Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston Karson Puts His Foot Down

April 18, 2021

Bold, aggressive characters help you put the car on the freeway and floor the vehicle immediately to 85 miles per hour. That’s what Karson’s wife, Lana, does on Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston, every time she’s on. Lana has a sweet southern accent (which stands out in Boston, Massachusetts and is an immediate asset in a break). But what Lana does even better when she’s introduced to the audience, is that she immediately goes on the offensive with her content. There is no ramp up to get there. The team introduces her after paraphrasing the dilemma about to be discussed, and she goes on the attack, which draws listeners in. This is a story about Lana going away for the weekend, forgetting her wedding ring, and then being hit on by two guys at the airport – great relationships stuff. Karson says there’s a double-standard at play, and Lana defends all of this. It’s fun, relatable, and self-deprecating. And because how it’s designed (the content happens immediately – listen to how much they get done in the first thirty seconds), listeners hang on for the wild ride to resolution.

WTIC-FM, Hartford Salt and Christine, Christine Is a Bad Parent

April 11, 2021

Never underestimate the power of a simple break that communicates who you are. Character development is a critical element of any show. Whether you’re on-the-air for one month or ten years, you’re always defining yourself to connect with the audience. To find “your people” if you will. And sometimes, we make these bigger deals than they need to be. The telling of a big story with our opening the phones at the end. That tends to be a good path, because the focus shifts from your story to the audiences, effectively making them the stars of the show. Consider this simple break from Christine and Salt, WTIC-FM, Hartford. During the show, Christine got an email from the school nurse about her son. She shares it with the audience, becomes self-deprecating about what a bad mother she is, and the chemistry of the room then takes over. It’s not long, but very relatable. And it effectively allows Christine to bond with “her people”. Other mothers are probably laughing and nodding their heads up and down sayid “Yup, that’s me.” When it comes to character development, simple breaks like this work, too.

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego John On His Dad Passing

April 4, 2021

Would you, could you do a break like this, as heard on John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego? John’s dad had been in failing health for some time. This is a show that keeps no secrets from its listeners. They are intimately aware that when you move the audience to care about you (and in turn you care about them), the show becomes important. Radio is the most intimate form of mass communication there is. Thousands of listeners at any one time based on numbers from Nielsen. But in reality, we all know our strength is that it’s really just that one person experiencing it when they listen. The audience traveled the journey with John and his father over the many years this show has been on in San Diego. The countless times John would have his father on for many reasons, they were quite aware of the bond between the two, even when John was making fun of him. So it was appropriate that John include listeners on his last days, too. Here is a break of John talking about his father a few days after he lost him. The description of his last few minutes are incredibly powerful and could only be done by a talent experienced and seasoned and one comfortable to do so. This is emotional, balanced, and radio at its most powerful. Do you have this kind of relationship with your audience? You’ll win bigger if you do.

Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX, Phoenix The Paul Stanley Interview

March 28, 2021

A focus of our content at some stations is the music. It’s an area often missed by personalities – to talk about the artists and songs you play. It’s smart to do because it further ingrains you into the fabric of the radio station and is a primary reason listeners choose your brand (at least initially). We do a lot of this on Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX, Phoenix, who recently interviewed Paul Stanley from the iconic group KISS. As a classic rock station, this is like a three-foot putt, given how much the audience loves the music and that content based on nostalgia truly works when times are tough. What Mark and Paul do so well is get the artists to reveal themselves. Stanley comes on to sell his latest downloads, which are remakes of 1970s R&B songs. That’s his objective. Ours is to entertain the audience. This interview works on two levels: Stanley reveals himself because the guys ask questions that compel those stories. They then serve Stanley’s goals by talking about the new project, and quizzing him on his true knowledge of that music. Wrapped all around the conversation is a great use of audio to keep the listeners engaged.

MIX 106, Boise, Moug and Angie with Moug’s Family Bombshell

March 21, 2021

Storytelling is an art and a major part of the telling of a great story is the details you share to drive the narrative. Consider learning that your dad fathered another child and you found out about it from your drunk sister. And…that the sibling you never knew you had lives in the city in which you live. It’s a pretty compelling narrative. And it works for several reasons: it’s the truth, there are some gasp-worthy details, and the story lives on the margins. You’re revealing yourself to the audience with intimate details you wouldn’t just share with anyone. And each detail is more shocking than the last. That’s the thesis of the story told on Moug and Angie, MIX 106, Boise, Idaho recently. Moug found out what his father did several years prior and thinks he saw his sibling in town based on a description. This is excellent storytelling. Another great decision made in the structure of this break is its first few minutes, where the team has a listener tell their crazy story first, which tees up Moug to tell his. I love that they put the focus first on a caller to hook the audience than what’s typically done, which is focus on the talent first. All around, these are two stories you will long remember. Moug is defined in the process, setting him up for listener questions about all of it down the road because it’s so memorable

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston Karson Puts His Foot Down

WTIC-FM, Hartford Salt and Christine, Christine Is a Bad Parent

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego John On His Dad Passing

Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX, Phoenix The Paul Stanley Interview

MIX 106, Boise, Moug and Angie with Moug’s Family Bombshell

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