Monster of a contest
Don Day | June 8, 2005
KTPZ spent the spring working on a sweeping local contest in search for a new DJ. The Monster's newly rehired program director Howard Mayhem was nice enough to answer a laundry list of questions on the stunt.
Mayhem says the contest raked in more than 350,000 web hits in ten weeks. That works out to about 5,000 views per day.
The contest started out with a “monstrous” list of contestants twenty in all. Each week we had a new task for them, and each week four were voted out, until four is all that were left, Mayhem said. “Then we cut ‘em in half till we got the winner.
Instead of a list of inane tasks that had little to do with radio the station's staff put them through their paces. The first week was stooge week, more like intern week: tasks included making coffee, washing the car and cleaning out the littler box. From there, KTPZ held court with tasks involving promos, PSA & commercial work, even live shows and a live remote for the final two contestants.
Mayhem said he wanted to give the stunt some meaning he cited unlike KSAS Radio Idol contest from a few years ago, when the winner (was) from Texas, and Hmmm what do you know, (a) former CC employee.
To battle that all the votes were made by listeners logging on to KTPZ.com even the final decision. The station didn't get a say.
“Each contestant COULD NOT have any previous radio experience. Voice and personality talent abound in many places with the announcer pool desperately inbred, and recycled.
The Magic Valley community got very involved in the contest with contestants doing every thing they could to scrape and claw their way to the next round.
“We had many cars decorated and painted, business cards, and flyers handed out, marquees through town promoting their favorite D.J. The free reader boards were a bonus they were not expecting —“we even had one contestant purchase billboard space with hundreds of her own cash. She came in second.
Howard even seems to have a little bit of Paula Abdul affection for some of the non-winners (no not like that. Eww.): “In the first couple of weeks we all had our favorites, we met people who seemed to have not only a passion for the biz, but a natural ability that surprised even the veterans. but their could only be one winner, and we had to say goodbye to our favorites, and pick new ones, then say goodbye to them. Downer.
The winner was a man using the name “Joey Bravo".
“He came to shine as the contest rolled on. He has a hip hop sound to him that is as smooth and cool as anyone I’ve ever heard.
Several rounds of voting were tight but Bravo pulled out a few 11th-hour victories.
“In the final vote, Bravo had more than 11000 votes, M&M came in second with well over 1900.
The big bonus Bravo will actually get a show of his own. The pay is low at the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, but there is some incentive to stick with it for the summer.
“If he lasts all summer long he’ll get a $1000.00 bonus. After the summer is over (who knows?)
Bravo also takes home a year's supply of Mountain Dew and gets a 2-story billboard of his own. I just hope he doesn't beep when he backs up.
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How I got into radio...
Monster of a contest Don Day | June 8, 2005 KTPZ spent the spring working on a sweeping local contest in search for a new DJ. The Monster's newly rehired program director Howard Mayhem was nice enough to answer a laundry list of questions on the stunt. Mayhem says the contest raked in more than 350,000 web hits in ten weeks. That works out to about 5,000 views per day. The contest started out with a “monstrous” list of contestants twenty in all. Each week we had a new task for them, and each week four were voted out, until four is all that were left, Mayhem said. “Then we cut ‘em in half till we got the winner. Instead of a list of inane tasks that had little to do with radio the station's staff put them through their paces. The first week was stooge week, more like intern week: tasks included making coffee, washing the car and cleaning out the littler box. From there, KTPZ held court with tasks involving promos, PSA & commercial work, even live shows and a live remote for the final two contestants. Mayhem said he wanted to give the stunt some meaning he cited unlike KSAS Radio Idol contest from a few years ago, when the winner (was) from Texas, and Hmmm what do you know, (a) former CC employee. To battle that all the votes were made by listeners logging on to KTPZ.com even the final decision. The station didn't get a say. “Each contestant COULD NOT have any previous radio experience. Voice and personality talent abound in many places with the announcer pool desperately inbred, and recycled. The Magic Valley community got very involved in the contest with contestants doing every thing they could to scrape and claw their way to the next round. “We had many cars decorated and painted, business cards, and flyers handed out, marquees through town promoting their favorite D.J. The free reader boards were a bonus they were not expecting —“we even had one contestant purchase billboard space with hundreds of her own cash. She came in second. Howard even seems to have a little bit of Paula Abdul affection for some of the non-winners (no not like that. Eww.): “In the first couple of weeks we all had our favorites, we met people who seemed to have not only a passion for the biz, but a natural ability that surprised even the veterans. but their could only be one winner, and we had to say goodbye to our favorites, and pick new ones, then say goodbye to them. Downer. The winner was a man using the name “Joey Bravo". “He came to shine as the contest rolled on. He has a hip hop sound to him that is as smooth and cool as anyone I’ve ever heard. Several rounds of voting were tight but Bravo pulled out a few 11th-hour victories. “In the final vote, Bravo had more than 11000 votes, M&M came in second with well over 1900. The big bonus Bravo will actually get a show of his own. The pay is low at the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, but there is some incentive to stick with it for the summer. “If he lasts all summer long he’ll get a $1000.00 bonus. After the summer is over (who knows?) Bravo also takes home a year's supply of Mountain Dew and gets a 2-story billboard of his own. I just hope he doesn't beep when he backs up.
Reply