I was driving to work the other day and I heard a music announcer give me a list of songs to look forward to on my way into the office! “Coming up we’ve got that new song from Katy Perry, Taylor swift and song coming from Corona that I have not heard in ages – all on the way in the next 10 mins”. He may as well of given me his shopping list – it would have sounded more interesting than what he did.
Have you ever been watching a show like House Rules and they forward promote an episode that’s coming up giving the indication there is a big blow up in the pipeline? In the editing process they twist and manipulate someone’s words to make them sound like they are about to explode and then when the real episode airs the conversation is actually quite bland and goes in the other direction. See If the House Rules producers were to tease what was really coming up on the show their ratings would take a hit because no one wants to watch boring TV (I’m not saying the show is boring, I actually quite like it). If the Producers don’t dress up the drama people won’t be drawn too it and radio is exactly the same.
Back in 2004 I was doing a weekend shift on 105.1 Triple M in Melbourne. Coming up in my music log was a song I had probably played 10,000 times on the radio to date. “Cold Chisel – Cheap wine” was a song that everyone was familiar with and I’m sure that every announcer before me had regurgitated all the Cold Chisel facts known to man. I remember hearing a rumor when I was growing up in Whyalla that Cold Chisel toured the local region and while staying at the West lands Hotel had allegedly pinched a TV from one of the rooms. As soon as I saw the Cold Chisel song coming up in the log I thought – what if I called the West Lands hotel and tried to get some truth to the story? My hook for Cheap Wine that day sounded like this. “Coming up I’ve got the group that allegedly nicked a TV from a Hotel room in the early days – Is there any truth to that, we’ll find out in the next 10 mins”. Even better, not only did I have the hook I needed but when I play out the Cold Chisel song I’ve got audio (Content) from staff at the West lands Hotel confirming or denying that Cold Chisel had pinched a TV.
It’s all about thinking outside the box when you are talking about the music that’s coming up! Music shifts can be a lot more than just That was, This is! You are responsible for that Radio real estate you occupy everyday. Use the resources you have (The songs) to create great Content!
Note: The West Lands Hotel could not confirm that Cold Chisel had pinched the TV while on tour.
Leroy Brown
