In 2013, the new Toronto radio station CIND-FM
CIND-FM, branded as ''Indie88'', is an FM radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting at 88.1 MHz. The station, which broadcasts an adult album alternative format, had its "soft launch" on July 31, 2013, and had its official launch ...
played a loop of Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...
's "Never Gonna Give You Up
"Never Gonna Give You Up" is the debut single recorded by English singer and songwriter Rick Astley, released on 27 July 1987. It is one of Astley's most famous songs. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was released as ...
" in reference to the Rickroll
Rickrolling or a Rickroll is an internet meme involving the unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 song "Never Gonna Give You Up", performed by the English singer Rick Astley. The video has over 1 billion views on YouTube. The m ...
meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
, prior to its official launch as adult album alternative
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
''Indie 88''.
* For four days before the July 8, 2012, relaunch of KOKE-FM
KOKE-FM (99.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a progressive country radio format. Licensed to Thorndale, Texas, KOKE-FM serves the Greater Austin radio market. The station is owned by Genuine Austin Radio, LP. The transmitter ...
/ Austin — a station which popularized
progressive country
Progressive country is a subgenre of country music developed in the early 1970s.''Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene'', Stimeling, Travis David.
History
In the late 1960s and earl ...
in the early 1970s, a live recording of
Dale Watson's "Country My Ass" played in a continuous loop. This example of stunting is notable for the station-specific nature of the song's lyrics; Watson re-recorded the song for the occasion, adding a new coda in which he sings, "Now Austin's on track, 'cause KOKE-FM's back."
* In May 1990, the staff of
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
radio station
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
staged an
industrial action
Industrial action (British English) or job action (American English) is a temporary show of dissatisfaction by employees—especially a strike or slowdown or working to rule—to protest against bad working conditions or low pay and to increa ...
, after its news director was suspended for playing a clip of the
N.W.A.
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...
song "
Fuck tha Police
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by American hip hop group N.W.A that appears on the 1988 album ''Straight Outta Compton'' as well as on the ''N.W.A's Greatest Hits'' compilation. The lyrics protest police brutality and racial profilin ...
" in a segment discussing its subject matter (despite the full song having been played by the station before without incident). During the action, Triple J played another N.W.A. song, "
Express Yourself" (whose lyrics criticize
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
of rap music), 82 times in a row. Triple J paid homage to the event during the April 30, 2014 relaunch of
digital radio
Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services.
Types
In digital broadcasting sy ...
station ABC Dig Music as
Double J, which was preceded by a loop of different versions of "Express Yourself" (including the original recording, and covers of the song by Australian musicians).
*
WJMP/
Kent, OH
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,215 at the 2020 Census. The city is counted as pa ...
, in a protest over the
Major League Baseball players' strike, continuously played two versions of "
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the son ...
" sunrise-to-sunset (the station
operated only during daytime hours), for two months (and 57,161 total plays) from August to October 1994. The stunt merited WJMP an entry in the ''
Guinness Book of Sports Records''.
* In honor of the
alleged Mayan apocalypse,
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
station
CFEX-FM
CFEX-FM is a radio station serving Calgary, Alberta. Owned by Harvard Media, it broadcasts an alternative rock format branded as ''X92.9''. CFEX's studios are located along the Red Mile on 17 Avenue SW in Calgary, while its transmitter is locate ...
/
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
stunted with a loop of
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternat ...
's song "
It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., which first appeared on their 1987 album, ''Document''. It was released as the album's second single in November 1987, reaching No. 69 i ...
" on December 21, 2012, interspersed with "Apocalypse Survival Tips" and "Get to Know a
Mayan
Mayan most commonly refers to:
* Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
" segments.
*In a non-music example, the launch of
Black Information Network
Black Information Network (BIN) is a radio network and content brand owned by iHeartMedia. Launched on June 30, 2020, it is an all-news radio network of stations targeting the African American community, carrying mostly important national news hea ...
—a chain of
iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
news radio stations targeting
African Americans—featured its initial stations playing a loop of speeches by prominent African Americans, mixed with
sweepers
A street sweeper or street cleaner may refer to a person's occupation or to a machine that cleans streets.
Street sweepers have been employed in cities as " sanitation workers" since sanitation and waste removal became a priority. A st ...
promoting the launch date, and containing the tagline "Our side of the story is about to be told."
Temporary formats
Occasionally a station dropping an old format will stunt with a transitional format, either containing clues and previews relating to the new format (such as songs referencing its new branding, and artists who may be included in the eventual format), or having little to do with it. This can include songs based on specific themes (such as a single musician), or
novelties
A novelty item or simply novelty is an object which is specifically designed to serve no practical purpose, and is sold for its uniqueness, humor, or simply as something new (hence "novelty", or newness). The term also applies to practical items wi ...
that would not be viable as a permanent format. In some cases (sometimes referred to as a "wheel of formats"), a station may cycle between multiple formats during the stunt until the new, permanent format launches.
* In 2006, after its sale to new owners,
KFYE in
Kingsburg, California
Kingsburg is a city in Fresno County, California. Kingsburg is located southeast of Selma at an elevation of 302 feet (92 m), on the banks of the Kings River. The city is from Fresno, and about from the California Central Coast and Sierra Ne ...
, dropped its
contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and ...
programming for a stunt format it dubbed "Porn Radio", featuring songs with
sexually-suggestive lyrics, and songs edited to include moaning sounds. The stunt led into its relaunch as
rhythmic adult contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary, often abbreviated as rhythmic AC or RAC, is an adult contemporary radio format. The format focuses primarily on rhythmic hits aimed towards an adult audience, often resembling a mixture of the classic hits and hot adul ...
''Sexy 106.3''.
* In May 2009,
WSKS
WSKS (97.9 FM) and WSKU (105.5 FM) are radio stations simulcasting a (CHR) format. Licensed to Whitesboro, New York and Little Falls, New York, the stations serve the Utica- Rome area and are currently owned by Roser Communications Network. ...
/
Utica, NY
Utica () is a city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 U.S. Census. Located on the Mohawk River at the foo ...
, announced that due to "financial constraints" its
CHR format would be replaced by the
beautiful music
Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator m ...
format similar to what was broadcast on sister station
WUTQ. The "change" came complete with on-air
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
-style complaining from the station's staff. The "new format," however, lasted for only two hours before WSKS management came clean, restored the CHR format, and confirmed the stunt was a way to promote the station's new lineup.
* As a publicity stunt for the program by local broadcaster
Global
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
, Toronto radio station
CIRR-FM
CIRR-FM (103.9 MHz, ''103.9 Proud FM'') is a radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, it broadcasts a Hot AC/ CHR/EDM format with a focus on the area's LGBT community. Launching on April 16, 2007, it was the first radi ...
(which usually broadcasts a CHR format targeting the
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term i ...
community) temporarily rebranded as ''Glee FM'' on April 12, 2010, adding
music
Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...
from the U.S. musical comedy-drama series ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' to its playlist. On August 16, 2010, British radio station ''
Oxford's FM 107.9
Hits Radio Oxfordshire (formerly known most recently as Jack 2 Hits and Jack 3 Chill) is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom on FM and the Oxfordshire DAB multiplex, as part of the Hits Radio network ...
'' held its own ''Glee FM'' stunt, leading into its August 18 relaunch as ''Glide FM''.
* Over
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
weekend in 2010,
WJZX-FM/
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
, stunted as ''Tiger 106.9'', featuring songs about cheating (in reference to
an infidelity scandal involving golfer
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
). The station was expected to change to a
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...
format with the new call letters WNQW—with the new calls suggesting that its branding would involve the name "Now". However, competing station
WQBW abruptly moved to introduce the same format and branding as ''97.3 Now'', preventing WJZX from using the name. The station continued airing temporary formats (such as
patriotic music and
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
' discography in alphabetical order), before settling on a permanent format in June 2010, as
classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades.
Repertoire
The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on inn ...
station WZBK-FM (the station eventually adopted a rhythmic top 40 format in September 2012 as ''Energy 106.9'').
* In 2011,
WWWN/
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
and
WEMP
WEMP (98.9 FM) is an FM radio station licensed to Two Rivers, Wisconsin carrying a mixed easy listening and soft oldies format. The station transmits from the WLKN tower in Newton and covers the Manitowoc/Two Rivers market, along with eastern ...
/
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
—which had recently been sold to Merlin Media—transitioned from
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
to
all-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news.
All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news stations can run the ...
as ''FM News''. As a transitional format, both stations aired a format branded as ''FM New'', which featured
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
music interspersed with news, traffic, and weather updates from personalities who would serve under the new ''FM News'' formats.
* On October 8, 2014,
KROI
KROI (92.1 FM) is a radio station serving the Greater Houston market. Licensed to Seabrook, Texas and owned by Urban One, the station broadcasts an urban gospel format. The station's studios are located in Greenway Plaza and the transmitter is ...
/Houston ended its all-news format and began stunting as ''B92'', playing only music by Houston-native
Beyoncé. The stunt led into its relaunch as
classic hip-hop
Classic hip hop is a music radio format focusing primarily on hip hop music from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early to mid-2000s.
Although stations with such a format date back as far as 2004, the format was first popularized in October 2014, after ...
''Boom 92''.
*
KEGY/
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
used an unbranded mainstream rock format as part of its transition from CHR to a new
hot talk
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
-oriented format in 2018. The stunt's playlist featured
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
's "
Welcome to the Machine
"Welcome to the Machine" is the second song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album '' Wish You Were Here''. It features heavily processed synthesizers and acoustic guitars, as well as a wide range of tape effects. Both the music and the lyrics were written ...
" at the top of each hour, which teased its eventual branding as ''The Machine''.
* Multiple stations in the United States and Canada have stunted with
Chinese music under the branding ''
Kung Pao
Kung Pao chicken (), also transcribed Gong Bao or Kung Po, is a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish made with cubes of chicken, peanuts, vegetables (traditionally Welsh onion only ), and chili peppers. The classic dish in Sichuan cuisine origi ...
'', such as
KDOG
KDOG (96.7 FM, "Hot 96.7") is a radio station serving Mankato, Minnesota. The station airs a Top 40 (CHR) format. They are licensed to North Mankato, Minnesota and serves the Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley. KDOG is owned by Linder ...
(which led into a flip to classic hits),
WVHT (which led into its re-launch as CHR ''Hot 100''), and
CIGM
CIGM-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts in Sudbury, Ontario. The station airs a CHR/Top 40 format at 93.5 MHz on the FM dial with the branding ''Hot 93.5''. The station is owned and operated by Stingray Group.
History
The st ...
(which led into its flip to a CHR format as ''Hot 93.5'').
Christmas music and other holiday formats
The popular practice of radio stations
playing all-Christmas music during the lead-up to (and occasionally the week after)
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
has sometimes been used as a transitional period between formats. As of 2022, there were over 660 radio stations in North America that stunt Christmas music throughout each holiday season, with 627 stations in the United States and 33 stations in Canada. Sometimes, Christmas music is used as a more blatant stunt format outside of the holiday season, in a similar spirit to ironic "
Christmas in July
Christmas in July, Christmas in Summer or Christmas in Winter is a second Christmas celebration held around the summer season, mainly during July. It is centered around Christmas-themed activities and entertainment, including small gatherings, se ...
" promotions.
* In April 2008, new
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...
radio station
CFWD-FM
CFWD-FM is a radio station in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Owned by Harvard Media, it broadcasts a rock-leaning classic hits format branded as ''96.3 Cruz FM''.
History
Licensed to Harvard Broadcasting on May 28, 2007, the station was origina ...
stunted with Christmas music as ''Santa FM'' as part of its soft launch, accompanied by a promotional campaign in which publicists in
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
costumes paraded through the city. The station officially launched as CHR-formatted ''Wired 96.3'' on April 11. In November 2012, the station laid off its airstaff and flipped to Christmas music for the season, emerging as
adult hits ''96.3 Cruz FM'' on December 26, 2012.
* In late-September 2015,
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
's
WEBC
WEBC (560 kHz) is an AM radio station located in Duluth, Minnesota, owned by Townsquare Media. It airs a sports format branded as "Northland Fan".
The AM station feeds an FM translator W293CT at 106.5 MHz. While the FM station is limited i ...
dropped its
sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comedy ...
format in favor of ''Ho Ho 106.5'', before emerging in early-October as
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
''Sasquatch 106.5''.
*On October 7, 2015, as a parody of
Christmas creep
Christmas creep is a merchandising phenomenon in which merchants and retailers introduce Christmas-themed merchandise or decorations before the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, which in the United States is on the day after Tha ...
and stations trying to achieve notoriety for being the first to switch to Christmas music,
WURV
WURV (103.7 FM "103.7 Your Variety") is a commercial radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia. The station is owned by SummitMedia, through licensee SM-WURV, LLC. WURV broadcasts a hot adult contemporary music format to the Richmond/Pete ...
/
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a ...
''103.7 Play'' briefly stunted for 12 hours with "inappropriately early" Christmas music.
**WURV's sister station
WJSR
WJSR (100.9 FM) is a broadcast radio station licensed to Lakeside, Virginia, serving Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia. WJSR is owned and operated by SummitMedia, and broadcasts a classic hits format. The station's studios are located wes ...
conducted an unusually-long Christmas music stunt lasting from October 13, 2020 to March 4, 2021 as ''Santa 100.9'', after having initially stunted with snippets of songs as "Short Attention Span Radio" from October 1. After just over five months of stunting in total, WJSR flipped to classic hits ''Awesome 100.9'' on March 4, 2021.
*In November 2017,
CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broa ...
and
Entercom
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
merged, bringing Seattle's two country music stations,
KMPS and
KKWF
KKWF (100.7 FM "100.7 The Wolf") is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it airs a country music radio format. The studios and offices are on Fifth Avenue in Downtown Seattle.
KKWF has a ...
, under common ownership. On the day the merger was completed, KMPS switched to Christmas music, ostensibly for the holiday season. However, on the morning of December 4, 2017, KMPS abruptly ended the all-Christmas programming and flipped to
soft adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet s ...
as ''94.1 The Sound''. The following year, Entercom's Detroit station
WDZH
WDZH (98.7 FM, "Alt 98-7") is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan and serving the Metropolitan Detroit radio market in Southeastern Michigan. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and airs an alternative rock radio format.
The station ...
emulated the flip, with the station dropping its ''Amp Radio'' CHR format for ''The Rudolph Network @ 98.7'', before becoming soft AC ''The Breeze'' three days later.
Other
* On October 2, 2009, following a half-hour retrospective marking the end of its
smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s.
History
Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 1 ...
format,
WVMV/
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
purportedly revived its previous WLLZ ''Detroit's Wheels'' branding as a
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
station. However, in the midst of playing "
Welcome to the Jungle
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut album, '' Appetite for Destruction'' (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 then again in Octob ...
" by
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
, the song was interrupted by a sequence referencing
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's interruption of a
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
acceptance speech at the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was h ...
. The bait-and-switch led into the soft launch of a CHR format, under the branding ''98.7 Takeover''; listeners were invited to guess the station's new name over the weekend, which was revealed as ''98.7 Amp Radio'' the following Monday.
* On January 7, 2019, country station
KSED
KSED (107.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Sedona, Arizona, United States, and serving the Flagstaff- Prescott, Arizona area. Owned by Stone Canyon Media Group, the station broadcasts a country music format.
History
KSED signed on in ...
/
Sedona
Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...
began stunting with a
speaking clock
A speaking clock or talking clock is a live or recorded human voice service, usually accessed by telephone, that gives the correct time. The first telephone speaking clock service was introduced in France, in association with the Paris Observato ...
counting down to 6:00 a.m. on January 14, 2019. The stunt—which led into a rebranding with no change in format—prompted the
Flagstaff Police Department to issue a statement clarifying that, despite concerns from residents, this was a promotional event with no harm intended.
* In 2018 and 2020, iHeartMedia used multiple stunts as part of its repositioning and relaunch of CHR station
KBKS-FM
KBKS-FM (106.1 FM) – branded as ''Hits 106-1'' – is a commercial radio station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format. The studios and offices are l ...
in Seattle.
** In late-October 2018, the station dropped its existing personalities, and began to air promos hinting at the discontinuation of its existing ''Kiss'' format, interrupting songs with a demonic voiceover stating that "''Kiss'' is dead", and teasing an announcement on October 31. At that time, the station announced that it would revamp its on-air lineup, explaining the prior stunt by stating that they were "dead serious" about finding "Seattle's Funniest Person" for its morning show (as part of an accompanying contest).
** In July 2020, KBKS announced that it had hired Jubal Fresh, the former co-host of
KQMV
KQMV (92.5 FM, " Movin' 92-5") is a commercial radio station licensed to Bellevue, Washington, and serving the Seattle-Tacoma-Puget Sound radio market. The Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. outlet airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format.
KQMV has an ef ...
's nationally-syndicated morning show ''Brooke & Jubal''—to host a new morning show on the station. On August 3, 2020, the station temporarily rebranded as ''Jubal 106.1'' to promote the impending launch of ''The Jubal Show'', after which it adopted its new branding—''Hits 106.1''—on August 20 to coincide with its premiere.
On television
Cartoon Network has broadcast its share of stunts over the years, many on
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may b ...
. On April 1, 1997, the network aired a stunt where it had purportedly been taken over by
Screwy Squirrel
Screwy Squirrel (also known as Screwball Squirrel) is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic squirrel created by Tex Avery for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is generally considered the wackiest and outright most antagonistic of the screwball ...
, and subsequently broadcast the Screwy Squirrel cartoon "Happy-Go-Nutty" for 12 hours straight.
Numerous complaints were received about this particular event, generally fielded by Cartoon Network's
cable providers, who had been left in the dark about the stunt.
Later April Fools' Day stunts on Cartoon Network have included an 11 hour ''
Cow and Chicken
''Cow and Chicken'' is an American animated comedy television series created by David Feiss for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is the third of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. It follows the ...
'' marathon in place of a scheduled ''
Chowder
Chowder is a thick soup prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. Oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typicall ...
'' marathon on April 1, 2009, and 14 hours of programming edited to have
googly eyes
Googly eyes, or wiggle eyes, are small plastic crafting items used to imitate eyeballs. Googly eyes traditionally are composed of a white plastic or card backing covered by a clear, hard-plastic shell, encapsulating a black plastic disk. The com ...
on April 1, 2017.
Cartoon Network's late-night block
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
has held
a number of their own April Fools' programming stunts, such as promoting a television premiere of ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series '' Aqua Teen Hunge ...
'' before its theatrical release (but displaying it in a comically-small
window
A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent mate ...
over regularly-scheduled programming), airings of the
Tommy Wiseau
Thomas P. Wiseau ( or ) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for writing, producing, directing, and starring in the 2003 film '' The Room'', which has been described by many critics as one of the worst films ever made and has gained ...
film ''
The Room
''The Room'' is a 2003 American drama film written, produced, executive produced and directed by Tommy Wiseau, who stars in the film alongside Juliette Danielle and Greg Sestero. The film centers on a melodramatic love triangle between ami ...
'', episodes of ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also known by various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ''ATHF'' or ''Aqua Teen'', is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late ni ...
'' and ''
Rick and Morty
, creator = Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon
, developer =
, voices = {{plainlist,
* Justin Roiland
* Chris Parnell
* Spencer Grammer
* Sarah Chalke
* Kari Wahlgren
, composer = Ryan Elder
, count ...
'' redubbed by children ("Adult Swim Junior"),
and an airing of its
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
block
Toonami
Toonami ( ) is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese animation and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a d ...
with programs in their original
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
audio with
subtitles (including an airing of
Masaaki Yuasa
is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from ...
's 2004 experimental film ''
Mind Game
Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the ag ...
''). The stunts have sometimes included unannounced previews and premieres of new and existing series, such as additional episodes of ''
Perfect Hair Forever
''Perfect Hair Forever'' is an American adult animated television series created by Mike Lazzo, Matt Harrigan, and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. The series revolves around a young boy named Ger ...
'' after its supposed series finale,
the third season premiere of ''Rick and Morty'', and an unannounced world premiere of the first episode of ''
FLCL
is an original video animation (OVA) anime series created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. ' ...
''s third season before its second season had even premiered in the U.S. yet.
For 35 days in early-1998,
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
's
CBS affiliate
WBMG
WIAT (channel 42) is a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are located on Golden Crest Drive atop Red Mountain, next to the American General ca ...
—which had recently been acquired by
Media General
Media General was an American media company based in Richmond, Virginia. The company's origins can be traced back to 1887 when Richmond attorney Joseph Bryan acquired ''The Richmond Daily Times'', which later became ''The Richmond Times-Dispatch ...
—stunted during the usual timeslots of its
local newscasts with a clock counting down to a major relaunch of the station (and its fledgling news department) on February 5.
Nick Jr. Too
Nick Jr. is a British pay television channel owned and operated by a joint venture between Sky Group and Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel is aimed at pre-school children.
History
Nick Jr. was first broadcast in the UK and Irel ...
, a sister to the British
Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...
channel, has occasionally aired long-term
marathons
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divi ...
of ''
Peppa Pig
''Peppa Pig'' is a British preschool animated television series by Astley Baker Davies. The show follows Peppa, an anthropomorphic female piglet, and her family, as well as her peers portrayed as other animals. The show first aired on 31 May ...
'', during which it has branded as "Nick Jr. Peppa". In a similar manner,
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It h ...
has also temporarily rebranded some of its channels to devote them specifically to certain major events, such as
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first ...
series in
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
(Sky Sports Ashes),
the
PDC World Darts Championship
The PDC World Darts Championship, known for sponsorship purposes as the Cazoo World Darts Championship, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), is a World Professional Darts Championship held annually in the sport of darts. The P ...
(Sky Sports Darts; in 2015, this used the
Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports F1 is a television channel created exclusively for Sky's UK and Ireland coverage of Formula One, with Sky having a package of rights from the 2012 season to the 2029 season. From 2012 to 2029, Sky Sports F1 has the exclusive rights ...
channel, since
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
was in its off-season), and golf's
Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
(Sky Sports The Open). In January 2019, Sky Sports Action was temporarily renamed "Sky Sports USA", with programming focusing on the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(coinciding with the playing of the
NBA Global Games
The NBA Global Games are a series of games featuring NBA teams that are played outside the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to bring teams from the National Basketball Association (NBA) to play games against either another NBA team or a for ...
series in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
), and the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
and
Super Bowl LIII
Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Con ...
.
At least three networks have used stunting-type events prior to their formal launches:
G4, for example, aired a 7 day long game of ''
Pong
''Pong'' is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan A ...
'' before its formal debut on April 24, 2002. This stunt would later be referenced by the network in its final minute on air on December 31, 2014, as well as in the video announcing its 2021 return.
MLB Network
The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Co ...
aired a continuous loop of baseball highlights and promos as a "soft launch" in the weeks before its formal debut on January 1, 2009.
Canada's Sun News Network
Sun News Network (commonly shortened to Sun News) was a Canadian English language Category C news channel owned by Québecor Média through a partnership between two of its subsidiaries, TVA Group (which maintained 51% majority ownership of the ...
employed an on-screen countdown clock graphic in the hours before its April 18, 2011, launch.
Since 2017, one of
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's networks has stunted as "
ESPN8" on or near August 8 (8/8), carrying a marathon of programming featuring obscure and unconventional sporting events and competitions, such as
chess boxing,
disc golf
Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...
,
dodgeball
Dodgeball is a team sport in which players on two teams try to throw balls and hit opponents, while avoiding being hit themselves. The objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, cat ...
,
esports,
Highland games,
kabaddi
Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their ...
,
lawn mower racing
Lawnmower racing is a form of motorsport in which competitors race modified lawnmowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. The original mower engines are retained, but blades are removed for safety. The sport attracts all ages, an ...
,
mini-golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is playe ...
, and
roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (j ...
. The stunt pays tribute to a fictitious eighth ESPN network of the same name portrayed in the 2004 sports comedy film ''
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story'' (nicknamed "The Ocho", in reference to
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
ESPN2 was initially ...
being nicknamed "The Deuce" on launch), which carries coverage of competitions that are "almost a sport". The stunt was originally held on
ESPNU
ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and the He ...
—a channel that normally carries
college sports
College athletics encompasses non-professional, collegiate and university-level competitive sports and games.
World University Games
The first World University Games were held in 1923. There were originally called the ''Union Nationale des É ...
events during the academic year, but moved to ESPN2 beginning in 2018. ''DodgeBall'' has also been screened as part of this lineup since 2018.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stunting (Broadcasting)
Radio broadcasting
Radio formats
Publicity stunts