Is Contesting Dated: Rebuttal

Randy Lane • March 13, 2023

Last week’s blog  on contesting drew a polarized response. We are not saying abandon contests; we advise radio stations to avoid designated caller and text contests that only engage the small percentage of listeners trying to win.

Instead, focus on listener-interactive games and contests that  are so fun to play along with  the prize does not matter. The result is potentially 100% of the audience is entertained.

Although there’s some evidence that contests players are the same type of people who carry meters and fill out diaries, reframe from letting contests take over your station at the expense of content.

Ultimately to create long-term loyalty, you want to be known for captivating content and compelling personalities.

DMR/Interactive  President/COO, Andrew Curran respectfully took issue with our contest position, and he makes relevant points:

“I don’t disagree that most people won’t play any one contest, but that’s because getting  most people  to do much of anything is a fool’s errand.

It’s why the 80/20 rule exists. Small groups matter and that’s especially true of station audiences. Not all listeners are created equal.

Contesting and giving away prizes is part of the radio fabric and helps make it fun to listen to. Why would we ever abandon that expectation and familiarity when so many other aspects of radio are under attack and can be found elsewhere?

Here’s a quote from David Letterman in the publicity leading up to the brand-new U2 documentary on Disney+.

Letterman joked, “Recently, I won a radio contest. Winner gets to visit Dublin with Bono and The Edge. “

The quote was thoroughly vetted and crafted by the marketing and PR teams, but they didn’t reference Spotify or podcasting. They specifically chose radio, while promoting a documentary being released on a streaming platform.

The best contesting should always provide great theater of the mind for listeners and be well executed by the talent, whether the giveaway is a major promotion or free movie passes.”

Email me with your thoughts at  randy@randylane.com.

Photo by  Danny Howe  on  Unsplash

Share this article

Recent Posts

By Randy Lane • September 29, 2026
When I start coaching a show, talents often say:“Nobody calls anymore.” Or: “Listeners in this market don’t call radio shows.” My response is, “That’s interesting, because several of our shows get more calls than they need.” The difference isn’t necessarily the market. It’s often how the show invites people into the conversation.  Airing callers and text […]
By Randy Lane • September 21, 2026
Jerry Seinfeld wrote every episode of Seinfeld longhand, on a yellow legal pad, with a blue Bic pen. He still writes that way. He’s said the flashing cursor on a screen makes him anxious, like it’s asking, “So, whaddaya got?” Why Start With Pen and Paper?Writing by hand slows you down just enough for ideas to […]
By Randy Lane • September 15, 2026
In the era of loud, fast-talking announcer DJs, my radio mentor, Todd Wallace, asked my fellow DJs and me, “Would you talk to your neighbor over the back fence like a pukey DJ or just in natural conversation?” Of course we all said we’d talk to them conversationally. Todd concluded, “Talk to listeners on air like […]
Show More