Radio's "first" contest... 100 years ago!

[davideduardo]

Consultant Fred Jacobs has an interesting article in his July 31 newsletter. It's entitled "Radio's Last Contest" and it goes on to detail a contest held 100 years ago by Radio Broadcast magazine about "Who is to pay for broadcasting and how".

Among the contest responses: "... suggestions for how radio might pay for itself ran the gamut, including “slot machine radios.” Here’s the concept: You’d put in a nickel, the radio signal would “unscramble” for two hours of listening. What a deal!"

Read it all at:

Radio's Last Contest?

If you're in radio, you're no stranger to contests. But did you know there was once a national contest to try to figure out how to monetize broadcast radio. It happened exactly 100 years ago, and you just might be surprised to learn what was the winning entry.

jacobsmedia.com

And here is the original issue:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Broadcast/Radio-Broadcast-1924-05.pdf

 

[Kelly A]

Among the contest responses: "... suggestions for how radio might pay for itself ran the gamut, including “slot machine radios.” Here’s the concept: You’d put in a nickel, the radio signal would “unscramble” for two hours of listening. What a deal!"

Would that by today's standard be considered NTR?

 

[kevtronics]

Before TV, many hotels and hospitals had pay-to-play coin-operated radios. In the 1940s, a quarter would get you one or two hours of radio.

 

[txchipk]

I kind of miss stations having fun contests. There are exceptions of course, but it seems like a lot of contests these days is pretty much reduced to texting a word as part of some national contest.

Working on digitzing boxes on old cassette tapes, it has been fun hearing some old contesting that was a little more creative...

In 1999, WFLZ 93.3 Tampa ran a “survival of the fittest” promotion where 5 listeners will be picked to ride the then new Gwazi wooden rollercoaster at Busch Gardens. The catch is the have to ride it 93 times in a row…whoever remains on the coaster after the 93 laps splits $5,000. The promo was pretty funny: Radio This Week Back Then #19: May 26-June 1

In 1982, as part of signing on the new top 40 format, KAYI 106.9 Muskogee-Tulsa "Kay 107"'s first promotion was to have listeners to tune to the station and rip the knob off — literally — and mail in the knob for a prize. Radio This Week Back Then #26: July 14-20

 

[kevtronics]

Radio contests haven't been the same since the "Hold your wee for a Wii" fiasco.

 

[CTListener]

Before TV, many hotels and hospitals had pay-to-play coin-operated radios. In the 1940s, a quarter would get you one or two hours of radio.

You'd think travelers who felt they needed radio entertainment during their hotel stays would pack a table radio with them.

 

[michael hagerty]

Consultant Fred Jacobs has an interesting article in his July 31 newsletter. It's entitled "Radio's Last Contest" and it goes on to detail a contest held 100 years ago by Radio Broadcast magazine about "Who is to pay for broadcasting and how".

Among the contest responses: "... suggestions for how radio might pay for itself ran the gamut, including “slot machine radios.” Here’s the concept: You’d put in a nickel, the radio signal would “unscramble” for two hours of listening. What a deal!"

Read it all at:

Radio's Last Contest?

If you're in radio, you're no stranger to contests. But did you know there was once a national contest to try to figure out how to monetize broadcast radio. It happened exactly 100 years ago, and you just might be surprised to learn what was the winning entry.

jacobsmedia.com

And here is the original issue:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Broadcast/Radio-Broadcast-1924-05.pdf

View attachment 7435

I'd love to hear the Bobby Ocean promo for this.

"Solve the problems of our industry and rip us off for five

(reverb: five)

hundred

(reverb: hundred)

dollars in cold hard CASH."

 

[kevtronics]

CJAY had a kissing contest. On the radio! You couldn't see it, and unless the contestants were really sloppy kissers, you couldn't hear it, either. (The video is a little NSFW, but not explicit.)