For the most part I don't get involved in radio station contests. They are just a gimmick to get people to listen more often. Right now WCBS-FM is running a contest where the 11th caller wins tickets to the station's 35th anniversary concert in Jones Beach at the end of June. Back in the mid 1980s Bob Shannon ran a Tuesday Night Trivia contest. There were no prizes, but just the glory of getting the right answer. Back then I had a rotary dial phone and was usually beaten out. One Sunday morning about 7:30 at the spur of the moment I phoned into Gary Clark and answered a question about the Temptations and won a video of their peformance at a concert. A few years ago I listened to Holly Levis at 10:45 PM and won tickets to see the Righteous Brothers at Westbury. A few weeks later Bobby Hatfield passed away.
I know there are some "contest nuts" out there who are obsessive about winning. I know one person who wins and has to give away the prize because she can't go to the concert. I understand that she actually recieved a letter from the station forbidding her to win contests, but she gets around it by using names of relatives. To each his own.
1 comment:
Bruce, a great memo. I'd like to make a couple of points.
First, radio stations who routinely run contests and especially give away money are trying to **buy** their listener's loyalty. It won't work. After that check is cashed it's good-bye CBS-FM and hello WPLJ and so forth.
Second, people who are so obsessed with winning contests to the exclusion of all else need to seek professional help. They live their lives in a glass house. Everything is about them and **their** station. Relationships are ignored, abused, and ultimately destroyed. It's the equal of Crack-cocaine. The addiction is too hard to resist. You can't feel sorry for these types because they're old enough to know better. Avoid them at all costs.
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