Radio Stations Seek to Outwit ‘Contest Pigs,’ Keep Real Fans

Within the radio industry, they’re known as “contest pigs.”

It’s an unflattering term for people who can be the bane of a promotion department’s existence. They constantly enter station contests, devising elaborate ways to beat the contest system. Using false names and speed-dial telephones are the most common techniques.

“Contest pigs” also are mercenaries. Interested more in contests than stations, they continually jump around the dial looking for contests. Promotion directors see the same people winning contests at all the stations.

“A woman who won a trip to New York recently said that she preferred to listen to KPOP (1360) but that we have better contests,” said Steve Sapp, promotions director for KSON (97.3).

Every station has to deal with them, and they create a dilemma for promotions directors. By definition, the stations want their listeners to participate in the contests, and those who do are often their most dedicated listeners. So, in attempting to get rid of the “contest pigs,” the stations don’t want to do anything to put off their hard-core fans.

KGB-FM (101.5) is in the process of changing its rules. Currently, like most stations, it prohibits people from winning more than once at the station within 30 days. But promotions director Scott Chatfield wants to eliminate the time limit but make the rule state that people can’t win the same contest more than once.

“Why take someone who shows that they are interested in listening and then shoot them down?” Chatfield said.

More and more, listeners hear the stations’ attempts to curtail the activities of semi-professional contest contestants, usually in the form of a disc jockey asking a caller on-air if he or she has won in the past 30 days. Over the last few years each station has developed detailed rules for contests that are kept on file at the stations and available to the public on request.

To help catch repeat winners, most stations have put the names of winners on computers, listed by Social Security numbers. These are checked when the winner comes in to pick up the prizes.

But that doesn’t deter the hard-core entrants who jam telephone lines. If a contest requires mailings or fax transmissions, they will inundate the station with letters, sometimes not even bothering to space out the submissions, even though multiple entries are almost always a cause for disqualification.

To some, being a “contest pig” is a family affair. They make calls or send in entries in the name of brothers, cousins, dogs--whoever may get through the station’s checkers.

“There are a couple of families that work every contest,” Sapp said. “They must have 10 radios.”

In an attempt to curtail such operations, stations have had to be extremely specific in limiting entries to one per family, or one per household.

“You have try to outthink these people,” said Leslie O’Neal, who works with KIFM (98.1).

And dealing with the winners is no picnic. Some are downright ungrateful.

Chatfield recalled a couple that once won a wedding through KGB-FM. The station flew them to Hawaii and paid for almost every aspect of the ceremony. But the couple were upset that they didn’t get more. Why didn’t the station pay for hotel rooms in San Diego? Why didn’t the station pay for the rings?

“They were indignant,” Chatfield said. “Something about winning makes people feel blessed. If they get something less than an orgasmic experience with all the expenses paid they feel cheated.”

And cheated is just how some contestants feel if they get an idea that the station is discriminating against them.

One man recently called The Times to complain that he thought a station was ignoring him because he constantly entered contests. He had called to enter a contest but got the impression the disc jockey recognized his voice and passed on his call. There is nothing wrong with entering contests all the time, he said. It is--literally--playing the game.

A few years ago, a contest entrant successfully sued KCBQ (105.3) to get his prize. Around the country, such suits are common. And even more dangerous for stations, the Federal Communications Commission is always watching for contest fraud or for listeners who feel they were treated unfairly.

A few years ago, in a mishap that won the station the Turkey Promotion of the Year prize from Billboard magazine, KSON sent out 300,000 cards and told recipients that they could win thousands of dollars if they found the station’s frequency printed on the card. They meant the frequency had to be under the scratch-off portion, but thousands of people thought they had won when they noticed the frequency printed elsewhere on the card.

It could be argued that all the hassle is not worth it. But research consistently tells the stations that listeners love contests.

“It makes it fun to listen,” Sapp said. “Listeners participate vicariously, whether they make calls or not.”

And, of course, there is always the off chance that a contest pig might have a ratings diary.

Call it the latest step in populist TV news. Or simply call it tacky.

Tuesday during its 11 p.m. program, KGTV (Channel 10) asked viewers to call in on a toll-free line to vote for which story they wanted to watch at the end of the newscast. The choices: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new restaurant, the Queen Mother’s birthday or a Marilyn Monroe look-alike contest.

The winner (drum roll, please): The Terminator. The station received about 500 calls for the poll.

Channel 10, which always seems to try a little harder than other stations to pander to its audience, will probably do the pick-a-story poll from “time to time,” according to news director Paul Sands.

The concept was the idea of 11 p.m. producer Chuck Apostolas.

“I think it’s fun,” Sands said. “On a light, humorous story, why not?”

Sands assured that Channel 10 would not be using the poll to decide whether to lead newscasts with a story about Serbia, Dan Quayle or a bikini designer. But he did note that interactive television is a reality looming on the horizon, and that it is not far-fetched to envision newscasts of the future regularly soliciting opinions from viewers.

After being wooed by Channel 39, it now appears that Marti Emerald and J.W. August will be staying with Channel 10. “We’re all happy and we’re going to work together a long time,” said Channel 10 news director Sands. . . .

Representatives of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and KSDO (1130) haven’t met since May to try to settle their labor dispute, but local AFTRA representative Bobbin Beam says she “hopes to have an agreement very soon.” . . .

In sharp contrast to the prolonged negotiations with KSDO, AFTRA reached an agreement with KFSD-FM (94.1) management after just two sessions for a renewal of a three-year pact. . . .

Dave Scott, most recently of Tuscon, and Terry Burhans from Cleveland are the new faces at KUSI-TV (Channel 51). Burhans replaces Carol Novotny in the Monday through Friday weather slot. Scott will do weekend weather and features. . . .

Assemblyman Mike Gotch (D-San Diego) is taking his act to community access television, joining the moon worshipers, Tom Metzger and trained dog acts. “Focus San Diego with Assemblymember Mike Gotch” will air on Cox Cable Channel 24 tonight at 6 and on Southwestern Cable’s Channel 15 at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

CRITIC’S CHOICE

‘COLD HEAVEN’

Powered by an unwavering sense that something weird is going on, Nicolas Roeg’s “Cold Heaven” moves relentlessly toward a dramatic, unexpected conclusion. It would be a disservice to discuss the intricacies of the plot; suffice to say that the film is embodied with a spiritual base that sets it far apart from standard fare. And it is not nearly as bizarre as some of Roeg’s previous disjointed work (“The Man Who fell to Earth,” “Performance”). Even the normally cardboard performances of Mark Harmon and Theresa Russell can’t bring this film down to a pedestrian level. “Cold Heaven” is screening at the Hillcrest Cinemas.