Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

KSLX, Phoenix That’s Scaramucci

August 6, 2017

You will never go wrong tapping the vein of topical. Great radio shows are perishable in the sense that their topics and comedy must be about whatever is going on today. Mark and Neanderpaul, KSLX, Phoenix inserted themselves into the quick dismissal of White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci by putting together a parody about both him and his short stay, set to the tune of “That’s Amore”. When you grab a Hot Topic and do something very unique with it, with the intention making the the audience laugh, you win and you win big. In part because what you have can easily go viral on social media, but mostly because your audience is so entertained they can’t leave you.

106.5 The Arch, Spencer Dates an Ex-Con

July 30, 2017

Relationships content might be the most universal you can do. Everyone has relationships so it’s very relatable and connective. At Spencer’s Neighborhood, 106.5 The Arch, St. Louis, Spencer was complaining about the number of first dates he’s had that never became second dates. He wondered what he was doing wrong. So his partners, Cassiday and Brando, ventured to find out by setting him up on a series of dates. We know we needed a twist to hook the audience so we added two big elements to this idea. The first was to wrap it up with an on-air “focus group” of the women Spencer had dates with for honest feedback. We believed that act of vulnerability would humanize Spencer and vibe with the audience. We also decided we needed a certain type of woman to capture the imagination of the audience. In our brainstorm, we decided that one kind of woman who would be very open and unfiltered were women who’d been to prison. So we “cast” for ex-cons, adding the edge that helped this relationships idea cut through. Here’s a supportive break where the team asked a relationships expert how Spencer should handle himself on these dates.

WRAL-FM, Raleigh Coach K Chooses His Team

July 23, 2017

We embarked on a community service project with Two Men and a Mom, MIX 101.5, Raleigh this past week. One of their yearly causes is Backpack Buddies, where they ask the audience to donate things for backpacks for underprivileged kids going back to school. Instead of the standard pitch, we decided to pit Team Men verses Team Mom to play off the name of the show. Part of that was to get local celebrities to call in and pledge to a team believing the guys would pledge to Team Men and the women would join Team Mom. The show scored an interview with the iconic Coach K from Duke, which is in the market. Here’s his interview. The entire goal is to build support for the day we gather the items, creating a fun and friendly competition in the process to help define the cast. You might be surprised at the team Coach K chose, showcasing his excellent sense of compassion and humor in the process.

KHTH Taco Quest

July 16, 2017

Stacey K & Jonah Production values against quirky ideas make them stand out. Stacey K and Jonah at HOT 101.7, Santa Rosa, CA embarked on Taco Quest 2016 after Jonah admitted to the room he did not like tacos. Who doesn’t like tacos??? So, we went to find the market’s best tacos over the course of one week. Listeners gave suggestions, they went for lunch buying tacos for those who showed up, all in an effort to convert Jonah into a taco lover. There are a few things to point out in the structure of this short break: the taco jingle they use close to the top of the break sets the table for the silly that follows. Understanding that the audience responds to “visual cues”, they also include in the break a quick interview with the winner of the market’s best tacos as well as the audio they use just after, giving him the coveted ten tacos rating. When designing a break, having other elements inside keeps its energy level high and offers the audience opportunities to get reinvigorated if the conversation starts to drag. Breaks designed like this don’t feel as long as they are because of that.

Power, 106, Los Angeles R U Down?

July 9, 2017

Every show need a signature feature. Its defining moment. The one thing it does that forces audience to turn the show on because it’s habitual. You’re better off, as a strategy, if you do this feature more often. Which is why The Cruz Show, Power 106, Los Angeles, does R U Down, its version of the highly rated prank call, every hour on the tens. Shows tend to get very nervous airing a bit like this so often, but remember two important things: PPM is about occasions and occasions are usually tied to creating appointments. Also, listeners come to the show and stay for just a few minutes – so the tactic of doing a signature feature once an hour will rarely work against you if it’s that entertaining. The other thing to consider is to figure out your most unique, highly entertaining benchmark, and worry about burning it in, instead of being worried about burning it out. Build appointments in your show and you’ll tend to get more occasions – central to a winning recipe.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

KSLX, Phoenix That’s Scaramucci

106.5 The Arch, Spencer Dates an Ex-Con

WRAL-FM, Raleigh Coach K Chooses His Team

KHTH Taco Quest

Power, 106, Los Angeles R U Down?

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