Question:

Are there any tips you can give me about winning things on the radio?

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I am really wanting to win these tickets to a concert. I'm gonna used like 6 different phones && everything.

haha; but i would like more tips, because if i lose this i will be horribly upset. So if you have anyother ideas (: I would love to hear them.

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8 ANSWERS


  1. As a DJ myself (taking a break to go back to school), I always like hearing from the folks who listen to the show. Even if they just call in and say they like what I'm doing on the air, that helps a lot. When a contest is run, be sure to follow the rules (you can get them from the radio station, because the rules are almost always the same for all contests a station runs), call in when you hear the DJ ask for callers, or when you hear the designated song or sounder (a sound byte). If you aren't, say, the tenth caller (you're number 4 or something), call back, but be warned that you may encounter a busy signal, because everyone else wants that prize, too. If you don't get it the first time, try again. Persistance does pay off.


  2. Wendy S, a friend of ours is a radio presenter and my cousin is a radio presenter for a very well known station in London (think you can guess which one).  These tips you gave would NEVER work!

  3. great question: i am trying to win atrip to lapland on virgin radio, but you just have to register online and they never call me - sob!

    i have had a couple of wins, but on local radio.  local radio = small audience = fewer people ringing up trying to win.

  4. The best advice I can give it to be friendly to the DJs before the giveaway! Call them up when there's no giveaways just to let them know you enjoy listening to their show. Flattery will get you everywhere! Call and request songs! Call and comment on how excited you are about the upcoming event they're giving tickets away for. Engage them in small talk about the event.

    Trust me, DJs are human, too, and really enjoy interaction.

    And, as DJs, we're much more likely to help you get the prize if we know and like you!

    After you've talked with the DJ, ask them if they have any tickets they could bear parting with. Feel free to be funny and verly dramatic, as though the tickets mean the world to them. Make them laugh, it'll help!! If they say no, ask if there's anything they can suggest to help you get them, because they're something you're so excited about! Or ask if you can leave them your name and number "in case [they] change [their] mind!" Be persistent but not annoying, and sometimes after they say they don't have any spare tickets, they'll change their mind and buckle.

    The more you get involved with the DJs by calling, the more likely they'll be to hook you up.

  5. when they take your call, they may say the station name and wait for you to say something.  or they may say "you are caller such and such" and hang up really quick.  if the former - then you need to say OMG(osh)!  I can't believe it - please tell me I am the winner - I listen to "XYZ FM" all the time - and I never win anything!"  

    the better the sound bite you are preared to give - the more likely tehy will pick you.  WHY?  b/c they are recording every call that they take.  and they need a good sound bite to air immediately following the song they are playing.  the quicker they air the winner, the quicker the phones die down for the contest.  

    so, call a lot, and remember to practice your soundbite.  don't be lame and barely say "did i win?"  b/c at tha tpoint they know they are not gonna get a good sound bite.  and tehy will hang up and move on.  when they say hello - you need to have ur sound bite ready to go - clever, witty, fun, exciting... and they will pick you.

  6. shows use an automated playout system, listen for regular things that happen ie, does the competition always happen after a certain ad/jingle or even the travel. listen on sky system if you can reason for this is sky is broadcast 3 seconds before analogue & 8 seconds before web streaming. this way you will already be hearing what you need to hear before most.

    the show will have a trigger jingle or segment embeded in the playout unchangeable format. which is used to place a competition.

    for instance if you listen to heart106.2 breakfast show

    http://www.heart1062.co.uk/heart-breakfa...

    one of the segments is embeded just after the (Iplay) song has been selected by the listener (07:48) ish when the song is ending. RING (remember if you are listening on sky you are already ahead of the game) the song you need to hear to call in will be played then.  their are usually 4 segments to each hour.

    just listen often to work out which one they use.

  7. When the DJ says something like "Okay callers, stop phoning in", don't phone right away. Wait about 45 seconds. People always rush to phone in and end up losing.

  8. My Official: How to win a contest

    Whether you get through or how fast is dependent on where you live and the way your phone company is set up - true.

    It is also based on the luck of the draw. These are all perfectly legal.

    If you really want to win something, get as many people as you can together with the number programmed into their cell phone and when the buzzer buzzes, or whatever the signal is everybody just keeps hitting redial 'til they hear the busy signal, then does it again and again until your hear ringing, or the DJ says he has a winner. Be careful you don't get so excited you hang up when you hear actual ringing, or a pause instead of the busy signal.

    Or do the same thing on your home phone with one person trying for each line you have (some people have more than one line at their house). Home phones are generally quicker than cellphones.

    Another method works, but only if the station has given a hint as to approximately when they will have the contest and you've done some homework.

    "Clock" the station. Write down what happens and when each hour for a few days to get the station's format clock. If you keep good notes you will discover at what time in the hour they play music and when they stop the music to play commercials, traffic etc. (a "break").

    If they say "in the nine o'clock hour," starting at the beginning of the anticipated first "break," start calling.

    Just have as many people calling as possible starting from about 10 seconds before each "element" ends. An element can be a song, commercial, traffic report etc. You may get lucky and sneak in just after they clear the phones for the contest.

    Of course then you''ve got to talk the person who got through into letting you be the contestant ;<)   Good Luck!

    -a guy named duh

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