RADIO STUNTS

[sharped]

I can't go into the details of how I plan to execute this promotion yet...
but this coming Thursday I'm gonna pay tribute to the great WKRP episode
where they throw turkeys from a helicopter. I have the helicopter, I have 105 turkeys, hundreds of dollars to throw and more! I encourage all to show up
to The Underground Pub to witness between 3 & 7pm November 17.

Which brings me to my question...

What are some of your favorite over the top radio promotions
that you've seen/heard stations do or you did youself?

 

[DragonMom]

> I can't go into the details of how I plan to execute this
> promotion yet...
> but this coming Thursday I'm gonna pay tribute to the great
> WKRP episode
> where they throw turkeys from a helicopter. I have the
> helicopter, I have 105 turkeys, hundreds of dollars to throw
> and more! I encourage all to show up
> to The Underground Pub to witness between 3 & 7pm November
> 17.
>
> Which brings me to my question...
>
> What are some of your favorite over the top radio promotions
>
> that you've seen/heard stations do or you did youself?
>
98 Rock in Baltimore does a stunt every year around the holidays.

They broadcast from a billboard ledge...they can't come down unless they fill up X number of tractor trailers with food and gifts for distribution to poor families in and around B-More City. Remember, its cold in Maryland during the winter...

The first year they did it, the airstaff was on that ledge for a week.
The following year they doubled their first year's number of trucks and were only there for a few days. It's been more than a few years since I've lived there and I don't know if they still do it, but it was an awesome promotional event with a wonderful outcome for the community.<P ID="signature">______________
The sun shines not on you but in you~ John Muir

Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.</P>

 

[kramerrox]

I worked at FLZ and they started this. They got like a football field size land. They made grids of different numbers. On the air if you were the right caller you got a number. They got a junker car, got it on a HUGE crane and dropped it. If you had the winning number where it dropped, you won a new car. It creates an interest in so many people that just wanna come see a huge crane drop a car.

 

[radiosaur]

> I worked at FLZ and they started this. They got like a
> football field size land. They made grids of different
> numbers. On the air if you were the right caller you got a
> number. They got a junker car, got it on a HUGE crane and
> dropped it. If you had the winning number where it dropped,
> you won a new car. It creates an interest in so many people
> that just wanna come see a huge crane drop a car.
>

Uhh, wasn't the WKRP episode based on a real promotions debacle back in the 60's, and didn't some one go to jail over it?

<P ID="signature">______________
Never hold a cat and a dustbuster at the same time.</P>

 

[dwiman1029]

> > I worked at FLZ and they started this. They got like a
> > football field size land. They made grids of different
> > numbers. On the air if you were the right caller you got a
>
> > number. They got a junker car, got it on a HUGE crane and
> > dropped it. If you had the winning number where it
> dropped,
> > you won a new car. It creates an interest in so many
> people
> > that just wanna come see a huge crane drop a car.
> >
>
> Uhh, wasn't the WKRP episode based on a real promotions
> debacle back in the 60's, and didn't some one go to jail
> over it?
>
thats right...someone did go to jail...there are too many animal rights people out there for this to go over....why dont you try throwing 100 pilgrims out of a helicopter...nobody cares about people!..lol

 

[radiosaur]

> thats right...someone did go to jail...there are too many
> animal rights people out there for this to go over....why
> dont you try throwing 100 pilgrims out of a
> helicopter...nobody cares about people!..lol
>

Of course, he didn't say if they were live or frozen...Wow, a frozen turkey from 100 feet. That might break a few car windshields...

On the other hand, today's radio needs some more stuff like that!

<P ID="signature">______________
Never hold a cat and a dustbuster at the same time.</P>

 

[sharped]

> > thats right...someone did go to jail...there are too
> many
> > animal rights people out there for this to go over....why
> > dont you try throwing 100 pilgrims out of a
> > helicopter...nobody cares about people!..lol
> >
>
> Of course, he didn't say if they were live or frozen...Wow,
> a frozen turkey from 100 feet. That might break a few car
> windshields...
>
> On the other hand, today's radio needs some more stuff like
> that!
>

I totally agree. Most promotions are like come out and one person might win one big prize and the rest win cheap CD's or shirts. I can guarantee that 105 FREE holiday turkeys and hundreds of dollars and other stuff will come out of that helicopter on Thursday. You will be able to cook these turkeys and eat them either for Thanksgiving, Christmas or whatever politically correct holiday you may celebrate. Somebody will win $105 in cash but 105 real turkeys will be given away. And if I go to jail...it's just more promotion.

Please join me at The Underground Pub and see this for yourself on Thursday from 3-7. The Turkeys drop at 5:00.

 

[inthebag]

On one hand, I'm thrilled to see someone trying to inject some creativity into a medium that's become about as exciting as a root canal.

On the other hand, I feel the need to toss a couple of flies into the ol' ointment:

Instead of copying 'KRP or something hundreds of other stations have done, how about something original, that nobody's ever done before?

How about doing it somewhere besides the old stand-by, a bar, with its built-in crowd, meaning you have to draw your own crowd?

How about doing something that thumbs its nose at political correctness with tongue firmly implanted in cheek, all in the name of just having fun?

How about doing it without a sponsor tie-in and with no regard for NTR?

What about doing a promotion that actually costs the station money, with no chance of return, just because it's great radio?

Oh, gee...I'm so sorry. For a moment there I time-warped back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and the words "clear channel" referred to just a few 50KW AM stations.

I promise I'll be a good boy and go back on my medication.




> I totally agree. Most promotions are like come out and one
> person might win one big prize and the rest win cheap CD's
> or shirts. I can guarantee that 105 FREE holiday turkeys and
> hundreds of dollars and other stuff will come out of that
> helicopter on Thursday. You will be able to cook these
> turkeys and eat them either for Thanksgiving, Christmas or
> whatever politically correct holiday you may celebrate.
> Somebody will win $105 in cash but 105 real turkeys will be
> given away. And if I go to jail...it's just more promotion.
>
> Please join me at The Underground Pub and see this for
> yourself on Thursday from 3-7. The Turkeys drop at 5:00.
>

 

[inthebag]

> What are some of your favorite over the top radio promotions
>
> that you've seen/heard stations do or you did youself?


Okay, here's a few...


Bronco Bowling-Our morning jock dressed completely in black, including a black crash helmet, duct-taped a skateboard to his chest and allowed Denver Bronco players to roll him down a bowling alley, with listeners pledging charity donations for every pin he knocked down.

97 Grand In The Sand-We buried $97,000 in cash and prizes, including a new car, in the sand on Fort Lauderdale Beach, qualified 97 listeners, gave them a toy shovel and sand pail, and they kept what they dug up. (No, we didn't acutally bury the prizes, just a certificate saying what they'd won. You need kinda a deep hole to bury a car)

Dave Defies Death-The morning guy jumped 15 Greyhound busses on his bike. Of course, the busses were toys, each about 4 inches long, and his bike was just that, a bicycle.

Tragic Trips-Vacation giveaways, based on current events, like the one we did when Mickey Mantle died...we sent four listeners to New York for a hard-drinking happy hour binge followed by a liver dinner.

Stick It And Win-We set up a drive-through checkpoint in the parking lot of Mile High Stadium where listeners let us put our sticker on their car, then got an envelope containing anything from $25 to $10,000. We started at 11 on a Saturday morning and didn't stop until we gave away $250,000. The cops were a little ticked, because we gridlocked I-25.

Wet Dream Team Basketball-The station jocks played a game against a team of strippers (yes, we really did this at a rock station)

We gave away a bunch of strange vehicles, including a $10,000 Mazda 626 with about $15,000 of sound equipment installed, and a VW bug customized to look like a Razorback (snout, tail and all) and leaked fuel like the Exxon Valdez.

...and the hits just keep on comin'

 

[foreverchanges]

> On one hand, I'm thrilled to see someone trying to inject
> some creativity into a medium that's become about as
> exciting as a root canal.
>
> On the other hand, I feel the need to toss a couple of flies
> into the ol' ointment:
>
> Instead of copying 'KRP or something hundreds of other
> stations have done, how about something original, that
> nobody's ever done before?
>
> How about doing it somewhere besides the old stand-by,
> a bar, with its built-in crowd, meaning you have to draw
> your own crowd?
>
> How about doing something that thumbs its nose at
> political correctness with tongue firmly implanted in cheek,
> all in the name of just having fun?
>
> How about doing it without a sponsor tie-in and with no
> regard for NTR?
>
> What about doing a promotion that actually costs the
> station money, with no chance of return, just because it's
> great radio?
>
> Oh, gee...I'm so sorry. For a moment there I time-warped
> back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and the
> words "clear channel" referred to just a few 50KW AM
> stations.
>
> I promise I'll be a good boy and go back on my medication.
>
>
>
>
> > I totally agree. Most promotions are like come out and one
>
> > person might win one big prize and the rest win cheap CD's
>
> > or shirts. I can guarantee that 105 FREE holiday turkeys
> and
> > hundreds of dollars and other stuff will come out of that
> > helicopter on Thursday. You will be able to cook these
> > turkeys and eat them either for Thanksgiving, Christmas or
>
> > whatever politically correct holiday you may celebrate.
> > Somebody will win $105 in cash but 105 real turkeys will
> be
> > given away. And if I go to jail...it's just more
> promotion.
> >
> > Please join me at The Underground Pub and see this for
> > yourself on Thursday from 3-7. The Turkeys drop at 5:00.
> >
>


Personally, I wish I could come over from Memphis to see how this plays out. Nobody's dropped anything from an airplane over this way in a while....

 

[sharped]

> On one hand, I'm thrilled to see someone trying to inject
> some creativity into a medium that's become about as
> exciting as a root canal.
>
> On the other hand, I feel the need to toss a couple of flies
> into the ol' ointment:
>
> Instead of copying 'KRP or something hundreds of other
> stations have done, how about something original, that
> nobody's ever done before?
>
> How about doing it somewhere besides the old stand-by,
> a bar, with its built-in crowd, meaning you have to draw
> your own crowd?
>
> How about doing something that thumbs its nose at
> political correctness with tongue firmly implanted in cheek,
> all in the name of just having fun?
>
> How about doing it without a sponsor tie-in and with no
> regard for NTR?
>
> What about doing a promotion that actually costs the
> station money, with no chance of return, just because it's
> great radio?
>
> Oh, gee...I'm so sorry. For a moment there I time-warped
> back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and the
> words "clear channel" referred to just a few 50KW AM
> stations.
>
> I promise I'll be a good boy and go back on my medication.
>
>
>
>

What about talking about great stunts you've seen or heard of
instead of being a freakin' critic! That's what this thread was
about anyway!

Hundreds of radio stations have done the WKRP stunt? I've lived
in Arkansas for over 17 years and have never seen it done. Please
refresh my memory. And why when I google it do I not see hundreds
of station photo's throwing tukey's out of a helicopter?

A bar in Little Rock is not a guaranteed crowd anymore.
Especially between 3-7 on a Thursday.

And finally...

I know some of you will find it hard to believe and some of you
just have to dig on CC every chance you get for one reason or another
but the station has almost $10,000 invested with ZERO return on this event!
Every sponsor dollar that has been given to this event has been put back
into making it happen. All but one of the "sponsors" are being compensated
through the radio station! NEXT QUESTION?

Did I miss anything?

Have a great day!

Sharpe Dunaway
Magic 105

 

[noisebox]

> > On one hand, I'm thrilled to see someone trying to inject
> > some creativity into a medium that's become about as
> > exciting as a root canal.
> >
> > On the other hand, I feel the need to toss a couple of
> flies
> > into the ol' ointment:
> >
> > Instead of copying 'KRP or something hundreds of
> other
> > stations have done, how about something original, that
> > nobody's ever done before?
> >
> > How about doing it somewhere besides the old
> stand-by,
> > a bar, with its built-in crowd, meaning you have to draw
> > your own crowd?
> >
> > How about doing something that thumbs its nose at
> > political correctness with tongue firmly implanted in
> cheek,
> > all in the name of just having fun?
> >
> > How about doing it without a sponsor tie-in and with
> no
> > regard for NTR?
> >
> > What about doing a promotion that actually costs the
> > station money, with no chance of return, just because it's
>
> > great radio?
> >
> > Oh, gee...I'm so sorry. For a moment there I time-warped
> > back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and the
> > words "clear channel" referred to just a few 50KW AM
> > stations.
> >
> > I promise I'll be a good boy and go back on my medication.
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > I totally agree. Most promotions are like come out and
> one
> >
> > > person might win one big prize and the rest win cheap
> CD's
> >
> > > or shirts. I can guarantee that 105 FREE holiday turkeys
>
> > and
> > > hundreds of dollars and other stuff will come out of
> that
> > > helicopter on Thursday. You will be able to cook these
> > > turkeys and eat them either for Thanksgiving, Christmas
> or
> >
> > > whatever politically correct holiday you may celebrate.
> > > Somebody will win $105 in cash but 105 real turkeys will
>
> > be
> > > given away. And if I go to jail...it's just more
> > promotion.
> > >
> > > Please join me at The Underground Pub and see this for
> > > yourself on Thursday from 3-7. The Turkeys drop at 5:00.
>
> > >
> >
>
>
> Personally, I wish I could come over from Memphis to see how
> this plays out. Nobody's dropped anything from an airplane
> over this way in a while....
>

except for fedex and a few errant packages...<P ID="signature">______________
*curmudgeon in training*</P>

 

[ArRadioMan]

Actually, KKYK (1994) They were called K-Rock 1037 then, got lots of press when they dropped 104 cardboard turkeys from a plane with a skydiver. Leading up to the event, they ran promos and promised to drop 104 Turkeys with prizes attached to their legs. The animal groups got all up in arms and 2 of the 3 TV stations show'd up to cover the event. I'm surprised Sharp doesn't remember that.

The bad thing was that when the turkey's were dropped, the wind grabbed them and about 700 people jumped in their cars to chase the paper birds down. Some of them went a mile off course. This event was held at a car dealership in NLR and the dealership got upset when the crowd left to go grab the birds. It was pretty funny stuff. Luckily, they showed back up at the dealership to claim the prize attached to the turkey leg. Also, the 'PETA' type group that threw the biggest fit was embarrassed about the entire thing because they helped to attract so much attention to it.

I miss the good Ol' days of CHR radio stunts. However, the boring turkey drop at the Underground Pub doesn't sound like much fun. I'm curious to see how it turns out. All the best Sharp.




> > > On one hand, I'm thrilled to see someone trying to
> inject
> > > some creativity into a medium that's become about as
> > > exciting as a root canal.
> > >
> > > On the other hand, I feel the need to toss a couple of
> > flies
> > > into the ol' ointment:
> > >
> > > Instead of copying 'KRP or something hundreds of
> > other
> > > stations have done, how about something original, that
> > > nobody's ever done before?
> > >
> > > How about doing it somewhere besides the old
> > stand-by,
> > > a bar, with its built-in crowd, meaning you have to draw
>
> > > your own crowd?
> > >
> > > How about doing something that thumbs its nose at
> > > political correctness with tongue firmly implanted in
> > cheek,
> > > all in the name of just having fun?
> > >
> > > How about doing it without a sponsor tie-in and
> with
> > no
> > > regard for NTR?
> > >
> > > What about doing a promotion that actually costs
> the
> > > station money, with no chance of return, just because
> it's
> >
> > > great radio?
> > >
> > > Oh, gee...I'm so sorry. For a moment there I
> time-warped
> > > back to the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and the
>
> > > words "clear channel" referred to just a few 50KW AM
> > > stations.
> > >
> > > I promise I'll be a good boy and go back on my
> medication.
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > I totally agree. Most promotions are like come out and
>
> > one
> > >
> > > > person might win one big prize and the rest win cheap
> > CD's
> > >
> > > > or shirts. I can guarantee that 105 FREE holiday
> turkeys
> >
> > > and
> > > > hundreds of dollars and other stuff will come out of
> > that
> > > > helicopter on Thursday. You will be able to cook these
>
> > > > turkeys and eat them either for Thanksgiving,
> Christmas
> > or
> > >
> > > > whatever politically correct holiday you may
> celebrate.
> > > > Somebody will win $105 in cash but 105 real turkeys
> will
> >
> > > be
> > > > given away. And if I go to jail...it's just more
> > > promotion.
> > > >
> > > > Please join me at The Underground Pub and see this for
>
> > > > yourself on Thursday from 3-7. The Turkeys drop at
> 5:00.
> >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > Personally, I wish I could come over from Memphis to see
> how
> > this plays out. Nobody's dropped anything from an airplane
>
> > over this way in a while....
> >
>
> except for fedex and a few errant packages...
>

 

[inthebag]

> What about talking about great stunts you've seen or heard
> of instead of being a freakin' critic! That's what this thread
> was about anyway!

I did. Check out my response to your original post.

> Hundreds of radio stations have done the WKRP stunt? I've
> lived in Arkansas for over 17 years and have never seen it done.
> Please refresh my memory. And why when I google it do I not see
> hundreds of station photo's throwing tukey's out of a helicopter?

Trust me, the turkey drop...or a variation thereof, has been done hundreds of times. Maybe not in Arkansas, but there are 49 other states.

> I know some of you will find it hard to believe and some of
> you just have to dig on CC every chance you get for one reason
> or another

That was not a dig at Clear Channel, but rather, a dig at myself concerning my rapidly advancing age, and how times and the business have changed, not always for the better.

And, this was not intended as a shot at you or your station, but rather, a comment on the business as a whole, and how the bizarre, attention-getting radio stunt has gone the way of the dodo bird. Personally, I miss those stunts, and would love to see them return. You're making a start, and I applaud you for that, so please, back off your guns.

Jeez, and I thought I needed medication.

 

[Danoinark]

Actually the stunt is done each October at the Yellville Turkey Trot festival...live turkeys that is. The WKRP bit was a direct result of controversy over this very issue. PETA and other animal rights groups tried to get an injunction against it...didn't happen, so the WKRP writers decided to write a script around it. Herb Tarlack (can't remember his real name) was from Arkansas and was well aware of the yearly event in Yellville.
Dano


Les: It's a helicopter, and it's coming this way. It's flying something behind it, I can't quite make it out, it's a large banner and it says, uh - Happy... Thaaaaanksss... giving! ... From... W.... ... K... ... R... ... P!!

Les: No parachutes yet. Can't be skydivers... I can't tell just yet what they are, but - Oh my God, Johnny, they're turkeys!! Johnny, can you get this? Oh, they're plunging to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Not since the Hindenberg tragedy has there been anything like this!

Johnny: Les? Are you there? Les isn't there. (composing himself) Thanks for that on-the-spot report, Les, and for those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at eleven.

Jennifer: But Mr Colly, a lot of turkeys don't make it through Thanksgiving!

Venus: Les! Are you okay?
Les: I don't know. A man and his two children tried to kill me. After the turkeys hit the pavement, the crowd kind of scattered, but some of them tried to attack me! I had to jam myself into a phone booth! Then Mr Carlson had the helicopter land in the middle of the parking lot. I guess he thought he could save the day by turning the rest of the turkeys loose. It gets pretty strange after that.
Andy: Les, c'mon now, tell us the rest.
Les: I really don't know how to describe it. It was like the turkeys mounted a counterattack! It was almost as if they were ...organized!!
Mr Carlson: As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

 

[dwiman1029]

> without a doubt...the funniest half hour in tv history. i never get tired of watching that show..prolly the truest depiction of radio ever...

 

[noisebox]

Re: STUNTED RADIO

let's see....


Frank Bonner played Herb Tarlek on WKRP. Frank Bonner, proud Arkansan. Did you ever notice his Razorback coffee mugs...?

um...

Sharpe is trying to do SOMETHING and still people bag on him. WTF is that about?

What have YOU done lately?

At least he's putting the effort into promoting himself and Magic 105 - he's got his own newsletter that he's putting out on the net with his mailing list; he's got his website; his gameshow; his mobile DJ service and a show on one of the biggest stations in the state of Arkansas. He puts at least 128% into everything that he does. I've seen bigger egos do less and be rewarded for it.

Sharpe loves radio, rock-and-roll, Arkansas, Magic 105 and usually the St. Louis Cardinals; all after his family and friends. And his drums.

I only wish I had 1/4 of what he's got going on.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the movie.

<P ID="signature">______________
*curmudgeon in training*</P>

 

[foreverchanges]

Re: STUNTED RADIO

> let's see....
>
>
> Frank Bonner played Herb Tarlek on WKRP. Frank Bonner, proud
> Arkansan. Did you ever notice his Razorback coffee mugs...?
>
> um...
>
> Sharpe is trying to do SOMETHING and still people bag on
> him. WTF is that about?
>
> What have YOU done lately?
>
> At least he's putting the effort into promoting himself and
> Magic 105 - he's got his own newsletter that he's putting
> out on the net with his mailing list; he's got his website;
> his gameshow; his mobile DJ service and a show on one of the
> biggest stations in the state of Arkansas. He puts at least
> 128% into everything that he does. I've seen bigger egos do
> less and be rewarded for it.
>
> Sharpe loves radio, rock-and-roll, Arkansas, Magic 105 and
> usually the St. Louis Cardinals; all after his family and
> friends. And his drums.
>
> I only wish I had 1/4 of what he's got going on.
>
> Thank you and enjoy the rest of the movie.
>


So how did this play out? Sharpe? Anyone?

 

[radiosaur]

>
> Jeez, and I thought I needed medication.

Man, next April it will have been 20 years since I met you and you're STILL stirring up s**t.

<P ID="signature">______________
Never hold a cat and a dustbuster at the same time.</P>

 

[inthebag]

> Man, next April it will have been 20 years since I met you
> and you're STILL stirring up s**t.

Yeah, it's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Twenty years? Ouch.