Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

Carlin and Brent, Indie 88, Toronto The Stolen Amazon Package

January 14, 2024

One of the most efficient things you can do is ask the audience a question. Do that and those paying attention are grabbed emotionally. In this relatable break about stolen Amazon packages, Carlin and Brent, Indie 88, Toronto do this. “Would you confront someone you saw stealing an Amazon package from a neighbor’s porch?” Any listener would answer in their head and pay closer attention. That’s what they do here. One other thing to point out in this week’s audio is how little time they spend on the initial scenario about Carlin’s sister. A typical show would talk around that story for several minutes without advancing the narrative. In this break, they make that crucial pivot early from talking about their story to a listener telling theirs. Two major takeaways: questions grab listeners and make them more vicarious to your content and make sure you put that pivot in early to keep their attention.

Karen, Johnny, and Anthony, WNEW-FM, New York with Hey Dad, We Need Toys

January 7, 2024

There’s this concept of doing your break for the person least interested. If you can craft a break around a topic and a listener who doesn’t care about that topic is entertained, you win big. Karen Carson in the Morning with Johnny Minge and Intern Anthony, WNEW-FM, New York raised toys for disadvantaged kids over the holidays. In our effort to stand out and engage those in the audience who don’t have the resources or would not send a toy for any reason, we needed to grab them emotionally, too. So each of the cast members called their fathers on-air to ask them to donate some toys. Which got us a “can you top the last dad” vibe. Listen to these two breaks through the lens of not caring about what they’re doing. If you are engaged by what the show did to promote the toy drive, the show won.

Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston 8 Bit Hits

January 1, 2024

Effective games do two things: they’re fun to hear and they have a play-along factor. Enter 8 Bit Hits, played by Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston, when promotions gives them prizes. They have a website that will convert any song into an 8 bit hit. Meaning the song becomes cheesy, sounding like it belongs in a 1980s computer game. One of the things that’s helped this show rise to #1 women in the market is they’ve increased their arsenal of things done on the show that are entertaining to hear when people are in cars. 8 Bit Hits is one of their many ideas that helps them win images with those who truly matter to their success, people driving to work who tune in to have a good time. Here’s their Christmas version of this fun game.

Dave Coombs, WLZX, Springfield, MA/WKLH, Milwaukee Fun with AI

December 10, 2023

My friend Dave Coombs, WLZX, Springfield, MA and WKLH, Milwaukee is an innovative spirit. Dave has this wonderful ability to both identify the big topics around him (those things most of his audience is aware of) and match them with his sense of humor, to create a break no one else could do. The way you stand out is by choosing familiar topics for your show, then doing something with those topics no one else thinks of. Dave knows use of AI is everywhere. So he got AI to replicate the voices of celebrities to create this fun break that made for lots of laughter in the room. The only sustainable advantage you’ll ever have over your competitor is to out-innovate them. This isn’t a typical radio “bit” because it came Dave’s quirky sense of humor.

Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Ft. Myers, FL with Santa Paws

December 3, 2023

So many of you are off doing a community service project with the holidays here. Good on you! There are a few different levels of projects like these. One is the actual raising of the item or money you’re asking listeners to donate. This is important, although it impacts a very small percentage of your audience. What moves them to give is first-person accounts of the cause you’re working on. Which is why it’s so important to talk with those affected by the cause, who most benefit from what you’re doing. Facts tell, stories sell. Those folks have stories and they can help you accomplish two important goals: move more listeners to give and show your humanity to those who don’t. Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Ft. Myers, FL are doing their annual Santa Paws where they ask listeners to donate a dog toy that will be given to animals at a local shelter. Here they are talking with the gal who runs the animal shelter, helping them do both items noted above.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Carlin and Brent, Indie 88, Toronto The Stolen Amazon Package

Karen, Johnny, and Anthony, WNEW-FM, New York with Hey Dad, We Need Toys

Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston 8 Bit Hits

Dave Coombs, WLZX, Springfield, MA/WKLH, Milwaukee Fun with AI

Logan and Sadie, WINK-FM, Ft. Myers, FL with Santa Paws

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