CPR Promotional Check-Up

"For No Apparent Reason" Morning Show Accoutrement

I was having a call with one of the morning shows last week and we were kind of going over the other shows that are out there and who does good stuff in different categories. Community stuff? Hands down: Buck at 95.7 Jamz in Birmingham. Video stuff? The Zoo at KLUC. Stuff like that. I said that Dave Ryan was pretty much better then anyone with bits that just appear. No reason. Just completely out-of-left-field stuff.

For instance, they did a morning of "thoughts" a few years back. Throughout the show there would be some harp music, Dave would fade out, and you'd hear one of the co-hosts "thoughts" of what Dave was talking about. One was always ultra-critical and showed that deep down, she really thought he was an overpaid douche. The other person was a fawning lackey. It was great.

There is certain TV show "bridge" music that is instantly recognizable. "Gilligans Island" is an example. The xylophone music as Gilligan walks from one scene to the next. So one of the Rock stations did that, for no apparent reason, just to seg from one bit to the next. Phones BLEW up. People laughing till they cried.

The late 80's-early 90's were not a great era for sitcoms. I stumbled upon "ALF" on WGN last night. It had the real generic 80's sitcom intro music that "Seinfeld" perfectly parodied when they did the "pilot" for "his show" late in the series. Me? I'd get some of these and use these as your show intros and outros for a few weeks. Why? Why not? Stop over-thinking stuff.

Schulte and Swann used to do "Cliff Hanger Friday" on KZIA. Last break on Friday was some cliffhanger that would be resolved in the first break on Monday.

One of the GM's asked me about "great morning shows" and things they all share in common. My response was that they ALL don't over-think stuff. They just do it and more often then not, it's cool. And when it isn't, then, at least they're trying.