Exclusively for members of Radio Sales Cafe, here is another free idea from my company, Radio Ideas Bank.
You can find hundreds more ideas for contests and promotions on our website www.radioideasbank.com. Registration and browsing are free. You can search for a promotion suitable for a client by category or occasion.
This idea is not only a great community and public service in its own right but creates ear-catching and exciting radio. It could be sponsored by civic-minded companies and those particularly associated with fire, crime or security.
So... here's the idea!
Hoax emergency calls are a big problem for fire and rescue services all over the world. Fire services are keen to deter hoax calls and catch the people who make them.
Persuade your local fire department to provide you with genuine recordings of hoax phone calls made to them. Some are reluctant to do this but many see it as an opportunity to deter hoaxers in the future and highlight the problem.
Broadcast excerpts from these calls over the period of a week or fortnight (one per day, broadcast three times across your output).
Ask your listeners if they recognise the hoaxer's voice - and, if so, to contact the police. This can be your own version of TV's Most Wanted!
Make sure your DJs treat this as a proper community service project and not as a bit of fun. Put excerpts of the hoax calls on your website and encourage people to listen again there.
You'll find this promotion is great for generating publicity for your station and its public-spirited initiative through newspapers, blogs and television coverage.
