Somewhere out there in Listener Land, a fan of your show forgot to call their mom on Mother’s Day. Life got in the way, and they didn’t remember. Which is why you can use the first few days of this week to get those listeners on, conference call in their mother, and we can hear the apology on the show. Bonus points if a cast member forgot to do this, because that would be character development for them.
With Mother’s Day this Sunday, step back from the traditionally over-used ideas with something different. Find the mother of a local star or celebrity in Hollywood or your format. Get them to come on to talk about their kid, by you wishing them a great Mother’s Day. How would you find them? Check that person’s Wikipedia page to see where they grew up, then, like a super sleuth, start Googling until you locate them. It’s some work, but would ultimately give you something unique around the Hot Topic and be an idea your competitor might never do.
We are into prom season – and what would be very character defining would be to find your high school prom date. Chat with them on the show to reminisce about that evening and (even better) answer questions the rest of the cast has about you (which could be quite uncomfortable and entertaining).
With Game of Thrones a very Hot Topic, do a game parody thru the run of its final season called Game of Phones. Give your contestant something one cast member searched for in Google on their cell phone and the caller must tell you which cast member did it. For instance: “Project Runway New Season Judges.” Which cast member Googled that? Thanks to Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh for this topical and character defining idea.
Maybe the grandmother of a cast member (or co-worker, or listener) will come on each Monday during the run of the series last shows just to tell you how many people were killed (and how) in the previous night’s episode of Game of Thrones. “Hey guys – four characters were beheaded, two got offed by a dragon, and 6 people were burned to death last night!” Call it Granny’s Game of Thrones Death Count until the last show. The beauty of this idea is that if you choose an entertaining grandmother, you don’t have to be a fan of the show to enjoy how this content is presented.
Have you ever thrown out a first pitch at a baseball game? See if a local team will let you do that and build a week long narrative arc around the idea. The team calls on Monday to invite you so it sounds organic, throughout the week visit little league teams to practice (audio for the show and video for social media to keep it alive), talk to others who’ve done it, and then it culminates at the end of the week in your doing it. With a recap on the next show. Thanks to Stacey and Jonah, 1065, The Arch, St. Louis for this great summer idea.
With the start of baseball season, the guys on your show should invite the other guys on the air staff for a yearly competition called Mr. Whiff It. Take everyone out to a batting cage and each guy gets ten pitches – let’s see who whiffs at the most to earn the title. Build this organically by calling them during your show to “pitch” the idea. Then have an online poll asking listeners to guess who’ll win. Go one afternoon and grab video for social media and audio for the next day’s program as you crown this year’s champ. For your production value, use Devo’s “Whip It”.
No doubt a kid of a listener is in a middle or elementary school play in the spring. Find one and then create a narrative where the most theatrical person on your show gets a part in the show – then make a very big deal over it, loading the audience with listeners – and treat it like a Broadway premiere.
Because her kids do nothing but play Fortnight when at home. Because her kids never pick up their room. Because her son failed math at school. Dana and Jayson, ALT 94.9, San Diego do a humorous weekly feature around Dana’s life called “Why Mommy Drinks.” It’s silly fun that positions Dana as the mom on the show, with Dana recording these as she encounters them in the home then presenting them to the audience in a produced feature each week.
In his opening statement to Congress last week, Michael Cohen said that he sent threatening letters to the schools President Trump went to so they did not release his transcripts and grades to the public. Here’s some character development for you – get your transcripts and grades and release yours the public!