... why not lighten the mood a bit... why don't folks recount their favorite local radio shenanigans for April Fool's Day. I used to like the WBCN fools parade...
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FAVORITE APRIL FOOL RADIO PRANKS
- Thread starter SonicOverload
- Start date
WILD aired country for a couple hours one A.F. Day
WMWM played top 40 hits for awhile (MANY years ago) that day
A WFNX DJ: "We promise we won't be doing any April Fools' stuff today. We'll
be right back with the hot new single by the Beatles." (this was BEFORE
the "Anthology", "Love", etc. albums...
--------------------------------
Might as well get this over with. A little breaking news for everybody:
--Howie Carr and Michael Savage did their shows without mentioning their books once! Also, Howie
has announced interviews with Kerry, Menino, Gov. Patrick, and Ted Kennedy. David Scondras
will fill in for him
--WKLB's new format is a daring blending of country and rap music (just like the stuff Cowboy Troy
of Big And Rich does). This musical genre is known informally as C-Rap
--WBCN's new format is progressive talk, including point counterpoint shows: in the mornings,
Gerry Callahan (swiped from WEEI) and Joe Vig; afternoons, John Dennis (also ex-WEEI) and Marge Clapprood.
Joe Vig and Clapprood easily shout down the other co-host (or they tell the producer to cut off
the co-host's mike)
--WJIB will air infomercials for Matthew Lesko and Lose Weight The Easy Way, as well as ads for
MasterCard and VISA
--Salem's religious stations will change their religion to Islam. A new network of Islamic talk will
feature Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens)
--WJMN's new format brings back the Beautiful Music sounds we used to listen to on the old WJIB 96.9
Ding ding! ding ding!
--WWZN gets the rights to Beverly Little League games. Big time sports folks!
--Rosie O'Donnell gets her own radio show and says she was just kidding. She really likes the President.
It was all a big joke!
--WODS will modify their format to The Greatest Hits of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today. "Unchained
Melody" segues into "Fight For Your Right To Party", "American Idiot", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
--The FCC announces that promised 50kW signal for WMWM has been approved
WMWM played top 40 hits for awhile (MANY years ago) that day
A WFNX DJ: "We promise we won't be doing any April Fools' stuff today. We'll
be right back with the hot new single by the Beatles." (this was BEFORE
the "Anthology", "Love", etc. albums...
--------------------------------
Might as well get this over with. A little breaking news for everybody:
--Howie Carr and Michael Savage did their shows without mentioning their books once! Also, Howie
has announced interviews with Kerry, Menino, Gov. Patrick, and Ted Kennedy. David Scondras
will fill in for him
--WKLB's new format is a daring blending of country and rap music (just like the stuff Cowboy Troy
of Big And Rich does). This musical genre is known informally as C-Rap
--WBCN's new format is progressive talk, including point counterpoint shows: in the mornings,
Gerry Callahan (swiped from WEEI) and Joe Vig; afternoons, John Dennis (also ex-WEEI) and Marge Clapprood.
Joe Vig and Clapprood easily shout down the other co-host (or they tell the producer to cut off
the co-host's mike)
--WJIB will air infomercials for Matthew Lesko and Lose Weight The Easy Way, as well as ads for
MasterCard and VISA
--Salem's religious stations will change their religion to Islam. A new network of Islamic talk will
feature Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens)
--WJMN's new format brings back the Beautiful Music sounds we used to listen to on the old WJIB 96.9
Ding ding! ding ding!
--WWZN gets the rights to Beverly Little League games. Big time sports folks!
--Rosie O'Donnell gets her own radio show and says she was just kidding. She really likes the President.
It was all a big joke!
--WODS will modify their format to The Greatest Hits of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today. "Unchained
Melody" segues into "Fight For Your Right To Party", "American Idiot", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
--The FCC announces that promised 50kW signal for WMWM has been approved
C
Casablanca
Guest
Of course, the most notorious April Fool's Day prank was the Blue Hills Volcano that Channel 7 [ WNAC - General Tire And Rubber Company owned] news department broadcast. The report was that the "Big Blue" was not just a big hill but a seething volcano which erupted on April 1. I think that happened about 1979 or 1980.
As usual, the news director [ whether he was the one on cocaine at the time was never confirmed there being a major drug problem at Channel 7 at that time....Not Now it is assumed] blamed a lowly producer as if that person would not clear a broadcast segment up the line.
Unfortunately, this was not an April Fools Day joke but a true story. Look it up.
As usual, the news director [ whether he was the one on cocaine at the time was never confirmed there being a major drug problem at Channel 7 at that time....Not Now it is assumed] blamed a lowly producer as if that person would not clear a broadcast segment up the line.
Unfortunately, this was not an April Fools Day joke but a true story. Look it up.
N
Neggy
Guest
Howard Stern going to BCN mornings, Charles going to WZLX ooops that wasn't a joke....
O&A vs. The Honorable Thomas "Mumbles" Menino...... (O&A broadcast Mumbles DOA'd in a Florida car crash, Entercom cans them, the rest is history)
O&A vs. The Honorable Thomas "Mumbles" Menino...... (O&A broadcast Mumbles DOA'd in a Florida car crash, Entercom cans them, the rest is history)
In Indiana, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles east of Pittsbugh, we pulled off a doozy that got 'em talking in April of 2005.
The town mayor, George Hood, is vocally a dead ringer for Governor Ed Rendell. We cleared this with both our corporate ownership and the governor's office just to make sure we didn't get the key people upset. Anyway, the WDAD morning show host, Bill Otto, had "the governor" on the phone, telling listeners that more than 10,000 new jobs were coming to Indiana County and that he had just sealed the deal with a major manufacturer.
This drove our listeners nuts. People were calling from everywhere. Even the Chamber president was beside himself. He was calling the station in a panic saying "where are you getting your information? How come I didn't know about this??" Then Bill finally let everyone in on the gag. There were maybe a couple of people who didn't think it so funny, but just about everyone laughed.
The town mayor, George Hood, is vocally a dead ringer for Governor Ed Rendell. We cleared this with both our corporate ownership and the governor's office just to make sure we didn't get the key people upset. Anyway, the WDAD morning show host, Bill Otto, had "the governor" on the phone, telling listeners that more than 10,000 new jobs were coming to Indiana County and that he had just sealed the deal with a major manufacturer.
This drove our listeners nuts. People were calling from everywhere. Even the Chamber president was beside himself. He was calling the station in a panic saying "where are you getting your information? How come I didn't know about this??" Then Bill finally let everyone in on the gag. There were maybe a couple of people who didn't think it so funny, but just about everyone laughed.
raccoonradio said:
Not THAT would NOT be a bad idea.
I would have had flip to Jack for a day then have a BIG contest asking people to name 103 Jack songs that were played during the day (The 24 hours would consist of ONLY songs NOT on the ODS playlist) Winner gets $103,000
WFHN Fairhaven
This was a great one... Some years ago when I worked at KC 101 in New Haven, CT, our morning show was Glenn Beck (yes, that Glenn Beck) and Pat Gray. A few days before April Fool's Day, thet started talikng about how their contract was expiring and management had yet to talk about re-newing. Now, I know a lot of stations have pulled this stunt... but on April 1st they say "April Fools!" However, we took it a step further. On April 1st, we actualy brought in the Morning Show that Glenn & Pat replaced a few years before, Dr.Chris. We got TONS of angry phone calls. We even put Chris' show on the day AFTER April Fools. Glenn & Pat went back on April 3rd. Chris was a great sport about the whole thing.
C
Casablanca
Guest
Re: FAVORITE APRIL FOOL RADIO PRANKS- A REAL FISH STORY
On April 1,1983 WHJJ-FM - or its AM side - the General Manager of that station had the morning DJ 'Sally Slut' or a name close to that go on the air and announce that the Providence City Government was closed for some obscure holiday. If anyone had any questions they were to call a number they gave out. The number was for WPRO.
No one was amused. Wonder if Buddy and the Boys reacted. But as always ' a fish rots from the head' !
On April 1,1983 WHJJ-FM - or its AM side - the General Manager of that station had the morning DJ 'Sally Slut' or a name close to that go on the air and announce that the Providence City Government was closed for some obscure holiday. If anyone had any questions they were to call a number they gave out. The number was for WPRO.
No one was amused. Wonder if Buddy and the Boys reacted. But as always ' a fish rots from the head' !
Re: FAVORITE APRIL FOOL RADIO PRANKS- A REAL FISH STORY
Speaking of Providence, I liked the prank on WBRU last year when they pretended to flip from their longtime commercial college alt-rock format to a "Jack"/"Mike" type of format as "Buddy FM". It went on for a couple of days, and it fooled/upset a lot of people!
Casablanca said:
Speaking of Providence, I liked the prank on WBRU last year when they pretended to flip from their longtime commercial college alt-rock format to a "Jack"/"Mike" type of format as "Buddy FM". It went on for a couple of days, and it fooled/upset a lot of people!
R
rapking
Guest
At the top of the hour.... Fun 107...WFHN Fairhaven,New Bedford,Fall River .Lucylu said:
N
Neggy
Guest
considering one of the regular contributors to this board works there and has that in her sig. line I'm surprised you know who didn't know it was a south coast station.
E
eggman961
Guest
This was probably the best April Fools' gag we did. We were in Charlotte, NC, and as many know, what is now Lowe's Motor Speedway is just up the road in Concord. We had our news director add a story to her 6:00 newscast that the Cabarrus County (Concord) Noise Abatement Commission had decided that the noise from the races was just too loud and that it was violating new noise ordinances. Therefore, the Speedway would either have to put mufflers on all the race cars or they would be shut down.
We then got a buddy of ours in the hotel business to call and say he was the potential owner of a new hotel under construction near the Speedway and that now he was going to have to halt construction and throw a hundred people out of work.
By the time the show was over, we had heard from the President of the Speedway, who thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. (Thank God).
OH, then one year I made a bet on-air with my then partner, and I lost. The result of the loss was that I had to walk naked through the lobby of the local Adams Mark hotel. I swore up and down for days that I would, in fact, do it. We rented a limo and I pulled up in front of the hotel wearing a trench coat and shorts so only my bare legs stuck out. To my surprise (and slight horror), several listeners had staked out the hotel entrance and were waiting for us.
I climbed out of the limo, and behind me on a leash came a dog wearing a shirt that said "NAKED" on it. So I, truthfully, waked Naked through the hotel lobby.
eggman
We then got a buddy of ours in the hotel business to call and say he was the potential owner of a new hotel under construction near the Speedway and that now he was going to have to halt construction and throw a hundred people out of work.
By the time the show was over, we had heard from the President of the Speedway, who thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. (Thank God).
OH, then one year I made a bet on-air with my then partner, and I lost. The result of the loss was that I had to walk naked through the lobby of the local Adams Mark hotel. I swore up and down for days that I would, in fact, do it. We rented a limo and I pulled up in front of the hotel wearing a trench coat and shorts so only my bare legs stuck out. To my surprise (and slight horror), several listeners had staked out the hotel entrance and were waiting for us.
I climbed out of the limo, and behind me on a leash came a dog wearing a shirt that said "NAKED" on it. So I, truthfully, waked Naked through the hotel lobby.
eggman
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