The Mystery Question

Sometimes you want to catch listeners off-guard with a reaction to a question they aren’t prepared for.  That’s where The Mystery Question comes to play.  Load up the phones with a certain type of listener and say you’ll only ask them the mystery question once you answer (that gets you the most natural of responses).  This time you’re looking to talk to anyone in a relationship over five years.  Once you answer, ask if they remember what they got their significant other last year for Valentine’s Day.  Then wait for all that silence because they can’t remember.

My Mom Has Two Stories

Efficient character development is done when a story is told that defines a core attribute of who you are listeners can connect with.  A new character development feature for the show can be My Mom Has Two Stories.  Have a mother of a cast member on.  She tells two stories about her kid.  One is true, one isn’t.  Listeners guess for a prize then the real story is told, defining that person.

The Super Bowl Super Anthem

If you scroll on the Wikipedia page for the Super Bowl, you’ll find every artist who’s sung the National Anthem over the years.  Put together the Super Bowl Super Anthem.  A version where every line in the song is done by a different artist who’s done it.  Once the teams are decided, play your super cut and give listeners a chance to identify every artist.

The Dry January Tribe

Lots of people look at this month as Dry January where they won’t touch a drop of alcohol.  Is someone on the show doing this?  Get listeners to commit to it, too.  Then you guys can check up on everyone throughout the month.  And the rest of cast can be cynical and guess when the person on the show doing it will crack and have a drink.

Courtesy Is Contagious

No one writes thank you notes any longer.  Which is why you will!  Find some cute sounding kids (maybe the kids of co-workers or your own?) and have them write and record a thank you note to Santa for all the wonderful gifts received on Christmas.  Could be appropriate for your first week back on the air coming off the holiday break!

 

Who’ll Blow Off Work?

Beginning next week, everything gears down for the holidays.  Let’s engage the sales department in another lovely round of Who’ll Blow Off Work?  Talk to your favorite sales folks and get them to admit that, for the next few weeks, they won’t be doing much work.  Voice disguise them, then bring their manager on the show, play the audio, and their manager must guess who is admitting they’ll do less work!

Buy Local, Listen Local

Mom and pop stores in your market face make-or-break moments when it comes to sales for the holidays.  Let them promote their businesses on your show for Christmas shopping if they promise to play your radio station in their establishment in Buy Local, Listen Local.

Tales of the TSA

With the holidays in full swing, we’re entering a time when your airport will be very busy!  Lots of people travel only a couple of times a year and have no idea what’s allowed in their carry-on.  See if a current or former TSA worker in your city will come on each week for the rest of the year and tell you a story of something they found in a traveler’s bag that resulted in a reaction your audience would love to hear.  Tales of the TSA!

And Then The Cops Were Called

Here’s a new feature to debut this week called And Then The Cops Were Called.  Throw out a scenario, then asked for situations around it where the police got involved.  This week:  Thanksgiving happened, and then the cops were called.  Stand by for the great stories.

 

The No Politics Pledge

No doubt one of the family members invited to Thanksgiving dinner will bring up politics.  Uh oh, right?  Draw up a short “repeat after me” no politics pledge.  Open the phones to ask listeners who in their family will first bring up this topic at the dinner table and make them take the pledge so they don’t participate in it.