Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

Indie 88, Toronto Heroes For the Homeless

December 1, 2019

We’re entering the season where radio stations and shows do their annual community service projects to rally the listeners to give back. One of the most unique is what we do on The Josie Dye Show with Matt and Carlin, Indie 88, Toronto. Each year, there are 5000 homeless people on the streets of Toronto. What do the shelters need? Socks so the homeless don’t get frostbite. In two years time, the show has rallied its listeners to donate over 320,000 pair of socks which are turned over to the shelters. To kick things off this year, the station put on an event called Heroes for the Homeless, where we honored those workers who’ve dedicated their lives to help these less fortunate people. This last week, they gathered the group for dinner and some speeches. Here is a break from their show the day after, with a story told by someone who was once homeless, but now lives every day to help others who have no where to sleep at night. Listen as this gentleman tells his most powerful story to move the room, and spur the audience to jump start this year’s campaign. Make me feel for the cause and listeners will step up to help – our name for anyone who helps this year (Heroes for the Homeless) is aspirational and positive.

MOJO in the Morning, Channel 955, Detroit Five Lies to Tell Your Mom

November 24, 2019

Craft an edgy story with five lies and convince a listener to call their mom and tell it to her and you have a weekly benchmark called Five Lies to Tell Your Mom. In search of a new appointment for Mojo in the Morning, Channel 955, Detroit a few years ago, we developed this weekly bit that highlights the relationship one listener has with their mother. Offline, the show creates a short story with five bold, but believable lies. They then conference call the listener with their mother and, without the mom knowing they are also on the line, they listen in as the story is told and the mother reacts. They record this one week out to make it good – which affords the show the time to coach the listener on the story and then for editing and post production. In some ways, this is a train wreck (in a good way) the audience would never see themselves doing, but love eavesdropping on because the stories you concoct can be as bold as you like to capture the audience’s attention.

KBZT, San Diego Jayson and His Movers

November 17, 2019

It’s really important when a cast member tells a story about any experience they have (or will have) that you include the other people in the story in telling it on the show. Dana and Jayson, KBZT, San Diego understand to make stories full and complete that using your break time with other colorful characters helps the story come alive even more and, it gives the principles (them) more to play with. Jayson was moving. A relatable, common occurrence. What kind of person is Jayson during this chore? How did he take care of those who helped? What is their take on Jayson and his emotional state during a task no one likes? There are so many questions – don’t limit yourself to just your perspective (or the one perspective of the person who endured it). Add drama through twists and turns, by inviting in others who’ll add some level of tension that will make the story more fun to tell and more fun to hear.

WDRV (The Drive), Chicago Bears and Packers and the Big Gloat

November 10, 2019

Houses divided, where each spouse roots for a different team in a sports rivalry, is an easy relationships topic that adds a special layer of emotion for your audience. One of the classic football rivalries is the yearly Bears-Packers game, because both teams are fairly close to one another and each has a fan base deeply loyal. It’s easy to get into these kinds of conversations on the show when these games happen, and you should do that. Sherman and Tingle, WDRV (The Drive), Chicago (one of whom backs the Packers and the other who prefers the Bears) took it one step further the morning after the game. With a Packers win, they asked the audience if it was inappropriate for Packers fans to gloat by wearing their Green Bay jerseys to work to celebrate the win, and rub it in to Bears fans in the office. The resulting phone calls, mostly from Packers fans believing there was nothing wrong with doing that, results in some very local content, and breaks that radiate the rivalry and passion, giving both sides an opportunity to relate, take a position, and have fun (even if they lost).

96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford Quiz Pro Quo

November 3, 2019

Great shows are in the moment and perishable. Sometimes the edgier topics (like the Trump-Ukraine controversy) need some innovation to tie into without angering either (or both) sides, claiming you took a position on politics they don’t agree with. Enter Christine and Salt, 96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford who easily acknowledged that the phrase “quiz pro quo” is in our lexicon. Everyone’s hearing it. So it’s fair game to create content around it. How to tie into it without being political, though? They came up with a fun game call the Quiz Pro Quo. They described things that could happen that rhymes with the phrase to give out a prize. Listen to this break – they never mention Trump, Ukraine, impeachment, or even politics. They acknowledged the phrase and do their version of it. Hear the fun they have – and imagine the fun listeners are having, too, hearing this silliness. All around a Hot Topic, which is highly important to do. They could have done something generic or evergreen – but they went topical. The more you are doing your version of these well-known topics, the more perishable your show will be. And that’s a good thing.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Indie 88, Toronto Heroes For the Homeless

MOJO in the Morning, Channel 955, Detroit Five Lies to Tell Your Mom

KBZT, San Diego Jayson and His Movers

WDRV (The Drive), Chicago Bears and Packers and the Big Gloat

96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford Quiz Pro Quo

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