Radio Show Content | Audio Breaks

KSLX, Phoenix The Batman Villain Quiz

June 18, 2017

No one break will rocket any show to number one. Growth is an incremental game of earning and affirming images that get you there. Be fun, be different, be topical, be real and you’ll gain images that get you to stronger and stronger Nielsen numbers. Here’s a break that does that. Mark and Neanderpaul, KSLX, Phoenix know that Adam West passing away is a relevant topic for their adult male audience. Here’s how they seize the moment with this perishable topic (the topic will not be relevant the next week). They gathered a list of iconic villains from the show and then made up a few. They asked a listener to guess which ones were real and which were fake at a station event, which is great spice. They then asked the same questions to a caller in the break, and pit the caller against the listener from the night before. Humor comes in the made up villains names and the listeners’ reactions to them. It’s completely vicarious, very much in the moment, had an intent to make those tuning in laugh, and earned those images noted above for growth.

WIL, St. Louis Another Episode of the White Trash Division of My Family

June 11, 2017

There is no better way to connect with the audience then by telling a story. Stories define us, entertain us, have elements which make them memorable, prove one’s authenticity, and are how we navigate relationships. What is a great song, but a story? What is an excellent TV show, but a story? Bud and Broadway, New Country 92.3, St. Louis do self-deprecating quite well. Jerry Broadway is always mocking the odd members of his family, including a subset he comically refers to as the “White Trash Division”. He shares all their exploits, with their funny details, as the innocent bystander, shocked (but not shocked!) at what he’s witnessing. This humorous vulnerability bonds him very efficiently to the audience because the story proves how real he is. The audience is so disarmed, they so see themselves in this story, and they’re so entertained that Jerry stands out as a personality.

B105, Cincinnati, Who’s Brad?

May 28, 2017

Here’s a clever way for a show to give out Brad Paisley tickets. The Big Dave Show, B105, Cincinnati is very strategic. Wanting to tap into the market’s biggest country concert that weekend, they gave them out by playing a fun game called “Who’s Brad?” Here are all the wins in this break posted below: they re-lyriced Michael Jackson’s “Who’s Bad” for a production value (this signals to the audience the fun that is about to happen). Then, they note to the audience not only the Brad Paisley concert, but that Chelsie on the show has a husband named Brad, too. The listener has to determine if the short statement applies to Brad Paisley or Chelsie’s husband, so we get character development out of this, as well. The production value is silly, the clues are short, and the game is efficient so people can play along in the car. Here’s both the set-up solicitation and the actual execution. An all-around A+ idea.

Indie 88, My Mother Gets An Apology

May 21, 2017

One more Mother’s Day post? Pointing very successfully to it’s what you do with the topic that matters, The Josie Dye Show, Indie 88, Toronto, did something special for Mother’s Day. They actually did two things, as demonstrated in these breaks. Josie’s mom (completely unversed in radio) hosted the show in place of her daughter. Josie was still there, guiding mom through anchoring the show (this was on purpose so we still had her). It was unrehearsed and more fun because of that. Then, in two other breaks on the show, co-hosts Matt and Carlin were required to call their moms on-the-air and apologize for something that happened when they were a kid. These stories, and this dynamic, created memorable and fun radio – proving again that if you do something unique with the topic, it gets remembered.

106.5, The Arch, St. Louis Sibling Rivalry for Mother’s Day

May 14, 2017

There are so many angles for a holiday like Mother’s Day for the average show. At Spencer’s Neighborhood, 106.5, The Arch, St. Louis, the team found out that Brando bought his mother concert tickets for the evening and his sister was upset because she wanted to take mom to dinner with the family. Spencer sees fun conflict here. The show did two breaks where they got the sister on to help Brando tell the story (another chance to stir the pot), followed by another break with Brando, his sister, and their mother, to ask her which of the two she wanted to do. The team made her choose between Brando and his sister’s gifts! There are a few things to learn in the execution of these breaks. First, listen to how quickly at the beginning of the break they set (and reset) the storyline. They waste no time in enrolling the audience in what’s going on, especially those who didn’t know about it. Then, they quickly got to the relatives to help tell the story, thus putting another element in each break to get emotion, perspective, and entertainment. Finally, the team gives you a reason to stay tuned or come back to the show at the end of each break, teasing the audience forward for another occasion.

Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

KSLX, Phoenix The Batman Villain Quiz

WIL, St. Louis Another Episode of the White Trash Division of My Family

B105, Cincinnati, Who’s Brad?

Indie 88, My Mother Gets An Apology

106.5, The Arch, St. Louis Sibling Rivalry for Mother’s Day

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