Radio Show Prep for the Holidays

The (Song Title) Blackout

During the holidays there are dozens of lists of the worst holiday songs. Reading these lists is not entertaining, so here’s how you have fun with it.

Let’s say you’re reading a list of your format’s worst holiday tunes between at 7:45 a.m. As you run down the list, ask listeners to chime in: what song makes them cringe.

Then promise one listener that during their commute to work, from now till Christmas, the song they hate the most will not be played. And if the song is played during their commute and they catch your error, they’ll win a prize.

Human Christmas Tree

Nutty fun for your stunt guy: put him on the street, wrap a bunch of lights and glittery garland around him and invite listeners to bring an ornament by to hang on him. Everyone who puts an ornament on the (Jock Show) Human Christmas Tree gets a T-shirt and is qualified to win something, perhaps a hot gift item. Get lots of photos for social media and maybe do a Facebook Live. Don’t forget to alert the local media.

Radio Pictionary

Simple: Use the sound of a magic marker to “draw” something on paper. Listener has to guess what it is your drawing. Give them a goofy answer in advance and tell them to “um” a bit and take a couple of wrong guesses before guessing correctly.

Superstitious Holiday Gifts

Robyn Bentley, aka the Feng Shui Diva, reminds us that different cultures have different taboos about gifts. Gifts are symbols and carry energy from the giver to the receiver, affecting both. Here are some feng shui superstitions about gift giving.

Don’t give…

SHARP OBJECTS like swords, knives, scissors, or letter openers. These send harsh energy to the receiver and are said to sever the friendship. If you receive one, the remedy for the bad luck from this type of gift is to immediately give the giver a coin to symbolize that you “bought” the gift from them. If not, according to superstition, your relationship may end or you may stop talking to each other.

WATCHES AND CLOCKS are popular gifts in America but in eastern culture they suggest a limited life span. They symbolize time running out. When you give them, you remind the recipient they have less time to live.

EMPTY WALLETS AND PURSES. Always include a small amount of money. If you receive one as a gift, you can remedy any bad luck you might experience by immediately adding some money and giving it away to someone else.

NEVER RE-GIFT OR RECYCLE GIFTS. Unless you are doing it to remedy bad luck from a gift you receive. Otherwise, when you recycle a gift, it symbolizes that you are giving away your friendship with the person who gave you the gift.