Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Our post last week was about being in the moment for pop culture – attaching yourself in a unique way to a Hot Topic.  The most inviting content might be what’s going on in the world right now, because those topics are clickable (and postable on your social media platforms).  But the treatment of that topic, as my friends at Coleman Insights have long advocated, is what is critical to making the break stand out.  There was a huge controversy around the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, where the expected horse to win was disqualified and Country House declared the winner.  Good conversation for the show just after the race, because people are aware of it (awareness is the main threshold for determining a topic for your show).  Kyle from Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh found out something very cool.  His father-in-law placed a bet on Country House, because he lives in a country house (it was one of those “on a whim” bets).  His father-in-law’s $20 bet, at 65-1 odds, paid off $1300.  So, they got him on and you got to hear his story, energy, and sense of humor around the topic.  Giving their program one more break that could only be done by them to engage and entertain the audience.  That he placed the bet and won big is a coincidence.  That they took advantage of it as content for the show isn’t.

Breaks can’t be linear – you cannot have one point-of-conflict and mine that for several minutes.  The best evaluated breaks are ones with a focused thesis, but also with elements inside that are more than conversation which feed the central narrative.  In the many focus groups I’ve watched over the years, the  breaks that score best use multiple elements around the point-of-conflict to keep the audience engaged.  Koz and Jen, WTMX (The MIX), Chicago do quite well building these breaks and using their time efficiently to play into listeners’ attention deficit.  The central theme of this break is that Jen’s husband is a cheapskate, because he bid low on an item being auctioned off for a charity.  Before getting him on for the “confrontation”, Koz and Jen each had one of their kids comment on what they might bid for the item, adding additional elements of humor around the theme.  We often hear from shows that want to talk long – this break is under two minutes, defines the cast, is vulnerable and fun, because it was prepped thoroughly.