(with all due respects to Red Sox Fans) This promo I put together a while back shows when you don't always go "imaging friendly" perpetrating a promo, it can be just as risque and "in your face" as any other sports promo--as long as you can craft the bit accordingly. Even when you have to change the order of things for maximum impact.

So your sports talk dude's perpetrated a bit. But do they know how to CRAFT a bit. The pay off of the punch line is crucial-just like waiting on the punch line to a joke. If it disappoints, you might not want to listen to that jokester again. N/A for most "imaging friendly" promos because there's no time for set up. And without it, the punchline means nothing. But if you craft that bit as your promo, listeners are more likely to appreciate being drawn in when the punch line's finally delivered.

We've all done it. Before we got into this industry, we stood in front of a mirror and pretended to be on the radio. It probably sounded like this...

Our student run radio station plays all formats (to give our students exposure to all demos). SO they created this Halloween themed promo to let our audience know, we play everything!

Self deprecating bits are normally worth a chuckle. Especially when they're done on the fly. Gives relatability to the on air talent. But in many instances it takes time to develop. Bad if you want a quick hitting "imaging friendly" promo. But to let the bit unfold and expose all the host's foibles, the end product can be well worth the effort.

Strippers. Now THERE'S a subject that'll grab the attention of most testosterone driven members of your talk show audience. And use it as part of a sports take? All the better. "Imaging friendly" promo fodder? Probably. But when you give listeners a slice of the show rather than a circumcised fragment or two, it encapsulates what listeners might hear when they tune in to listen long form. Even short attention span junkies just might lend an ear to this type of presentation

The content's dated but the dynamic still works. Although it's not a "hot take" it spotlights the talent of a sports talk dude who can take a non related sports story and MAKE IT into a sports story. Sorry, no hot take snippets to put into an imaging friendly production piece. But it does give the fringe sports fan (there's that word again) reason to stick with the show--along with the sports fans that get it on that level

How 'bout a sports talk radio take that talks smack on--SPORTS TALK RADIO. I doubt if this would be utilized as "imagingly correct" subject matter. But, when you present it in it's entirety, the content's just as irreverent and edgy as any of the wizz-bang presentations your competitors are doing

Here's another promo from the Archives that's been getting quite a few plays this past month. Some of the excellent work that came from Glenn Miller while at WKDF back in 1990.

The unpredictability of most personalities are a great help to keep me listening. When ya don't know what to expect, the tendency to hang around for the next gem lends itself to longer times tuned in. So when the sports talk dude goes off the rails on a non sports topic, ya scrap it for more imaging friendly promo content, right? Maybe that's what works for you. But my best successes were with WHOLE bits like this-totally out of left field (if they have 'em across the pond)

This one's dated, but it illustrates a case of when your sports dude goes off the rails and goes on a pop culture rant--and it's good--then do a promo on it. You might start attracting those fringe sports fans in the audience who happen to be uber interested in pop culture

Chances are a lot of your sports station listening audience are rock-n-rollers. So when your sports dude does a bit on guitar riffs and not sports-why not promote it? It may be more entertaining and listener worthy than the day to day hot takes on sports

So your UBER talented sports talk dude talks about something OTHER than sports. AND it's entertaining. So why not use it in a promo? Can you tell me some guys in the audience-sports fans or not (the "nots" you wanna target, too)-WON'T relate to another guy talking about divorce?