Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

WRAL-FM, Raleigh What Do You Really Think of Co-Workers

January 26, 2020

Who has A.D.D.? I hope all of our hands went up! We all want to be entertained and for it to happen quickly. The team at Two Men and a Mom, WRAL-FM, Raleigh spend extra time designing breaks with this in mind. It’s not necessarily about break length (although shorter is better than longer, the design of what you’re going to do is paramount). Listen to this relatable content and then hear how the break is designed so the listener never gets bored. There was a big local story where the coach of UNC basketball publicly dissed his team. Coming out of music, they got right to content with the audio clip of the coach everyone had heard. No fluff up front – content first! Then reflection conversation from the cast where you will hear the anchor pivot away from sports to the more relatable topic of disrespecting those you work with. Then, a call from a listener telling a very passionate story about a co-worker she thought was worthless. All of it fun. What helps this even further is that in their allotted time, the break had great pacing and never rested in one spot for too long because they prepped it that way.

Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas Put Deon In

January 19, 2020

How do you do the topic of sports on a female targeted radio show? By using the same technique we do with all other topics – by creating laughter and fun. No doubt the topic of the Dallas Cowboys can drive that market. But we know that chatter about X’s and O’s is a turnoff to even sports fans. With the news that the Cowboys would probably be hiring its new coach, Mike McCarthy, Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas, pulled from its archives this fun produced piece from the past. They took the stereotype of Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones as a meddler to an absurd level by putting together this bit with Jerry calling the new coach during the game, asking that Deon Sanders be put in to impress the sponsors at Pepsi. Want men, women, and all the lifestyles that exist in your target demo to lean in when you do content? Choose the biggest topics of the day and have fun with them, as is done here.

Mojo in the Morning Hears from President Trump

January 12, 2020

What you can do on your show is correlated to how deep the relationship is with your audience. Those shows that are well-defined and have been on-the-air longer can go places newer shows can’t and shouldn’t. Mojo in the Morning, Channel 955, Detroit has been part of listeners’ lives for twenty years. They have a huge number of fans who come each day for companionship and entertainment. That they have spent so much time defining themselves and creating laughter, the audience will allow them to do the unthinkable for most programs – do Trump-oriented content. Enter Mojo show alum Eric Harthen, who does an amazing Trump. He calls the show each week to mock the cast. There’s no desire to convince listeners this is real (this is part how you do something like this in 2020). The character is there to create relevancy and humor by making fun of those on the show the audience already knows and adores.

Sunny 98.1, San Diego The Holiday Card Apology

January 5, 2020

The best breaks on a show happen when a character has a story to tell, along with an emotion, and then we figure out what to do besides just telling the story that isn’t only opening the phones. Enter AJ and Sara, Sunny 98.1, San Diego, who presented just such as opportunity. Before the holidays, on one of our regular calls, we were talking about the Christmas cards many people send out when Sara admitted she has the best of intentions each year, but never has time to do one. She admitted an embarrassment that people keep sending them to her, along with a fear that at some point they will stop, angry because she never does. Great, relatable story, right? What happens when we capitalize on her embarrassment and fear? We asked her to call someone who keeps sending her their card to apologize and check if she’ll always be on the list. The call elevated the bit and made it more fun and memorable.

Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX Phoenix, Holiday Heart Attacks

December 15, 2019

The question is almost always: what did you do with your content choice that defines the show, proves its sense of humor, and provides a payoff or destination no one else can. Oftentimes, shows find lists or statistics they think will keep the audience engaged. Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX, Phoenix found one such statistic about holiday heart attacks – and the prime time around Christmas that most happen. As is, it’s a tad boring, even leaning to the morose to note this to listeners this time of year. Sharing this with the audience, opening the phones, or even doing a serious interview around the topic doesn’t fit our goal of creating humor. But, they did. We pick our moments to do parodies on this show – they did one here by choosing an iconic Christmas carol, doing a re-lyric to have some fun, kept it short and efficient, and effectively used what was a small stat and walked the audience to laugh about the topic.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

WRAL-FM, Raleigh What Do You Really Think of Co-Workers

Hawkeye in the Morning, KSCS, Dallas Put Deon In

Mojo in the Morning Hears from President Trump

Sunny 98.1, San Diego The Holiday Card Apology

Mark and NeanderPaul, KSLX Phoenix, Holiday Heart Attacks

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