WTMX, Chicago My Husband Is a Cheapskate

Breaks can’t be linear – you cannot have one point-of-conflict and mine that for several minutes.  The best evaluated breaks are ones with a focused thesis, but also with elements inside that are more than conversation which feed the central narrative.  In the many focus groups I’ve watched over the years, the  breaks that score best use multiple elements around the point-of-conflict to keep the audience engaged.  Koz and Jen, WTMX (The MIX), Chicago do quite well building these breaks and using their time efficiently to play into listeners’ attention deficit.  The central theme of this break is that Jen’s husband is a cheapskate, because he bid low on an item being auctioned off for a charity.  Before getting him on for the “confrontation”, Koz and Jen each had one of their kids comment on what they might bid for the item, adding additional elements of humor around the theme.  We often hear from shows that want to talk long – this break is under two minutes, defines the cast, is vulnerable and fun, because it was prepped thoroughly.