Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas Celebrates 35 Years

August 13, 2023

I’ve never been a big fan of talent sharing milestones on the air because I don’t think the audience cares. The one I hear a lot is “today’s my birthday!”. Think about how you react when a co-worker says that. You usually space out because it’s not about you. So I wonder why talent do that. There are exceptions to that rule if you focus on the audience. That’s when your milestone is huge (you might be a beloved talent) or if there is a true listener win. Such is the case with my friend, Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas, who just celebrated being on the station for 35 years. This is a milestone that works because he’s adored by the audience. Knowing there should be a listener win, too, his team created a story line to celebrate him by making a statue of Hawkeye they wanted to put outside the building. The problem is the building is owned by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Here’s your listener benefit: they get Mark Cuban on to seek permission. They also get Dallas Cowboys icon Troy Aikman to call the show, too. Listen to both breaks as Hawkeye focuses on Cuban and Aikman who, in return, congratulate him. This is smart, listener-focused radio.

Kira and Logan, WOKQ, Portsmouth, NH Let Me Tell My Story.

August 6, 2023

I’ve talked previously about breaks highlighting where shows heard great stories of something magical someone did and then recanting that person’s story on their show. This might be good content for you to share with your fans what you read, but telling someone else’s story is a B-minus treatment of that content. You will certainly be able to convey the facts well of that story, but it will miss any emotional impact because you didn’t live it. That’s why, when you tell someone else’s story, it’s best to get them to tell it. Then all you have to do is be inquisitive for them to give you the details. This week’s example of great execution of this concept belongs to Kira and Logan, WOKQ, Portsmouth, NH where they talked to a local gal who saved someone’s life on the beach. Listen and feel this because of how they did it.

Spencer’s Neighborhood, 106.5, The Arch, St. Louis First Five Notes

July 30, 2023

You will never lose when you tie your show back to the music brand of your radio station. Some shows are silos – they never talk about the music or the artists. I’ve always believed that that’s a mistake as you should acclimate yourself into the larger station brand. In some respects, listeners choose your show because of you and the content you do. In many ways, they choose your station because of the music you play, too. Here’s a fun game called The First Five Notes played on Spencer’s Neighborhood, 106.5 The Arch, St. Louis several years ago. The listener would choose from the cast who they wanted to play against. Then another in the room would play the first five notes of a song on the station. First to identify the artist or song get the point. Simple, yet effective for tying you back to the radio station.

Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Fort Myers, FL The Graduation Letter Twist

July 23, 2023

In some breaks you get the expected. You have a general sense where the break is going and that’s okay. In others, though, it helps to plan an unexpected pivot that will capture the imagination of the audience. That’s what’s done in this break from Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Fort Myers, FL. Logan has two kids and his youngest daughter was graduating from high school a few months ago. The expected came in the letter Logan wrote and read to his daughter about her milestone on-the-air. So many of us have done that in radio. It’s touching, human, character building, and expected. Then, in our brainstorm to create a moment of something unexpected, we decided to give Logan’s son, Gabe, a chance for a rebuttal to the letter Logan read his daughter. Great breaks happen when you prep them through. This is the expected and unexpected and becomes memorable as a result.

George, Mo, and Erik, KILT-FM, Houston We Need A New Area Code

July 16, 2023

Know how I know an idea is great? I’m jealous I didn’t think of it. Curiosity fuels creativity. In a brainstorm, asking the “I wonder…” question leads to well, wonderful places. Such is the case with George, Mo, and Erik, KILT-FM, Houston and this week’s audio. The team learned that Houston will need another area code next year because of population growth. I wonder how area codes are decided? I wonder who makes those decisions? Those are two of the “wonder” questions they pondered so they explored them. The show first talked to someone nationally who approves new area codes. That person told them to call the Texas Utilities Commission, which they did in the second segment. The show first lobbied for 468, as that spells HOU. It’s taken in Canada. So they opened the phones and a listener suggested 489 which spells HTX. All the way around, this is local, relevant, creative, and fun because it came from the wonder of the team. I give this an A+.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas Celebrates 35 Years

Kira and Logan, WOKQ, Portsmouth, NH Let Me Tell My Story.

Spencer’s Neighborhood, 106.5, The Arch, St. Louis First Five Notes

Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Fort Myers, FL The Graduation Letter Twist

George, Mo, and Erik, KILT-FM, Houston We Need A New Area Code

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