National Association of Broadcasters
2016 MARCONI AWARD Nomination
Category: Network/Syndicated Personality
NOMINEE: THE FREE BEER & HOT WINGS MORNING SHOW
SYNDICATED BY: Compass Media Networks
AIRTIME: 5 HOURS; MON-FRI 5-10AM ET, SAT 5-10AM
FORMAT: ROCK
Highlights and achievements during 2015:
Continued a stretch of #1 ratings books 12+, 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 in home market (WGRD- Grand Rapids). 18-34 persons is 42 straight books. 18-49 persons if 39 straight books of #1. 25-54 person is 23 straight books at #1.
Live remote broadcasts in 8 different markets, and performed “Live at Night” Stage shows in 4 different markets, including a sell out crowd in Grand Rapids, MI of over 2,200 paying customers at Devos Performance Hall.
Over 12 years in National Syndication, 10 Years in Nashville (Cromwell Broadcasting WBUZ-FM) and 16 Townsquare markets.
One sentence describing the program content i.e. talk, entertainment/music, countdown, etc:
Hosted by cast including Gregg “Free Beer” Daniels, Chris “Hot Wings” Michaels, Producer Joe, and Producer Steve, Free Beer & Hot Wings offers five-hours of live and compelling morning drive entertainment programming for Rock Stations.
“Funny,” “relatable,” and “honest” are often the words that listeners use to describe the show. Broadcasting from WGRD-FM studios in Grand Rapids, Free Beer & Hot Wings is now heard nationwide in a growing number of markets including Q103 in Albany, WBUZ in Nashville.
The Free Beer & Hot Wings Show delivers funny, real and honest entertainment each weekday morning. Each day the shows’ hosts, four guys at various stages of their own personal evolution, deliver 15 segments including standard benchmarks such as “What Hot Wings Thinks”, “Dumber than The Show Trivia” and weekly stunts with Producer Joe.
Audience reach:
800,000 weekly cume Persons 12+,
47 affiliates
Innovative programming:
Added a fully switched, multi camera shoot live daily from a multi-media facility. Bonus video segment daily as well.
Weekly podcast.
Audience involvement and major promotional and community outreach efforts:
Holiday Break In’s (Where we “break in” to listeners homes to leave behind presents and necessities for people that weren’t expecting it) expanding to 10 on air stations, 26 on air families, and close to 30 more off the air.
Partnered with the AT Children’s Project atcp.org to raise money for a cure, sending 35 listeners to Disney with the show
Producer Steve lived on a billboard for a week on the Jersey Shore for affiliate WCHR to raise money for a cancer relief charity as well.
The show on a daily basis takes calls form listeners who need help in their lives for the mundane to extraordinary.
Radio industry involvement:
Providing quality programming and turn-key promotional opportunities to radio operators from the largest ownership groups to local independents.
Speak at numerous colleges to media classes, outreach to high schools and Broadcast conventions.
Website:
http://freebeerandhotwings.com
http://compassmedianetworks.com/index.php/album/free-beer-hot-wings-show/