Avoiding BEING An April Fool

Every radio station has a great April Fool prank story.  (click to hear a great one (mp3) from Chris Reiser)

One of my all time favorites (click for a montage mp3) was performed a few years ago by Nanaimo's 102.3 FM The WAVE and was the result of considerable planning, even involving advance conspiracy by city officials.  And, as with any great radio bit, it also involved a replay and reaction element for the "day after" (click to hear that mp3)

Another tradition:  Broadcast attorney David Oxenford's seemingly annual blog cautioning against hoaxes. 

In 2011, he wrote:  "...have fun, but think through your April Fools gags carefully.  Don't do anything that could make you look like a fool after the April 1 has come and gone.

Last year:  "While a little fun is OK, remember that the FCC does have a rule against on-air hoaxes - and, of any day in the year, April 1 is the day that the broadcaster is most at risk."

I'm sure that another one is coming any day now.  Don't make it be about you.

April Fool!

As Tom Taylor reminded us all this morning:

"Successful April 1 stunts leave everybody feeling good. Bad ones leave local cops unhappy and some aggrieved citizen writing the FCC about the “hoax rule.” Radio’s gotten egg on its face many times for half-baked ideas that sounded great in the studio, but which had disastrous consequences out in the real world."

Last year, Dave Pettitt and his Island Radio/Nanaimo team orchestrated what I think may be one of the best executed community deceptions I have ever heard. The key: they had all local officials not only informed at the planning stage, but also got them to help pull it off.

"When listeners called our "City Hotline" they received a message from Kim and myself. People still stop us and tell they were had. It was a pretty successful April Fools Joke."

Day #1: a planted news story, based on fact, but with a silly local angle.
Day #2: (April Fools Day): The story becomes the day's topical talk-about (click to listen)
Day #3: (click to listen) Listeners react to be sure everyone knows it was all in fun.

That's a textbook case of how it's done! What are you planning?