Stations’ Promotions Aren’t Always Winners

The television show “WKRP in Cincinnati” may be best remembered for one episode, the show when Mr. Carlson came up with an idea for a Thanksgiving promotion. With Andy, Herb, Jennifer and the rest of the gang typically oblivious, “The Big Guy” arranged for live turkeys to be dropped from a helicopter.

“Oh, the humanity,” nebbish newscaster Les Nesman told listeners as the turkeys splattered in a shopping center parking lot.

“Well, you know, they do have wings,” Mr. Carlson said later.

The four winners of KSDO-AM’s (1130) recent “Power Lunching With Stacy” contest know that promotions don’t always work the way they are designed. Along with KSDO afternoon talk show host Stacy Taylor, they boarded a plane for Phoenix, where they were scheduled to power lunch and then fly back to San Diego.

But the plane left late. By the time they got to Phoenix, it was too late to head into town. So they ended up getting on another plane and flying right back home. They were appeased by dinner at a fancy San Diego restaurant, however.

Chalk it up to another promotion gone awry. Amid the dozens of wild and wacky ideas devised by radio stations to promote themselves, it’s not surprising that many just don’t work as planned, often due to circumstances beyond human control.

One of the most infamous miscues in San Diego radio history struck KGB-FM (101.5), which is known for its successful promotions. But a few years ago, several listeners won a visit backstage at a Ratt concert. On the way to meet their heroes, the elevator jammed. Not only did they not get to meet the band, the lucky winners spent two hours in the elevator and missed the concert.

Another favorite story in local promotion circles involves a direct-mail scratch-off contest sponsored by KSON-FM (97.3) a few years ago. People were told to look for 97.3 on their tickets, meaning under the scratch-off portion. But the printer put 97.3 in the corner of all the tickets, and some people thought that meant they were instant winners.

“A few people got pretty excited when they saw 97.3 on their tickets,” promotion director Steve Sapp recalled.

KYXY-FM (96.5) general manager Jim Price, a 30-year veteran of radio, has seen more than his share of promotions, both successful and failed. Price’s favorite promotion screw-ups date back to a station he worked with in Fresno. A Big Thinker decided it would be fun to have a treasure hunt, burying the key to it on an acre of land and letting people search for it. After a few hours of searching, people began fighting, hitting each other with shovels, and the police were called in.

But a walk-a-thon in Fresno will always hold a special place in Price’s promotions memories. He agreed to walk 80 miles. “In the last 33 miles, my wife had to hold me up,” Price said. He ended up in the hospital, in a coma.

Fortunately he recovered. There is still no record of a promotion causing any deaths--human or fowl--in San Diego.

A new twice-monthly, free publication aimed at San Diego radio listeners will hit the stands Dec. 3. Printed on 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper stock, “On the Radio” will include articles and program listings for San Diego radio stations, including the Mexican-based Spanish-language stations. “It will be our policy to inform and entertain and never criticize,” said Publisher Alan Palmore, who is producing the magazine with his wife, Judy. “This will be strictly an entertainment and consumer guide.” . . .

A trip to see “2001” at the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater can truly be a space odyssey. One recent Thursday night, the doors opened half an hour late, which meant most patrons waited in line for almost an hour. Inside, the view from many of the seats was obstructed, since the film (which, of course, is not in Omnimax) was shown on the lower half of the dome. There were also annoying sound problems. . . .

Negotiations continue between KGTV (Channel 10) and sportscaster Larry Sacknoff. Both sides say they are working toward keeping him in San Diego. Ken Lindner, Sacknoff’s agent, is clearly fond of Channel 10. He also represents Michael Tuck, Kimberly Hunt, Carol LeBeau and Mike Ambrose, in addition to KNSD-TV’s (Channel 39) Bobby Estill. . . .

Channel 10 writer and associate producer Kay Cooperman has left to be a weekend producer with Channel 10’s sister station in Denver, KMGH. Channel 10’s 6:30 p.m. newscast producer Joe Gillespie, who also had stints with local radio stations KOGO and KSDO, is heading to WXII in Winston-Salem, N.C., to be executive news producer . . . .

On Nov. 11, three days before he was named the new head football coach at San Diego State University, Al Luginbill, responding to rumors about his hiring, told the San Diego Tribune: “No way. That’s not true at all. I say that from the bottom of my heart . . . I would not, in this particular scenario, ever get involved in that type of thing because it’s just not feasible.” . . . .

Channel 39’s monthlong “Project: Parenting” series has its weak segments, and those without children certainly couldn’t care less about many of the features, but it has been a refreshing change of pace for a sweeps month--a news show focusing on a public service series to attract ratings.