Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

There might be no greater rivalry in sports than the Red Sox – Yankees.  Boston is known for its sports and it’s a viable topic, even for stations targeting women.  The key, always, is what you do with the topic.  Just chatting about it or doing X’s and O’s won’t fly with most audiences, even listeners to sports radio.  Each year when the match-up happens at Fenway, The TJ Show, AMP 103.3, Boston, does The Yank Prank where they head to the park to find Red Sox fans who’ve had a little too much to drink to record their enthusiasm for the team.  They then ask that person to read a card, which at one point, becomes very pro-Yankees, just to see what the reaction is – and it’s usually quite funny once they understand their allegiance has changed.  Listeners love payoffs and this twist hits every image:  it’s fun, authentic, very innovative, and relevant for Boston audiences.

Real life is really funny.  Relatable stories are fun to hear.  That’s proven in this clip from the legendary Scott Shannon, CBS-FM, New York City.  Scott knows he’s perceived as a star by the audience (he earned his way there by connecting with and entertaining the audience over the years).  That’s why this break about Scott going to lunch is so humorous.  Admitting he’s hungry, Scott finds a new restaurant in town which is “just like Chipolte” where you have to get on line and choose the items you want in the meal.  Here’s where the fun happens as Scott admits confusion to knowing what all those items are.  He said he had to choose between six lettuces – and didn’t even know there were six lettuces.  The whole break has wonderful details that paint a great picture and reminds the audience that, while Scott is a star, he’s actually a regular guy like you and me.  Don’t underestimate the power of a story like this to grab the audience.