Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Have you ever been accused by your PD that your show is in a silo?  When I did mornings, I never quite got this accusation until I stepped away.  Many shows ignore the rest of the radio station.  They don’t talk about station promotions too much or the other personalities.  I’ve never believed it’s malicious – you’re just into doing your content.  It helps in building the station brand for the audience to know that you’re one big, happy family.  That’s why finding reasons for other talent to be on your show and you being on their show lifts all boats.  A few weeks ago, we lost a key cast member on Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston.  The day before her final show, the afternoon team of Gregg, Freddy, and Danielle called Annie Dow to have some fun and say how much they’ll miss her.  Station fans leave a break like this knowing everyone likes one another.  Smart move.

Games work when they’re vicarious and fun.  There must be an edge, but it’s critical there is a play-along factor, too.  Enter Salt and Christine, WTIC-FM, Hartford with this week’s game, You’re Full of Shit, Salt.  If you really look at it, so many games are trivia-based.  Your win comes in how you do that trivia.  What’s your frame, how do you engage callers (and passive listeners just tuning in who want to have fun), and how unique is the execution?  This game fits Salt’s character on the show.  He’s profane, edgy, and funny.  He finds interesting trivia questions and makes up a few on his own.  With three listeners on the phone, he offers them up one at a time.  Whoever calls him out first on making one up wins.  Of course, we bleep the word “shit” (as you will hear).  But this is a fun one that listeners pay attention to because of all its unique attributes.