• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Using audio clips on the radio: lazy radio or good radio?

F

fordranger797

I was having this discussion with a friend the other day. It seems that we disagree over whether funny and/or amusing audio clips make for good radio content. I've borrowed short clips from funny TV shows/movies before to play while referencing a current topic, or a story in the news. I've always felt that it fits together cohesively, and I never run out of time to do it. Would most PDs consider audio clips/drops lazy radio? It doesn't seem lazy to me, because going out and getting some of those clips could be a royal pain!
 
fordranger797 said:
Would most PDs consider audio clips/drops lazy radio? It doesn't seem lazy to me, because going out and getting some of those clips could be a royal pain!
Click to expand...

There are national prep services that provide this audio to radio stations. Some of the prep services are run by the companies that own the stations. For example iHeart has its own audio prep service. The preps are done by format. But there are indie services as well that provide comedy bits and other production elements. Those indie services are by contract. So if the PD doesn't want it, he cancels the contract.
 
TheBigA said:
There are national prep services that provide this audio to radio stations. Some of the prep services are run by the companies that own the stations. For example iHeart has its own audio prep service. The preps are done by format. But there are indie services as well that provide comedy bits and other production elements. Those indie services are by contract. So if the PD doesn't want it, he cancels the contract.
Click to expand...
Well it sounds like I was doing it the hard way! I had no idea this kind of content was provided in a prep service.
 
There were services like ACN (American Comedy Network) which used to provide clips, comedy bits, song parodies, fake commercials, interactive "callers" which were scripted bits for the host to banter back and forth with a "live caller" and similar that they labeled "Daily Show Prep Content". One station I was at used their stuff pretty heavily for the morning show when they had just a single morning jock and that ACN content did generate buzz among listeners and added a lot of comedic value to his show. Once they transitioned to a "morning team", they used ACN less and less until they stopped subscribing to it. If I recall, a record rep later wanted the PD to give heavier airplay to a few crappy artists, so in exchange the PD had the record label buy them the "ACN Gold" library which was supposed to be somewhat timeless bits that wouldn't age for a while, that they could toss into their show whenever they felt the need.

I saw several years back that ACN folded, and some of their staff later created "Universal Comedy Network" and it served a similar purpose. No idea if they're still around.
 
fordranger797 said:
Well it sounds like I was doing it the hard way! I had no idea this kind of content was provided in a prep service.
Click to expand...

There was a time when morning shows ran VCRs on all the nightly talk shows to get audio for their show. Then the prep services worked deals to get that audio and distribute it nationally. Does that make the morning show that uses it lazy? I don't know. But production has always been a hallmark of morning radio going back to the 70s when Imus called a local burger joint ordering 1200 burgers to go.

 
Wow... I have to say it's a rather enlightening experience to hear that there are (or were) prep services that provided this kind of content. I have always hunted through old videos for any of the clips that I want to use. Likewise, I've used friends, who are good actors, for callers if I wanted a specific type of phone banter.
 
fordranger797 said:
Wow... I have to say it's a rather enlightening experience to hear that there are (or were) prep services that provided this kind of content. I have always hunted through old videos for any of the clips that I want to use. Likewise, I've used friends, who are good actors, for callers if I wanted a specific type of phone banter.
Click to expand...
Here's a link to the company I mentioned above. According to their website, they offer a free trial..

Universal Comedy Network | The best comedy radio prep in the business.

universalcomedynetwork.com universalcomedynetwork.com
 
fordranger797 said:
Wow... they offer prep for "one liners" too? Call me old school, but that seems a little excessive to me! :D
Click to expand...
You do know that Howard Stern, for instance, has always had at least one, sometimes multiple comedians or writers who's job it is to listen to the banter on his show and quickly write out one-liners for him to deliver as his own?
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom