Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

WTIC-FM, Hartford Salt and Christine Using Audio

May 2, 2021

One filter in your prep process should be – is there audio we can play in this break that will help make it sparkle? There was a time (in the olden days!) when the only audio available came from the prep services you subscribed to. But with the internet, audio is everywhere. Breaks with the cast just talking about a TV show they watched are not as good as breaks that have audio from that TV show. This is for a few reasons: first, the audio provides much needed context for those who didn’t see the show (most of your listeners) so they understand better your comments. Second, listeners need “audio stimulation” so they don’t drift and audio inside a break provides that, helping keep their interest. So always look for audio for any topic you do. Here’s a simple, yet effective character break from Christine and Salt, WTIC-FM, Hartford. Christine got a letter from her son’s school and wondered if it was real. A local TV station confirmed it. Their use of that audio did the two critical things above, which made the break better perceptually.

Indie 88, Toronto The Josie Dye Show, Carlin Is Moving to Leslieville

April 25, 2021

Silly fun, no bits! What you want driving your program are strategic content decisions, the chemistry of the room, and your natural sense of humor. A running theme on The Josie Dye Show with Matt and Carlin, Indie 88, Toronto is that Carlin is looking to buy a house with his girlfriend. The housing market is tough and this is Carlin’s first home. The audience has been let in on all the drama so that we can define Carlin through this narrative. After months of searching, he finally found a house, which was cause for celebration on the show. Carlin is moving to a new area of Toronto, so this means we get a fresh level of the storyline. Here’s silly fun when the team decided to call businesses in Leslieville to tell them that a big celebrity (tongue-in-cheek) is moving to that side of town. No bits – listen to this strategic character content with the chemistry taking over as the calls are made. This is sticky because of the organic, natural fun they create telling the story.

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.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

WTIC-FM, Hartford Salt and Christine Using Audio

Indie 88, Toronto The Josie Dye Show, Carlin Is Moving to Leslieville

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

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