Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

WGFB Sean is An Idiot

January 25, 2015

b103_seanmichelle_500x350 Let me into your life, let me learn about your relationship. One of the great attributes of the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond” was how Ray could never do anything right. This is a thread through Sean and Michelle, B103, Rockford, IL (not because we’re copying the TV show, but because it’s true in Sean’s relationship with Amy, his wife). Sean has no issue being real and vulnerable. That’s one thing to learn from this audio. The other is how smart the show is in getting his wife on to participate in the story-telling, allowing Sean to be himself and for Michelle to have the most natural of reactions. Without Amy involved in telling this story, it sits flat. Having her on with the team makes it come alive.

WQYK Dave Helps an Accident Victim

January 18, 2015

wqyk_daveveronica_500x350 Tell stories. That’s central to great radio. Not lists or surveys or generic content listeners can’t emotionally engage with. What listeners of all ages respond to is hearing compelling stories with drama, conflict, and twists and turns. Dave McKay from Dave and Veronica, WQYK, Tampa has experiences in life and effortlessly shares them with the audience that define him, communicate his humanity, and engage people so they care about him. The audience cares about the show as a result of this team’s ability to tell stories. Here’s one, as an example, of terrific story-telling to accomplish all those goals.

KHTH The Jewelry Store Robbery

January 11, 2015

One very critical element to crafting a successful break is to engage elements in story-telling where the listener feels like they were there when it’s told. Stacey K & Jonah, Hot 101.7, Santa Rosa, CA recently heard that a salesperson at the radio station was on the phone with a worker at a local jewelry store as it was being robbed. They had two options: tell the sales person’s story based on what they heard. Or get the sales person to come on and gather the details by asking the right questions. Having the person on repositions the story in the first person and is much more emotional where all the talent had to do is ask the right questions to probe the story and react naturally.

KS95 Shannon’s Dad Reads Mean Tweets

January 4, 2015

Ryan & Shannon We’ve all seen Jimmy Kimmel’s “Mean Tweets” bit. This is where celebrities read mean tweets about themselves on camera. Enter Ryan and Shannon, KS95, Minneapolis who do an occasional take-off on this with an added twist. Shannon’s father reads them to Ryan! You can certainly “borrow” a bit from a late night show. As long as you note it to the audience, it won’t matter. All the audience cares about when they’re listening is if it’s fun. They have no intellectual ability in the morning (or at any other time really) to process that it’s been done by a late night comedian and thus, isn’t as entertaining.

KYGO The Minneapolis Goodbye

December 14, 2014

Ryno & Tracy One of the primary objectives in the stories a morning show shares with its listeners is to communicate that those in the cast are just like the audience. Listeners must see themselves in the things that are shared by the on-air team. Doing so, especially in a fun way, communicates honesty, authenticity, and relatability. These are three very important images in developing a bond with those tuning in. When you meet people who say they feel like they know you, you’ve connected very powerfully with them. Here’s a story told by Ryno and Tracy, KYGO, Denver, about the office holiday party and the way in which Tracy left the party, all designed to force those images while entertaining the audience in the process.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

WGFB Sean is An Idiot

WQYK Dave Helps an Accident Victim

KHTH The Jewelry Store Robbery

KS95 Shannon’s Dad Reads Mean Tweets

KYGO The Minneapolis Goodbye

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