In my January 7 posting, I mentioned the classic radio drama, The Shadow. I’m guessing most radio people today never actually have heard it, so here’s an episode. Yes, it’s a bit preachy. But dramatic nonetheless.
June, 1994, Part 3: Later in the month I traveled to Virginia, where I conducted How To Create Maximum Impact Radio Advertising for the Virginia Association of Broadcasters in Charlottesville. I also spent two days in nearby Richmond, where WRVQ/WRXL’s Linda Forem, Brian Illes, and Lisa McKay had me conduct air talent and commercial copywriting seminars for their staffs.
On the flight from California to Virginia, the airline movie was FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. To my immediate left sat a man who obviously enjoyed the film. He laughed loudly throughout — so loudly that I kept looking for an eject button on his seat. (For you North Americans: Imagine watching an entire movie with Ed McMahon sitting next to you and laughing at everything.)
Sherri Marengo of Eagle 99 asks, “Have you ever been doing a contest and forgot to give listeners the contest line??? OMG- did it this morning!”
My most memorable blunder occurred during my very first air shift. I’m a city boy, and my first radio gig was in rural Virginia. It was only an hour or so into the shift when a listener called up and said, “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Nope, it wasn’t a question of conflicting regional accents. I had read a live spot for John Deere tractors. Apparently the big clue was when I pronounced it “Dear-ie.”
Okay, guys, what’s YOUR embarrassing screw-up?
First I should explain that for me, an Incredibly Cool Station Idea is one that provides a valuable service to the community, involves the listeners, and doesn’t cost the radio station anything.
A number of years ago I conducted an air talent seminar for BBC Radio Merseyside in Liverpool, England. At the time, they were heavily promoting its “A Team.” Staffed by volunteers, the A Team work from three desks in the radio station. They field calls from listeners who need what might be called Info-Help:
“What are the requirements for bringing a dog onto an airplane?”
“How can I find someone to adopt some kittens?”
“Who won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Actor?”
One very popular feature of the A Team is their Lost Person service: helping to locate an old army buddy or school chum.
While they research all incoming requests and reply to the callers by telephone, the A Team typically airs three bulletins a day to help with answers they haven’t been able to track down themselves.
When the film version of YELLOW SUBMARINE celebrated its 30th anniversary, Apple Records desperately wanted to contact the actors who had portrayed the Beatles in that animated picture, but they could locate only three of the four. So they called the A Team, which asked Radio Merseyside’s listeners if they could help. Within hours, they heard from a listener who was friends with the missing actor…who was living on a houseboat in Denmark. He gave them his friend’s phone number, and the mystery was solved.
Here are the benefits of the A Team:
• True community service
• Great public relations/local goodwill
• Occasional great publicity (e.g., the missing “Beatle”)
• Strengthens connection to community
• Builds listener loyalty
• Builds goodwill even among people who are not frequent listeners
