Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh Whatcha Haulin’?

April 26, 2020

A challenge for every show, regardless of market size, is getting phone calls early in the program. We all have smaller audiences then and listeners are less inclined to call a show and participate in any game or phone topic you might have. What could help is focusing the phones on a specific type of listeners. Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh know that, while most of the audience is getting up and ready for work or school (when in session) at that early hour, they are not inclined to call. But an audience on the road and more ripe to participate in a radio show is truckers. So they direct this occasional phone topic at them, asking truckers to call to tell them what they’re hauling. It’s a simple way to generate some content early in the show on the phones – the win comes in the conversation, then the payoff of finding out what’s in their truck and where they’re bringing it.

The TJ Show, AMP 103.3, Boston Operation Cupcake

April 19, 2020

One quick way to get phones is to ask the audience to help you solve a dilemma. That’s reflected in this week’s Free Idea. The TJ Show, AMP 103.3, Boston gets this, too. Loren from the show enjoyed a delicious cupcake given to her by a listener. This wasn’t your ordinary, average cupcake. It was a cupcake a cut above anything else she’d every had. One thing this show does quite well is find these quirky content items and, instead of them just being one on-air break where they talk about it, they make it something much bigger. Like Loren giving out all the details, then asking listeners to help find the person who made the cupcake so they could have more, even moving this to talk with that person once they figure out who it is. This is a narrative in real time, across a period of the show, with the payoff of the conversation. Setup-details-payoff (beginning-middle-end), which is the perfect structure for all breaks. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David understood the power of taking something small and turning it into unique content. This show does, too.

96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford Does Scott Have the Corona

April 12, 2020

Doing things in real time is always powerful. Beloved local weatherman Scott Haney went missing from his TV station in Hartford, CT. Scott’s the guy you have in your market who’s known and beloved by all. Christine and Salt, 96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford know Scott, too. He’s been on their show and helped them with content many times. Calling Scott offline, they found out that Scott and his doctors feared he was infected with the coronavirus. Scott was doing the weather from his home, so viewers knew what was going on with him, too (the power of character development and vulnerability – the audience caring about you is amazing). Scott consented, once the results came in, to reveal them to Christine and Salt’s audience, as well. A powerful moment and payoff to a narrative that resonated with them. Hear the reveal below – then find stories happening in real time for your show and bring the audience in, too.

KSCS, Dallas Does Sam Hunt Have a Bidet?

April 5, 2020

If you interview a musician in your format, please don’t talk with them only about their latest project. Make sure to tie them into the topic(s) of the day to get their take. Hawkeye and Katelyn, KSCS, Dallas had chance to talk with country superstar Sam Hunt. Set aside the real reason they got him (Sam was promoting something), they knew to make Sam even more relatable to the audience, the conversation had to be relevant to the day – which means exploring how the coronavirus has affected Sam’s life. In doing their due diligence, they found out that Sam’s wife had interest in installing a bidet in their house. So, they went there, as did Sam. Yes, they did get to the reason Sam came on. Hear not only how accessible this conversation makes him to the audience, but how fun it is to learn this about one of the format’s superstars. The audience wants vulnerability and to be let in – this did that! There is never a time in this conversation where Sam is not smiling, which makes it a great, entertaining conversation.

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego The Parents Are Over It

March 29, 2020

To truly resonate with the audience, we must understand where they are emotionally. We need to really connect with where their lives are in the middle of the coronoavirus crisis. In many respects, that’s easy if you have a life like them. Worlds get smaller when there is something like this. One of our jobs is to communicate to the audience who won’t call (98% of the them) that they are not alone in their experiences. Lots of phone calls do that. Let regular listeners come on to talk about what’s going on with them – their wins and frustrations – and that will talk to everyone else. This is a simple, but very powerful break from John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego, who let listeners come on who are over being stuck inside with their kids. Hear the raw emotion in the callers voices as they tell their stories and how John and Tammy connect with them to tell theirs – all leading to fun conversations that say to the audience, “we’re all in this together.”

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh Whatcha Haulin’?

The TJ Show, AMP 103.3, Boston Operation Cupcake

96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford Does Scott Have the Corona

KSCS, Dallas Does Sam Hunt Have a Bidet?

John and Tammy, KSON, San Diego The Parents Are Over It

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