Radio’s greatest strength has always been its relevance. The “living in the moment” with the audience when something happens.
It’s pretty hard to argue for the relevance of the medium when, outside of some social media posts by the syndicated morning show, you don’t acknowledge Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. (A CHR somewhere last winter.)
Gas is all that anyone is talking about, so it would behoove you to talk about gas.
“But we don’t have money to buy gas!” No worries. Got tickets to a concert or movie or haunted attraction? Then do Gas Spies like Eldorado Broadcasting and reward people who alert the audience to the cheapest prices.
I frankly care more about saving 8 cents a gallon than an auto post about “Taylor Momsen says a ‘Gossip Girl’ reunion could happen in 2027!”
Erik Bradley, who has more good ideas than bad ideas (those are Cy Young numbers), pointed out that animal shelters do a lot of driving and are probably getting killed at the pump. Brilliant. There’s your way to talk about gas without costing any money: help a pet charity raise money for their fuel needs.
“How” you help them fundraise will determine whether anyone actually donates. Sticking a banner ad on the site and having people donate will barely register on anyone’s radar. Selling requests has always been a successful cash hit. Doing an auction of music memorabilia and tickets could work. Going and living in a doghouse until you hit your goal would be another. Doing a car wash is always good for a couple thousand bucks.
Gas is a hot button. Pets are a hot button. This hits both and could probably get you some press if the visual is good.
Shoot me an email at [email protected], and I’ll send you a bunch of gas ideas.
And now, on with the Dumpage:
Comedic, “Playable” Elements
Great morning shows are like great TV shows: after a while, the audience becomes tuned in to all of the characters’ quirks.
One of the things I always do with morning shows when we get together is dissect the team and see who has stuff that you can take and play with. One of the Producers was a serious, genuine germaphobe. So “Let’s Make Heather Throw Up” became an occasional bit.
Kennedy at Mix in Boston? Her irrational fear is aluminum foil. I kid you not. And there ya go. Instant content.
Remote/Event Juice
One of the stations has a client “thing” in the late afternoon of the Saturday before Halloween and needed a hook that would bring people in. Two words: pet psychic.
Yes, these people exist, and stations like KOB-FM that have gotten one for a morning or an event can attest to the lines of listeners and their pets, waiting to be “read.” I kid you not.
Another Example Of Why Sticking Backstage Passes In The VIP Club Sucks
By and large, we as an industry have taken Money Can’t Buy Prizes and dumbed them down to meaning basically nothing. You get no payoff with “Click & Register.” WPGC did Tweet To Your Seat for something last year, and the “payoff” was videos of listeners running up, asking some dude on the street, and then devolving into screaming, dancing messes. It was like a TV game show. They interview and screen audience members to get the hyper-insane people who will jump and shriek.
Marconi Award-winning KSON once did my favorite concert bit for Jason Aldean and had people wear the logo to the show. And thus, the payoff.
Face Your Fears Week
Now in SFO and Flow in Toronto did a series of talent facing down phobias and fears as the lead-in to Halloween last year. Spiders and snakes seemed to be the common theme.
Now, I thought Meredith Teplitz from Magic in Albuquerque was pretty cool for going over the side of a building for charity last week.
Nah. For no apparent reason other than she ain’t quite right in the heyud, Ruby Carr at Z95.3 in Vancouver allowed herself to be covered with tarantulas by reps of some local reptile and bug society.
The Biggest Concert Of…2027!!!!!!!
One of the stations has a big on-sale for a show that’s in nine months and the requisite ticket giveaway. The idea?
Post an “hours until the show” graphic to the station site, updated with the number of hours until the show. Like 6,480. Go to the site, get the time, call, and know it.
The imaging can be this girl freaked out because she has so much to do before the show. She’s freaking out. She needs to get her hair done. Buy some clothes. Study for a test. Celebrate Christmas. Graduate. Go to Mexico on Spring Break. Go through three relationships. Get grounded. “Holy crap. I better get started.”
Why Wouldn’t You Do This?
Every Monday afternoon at 5:30p, Ryan Smetzer at Live in Hagerstown honors a student-athlete. The beauty of this is that it allows you to think beyond high school football and stretch this through the entire school year.
Service Dogs
Pets are the ultimate hot button, and pets that help others, multiply that by about 100. Which is why you can readily find many stories and galleries of these animals and their people online. Stories of dogs getting pics in their owners’ high school yearbooks. Stuff like that.
KSON in San Diego has used October to recognize survivors of cancer. What if you did that with a month of service dogs? That would be “Awww…” Inspiring.
The Wheel Of Totally Useless Knowledge
A station-to-remain-nameless is about to embark on a very cool promotion that will afford one listener the op to live like (name), one of those celebrities you see in InStyle and no one honestly knows why she is famous. Tested through the roof with the young women in the building.
At the very least, as a morning show bit, what if you did the above header and spun a wheel and asked the caller something that is really crucial in today’s society? Like, “Before Vanessa dumped Josh for Zac, who was she seen leaving Club Hyde with?” Answer and win a subscription for ’27 to one of the pop culture mags.
Bras For The Cause
We are now days away from October, and Breast Cancer is pretty much the charity that crosses all formats. To miss Breast Cancer Awareness Month would be inexplicable.
My favorite line ever was from a CHR PD who scoffed and said, “My listeners don’t care. (Bad word). You don’t even need to start getting mammograms until you’re like 40.” I asked if his audience were spores and thus didn’t have sisters or aunts or mothers, and he was fired not too long thereafter.
C95 in Saskatoon sent male models out to bars with giant bras to take cash donations from people as they worked the room under the name “Bras For The Cause.” Could also be “Fill ‘Em Up” or “Cup Capping.”
Black Out Wednesday
The night before Thanksgiving is annually one of the biggest bar nights of the year. So selling a night would be great, and you’re guaranteed a crowd. The best moniker that I’ve heard for one of these club nights is “Black Out Wednesday,” courtesy of Molly Cruz at B96.
Breastivus
Friends branded “The one with,” and among many iconic “Seinfeldisms” is Festivus. With Breast Cancer Awareness Month launching next week, one of the Hot AC stations is going to designate a date later in the month, but not too close to step on Halloween, as “Breastivus.” It’ll be a day that the station honors breast cancer survivors with tributes and dedications from their family and friends. If a station here did it, I would totally enter/honor my friends Jane and Cindy.
Polite Porch Pirates
This was done by Alabama Cole at ‘QEN in Birmingham last year when she went and left packages on listeners’ front steps. Love this like crazy cake.
