain amount of alcohol was had, then went around and asked employees what they were worth.  Always have something to record with wherever you go.  Bringing listeners to the event (verses just talking about it) always works better.

Scared Straight Santa

Karlson & McKenzieEach year at this time, Karlson & McKenzie, WZLX, Boston, do “Scared Straight Santa”. They take calls from moms whose kids are acting up.  Pete McKenzie then calls the kid back as Santa to check on them and then gets the kid to promise to his mom on the phone to behave until Christmas.  The best things about this are that it’s not dirty and women fall in love with it.

B96 Julian’s Mom Thinks He’s Ugly

J & JulianJ and Julian, mornings on B96 Chicago, recently got into an on-air conversation about how parents sometimes dash the dreams of their children. Julian said that he always wanted to be an MTV DJ but his mom discouraged it.  Why?  Take a listen to this audio of the morning show on with Julian’s mom.  After she admits to the listeners why Julian wouldn’t make a good TV personality, know that listeners all feel something for Julian.  This is great character development.