This solid music-based feature adds depth to a music image by reaching beyond the usual playlist. The Back In The Day Double Play is a terrific feature to launch a music sweep or generate interest at a specific time.
Executing Double Play
On the surface, this is simply playing two songs in a row from the past. However, there are variations to customize this feature.
Execution can be as simple as a recorded intro or turn into a game and tell a story about the songs.
Listener Participation can allow the audience to suggest years or themes as part of the setup. Some stations even let listeners introduce the songs.
A Triple Play works just as well, depending on how much time you wish to devote to it.
Scheduling Options
It can run almost anytime but fits best as a daily feature at the end of a morning show to launch a music sweep or workday programming feature.
This is a good way to promote Throwback Thursday. Brand it as the Throwback Double Play. Or set it up as a daily double-play to initiate a commercial-free music sweep.
It’s A Play-Along Game
Here’s how to turn the feature into a game. Let listeners play along by guessing the year or theme. You could dramatize it even more by tying in a feature like Time Machine:
Setup: Going into a stop set, pre-promote the Double Play with a couple of highlights from the year the songs are from. This could be from news, sports, pop culture, or other songs popular that year. Then, give the audience multiple-choice options to choose from.
For example:
This morning’s Double Play is from the year that you saw Men in Black and Titanic, Bill Clinton was sworn in for his second term in office and En Vogue and Mark Morrison were at the top of the charts. Was it 1996, 1997 or 1998? The answer coming up with two of the biggest hits from this week in that year next in the Back in the Day Double Play.
This makes the feature stickier and more interactive. You don’t need a prize or a winner to make it happen. Just make it fun to play.
Conclusion
Obviously, this feature fits best on a library-based station (Classic Hits, Classic Rock, Oldies, Adult Hits, Throwbacks, etc.), but it also works well for stations with a large library with a wide variety. AC and even some Hot AC stations succeed with it.
The Back In The Day Double Play is a nice feature that frames content and extracts more value from an “oldies” feature.
