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September 19, 2019 10:13 am  #1


Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Back before the Internet, cell phones and texting, if you wanted to win a contest from a radio station there were only three ways to do it – a landline, a postcard sent into the station or having some station rep spot you wearing a T-shirt, button or some other identifying symbol.
 
Before I ever wangled my way into the biz, I was a typical kid trying desperately to dial the digits that would win me something. And when I think back on it now, it seemed not only important then, but almost a dream come true if you ever did get something out of your favourite station.
 
Mine, like many here, was CHUM. And I won two 45s on The Battle of The New Sounds, both in 1964 – “From A Window,” by Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas (written by Lennon & McCartney) and “Have I The Right” by the Honeycombs. I still have both discs upstairs somewhere.
 
The only time I ever won anything really important, though, came many years later in 1972, when CFTR had just turned rock and launched their “Canada’s First Tremendous Ripoff” contest (to match the call letters “CFTR.”) In fact, I was the very first winner they ever had and it all happened because I was home sick from school.
 
I happened to be sitting by the family phone (we only had one in those days!) listening to the brand new formatted station and feeling generally awful. Just after 3 PM, the announcer said he’d take the first caller to win a trip to Pompano Beach, Florida.
 
With nothing else to do and not dreaming I’d get through, I did and I won. I was just a young teenager at the time and I remember my mother wasn’t even able to eat her dinner when I told her later that evening, she was so excited. In the end, I gave my parents the prize, they got a surprise vacation and my brothers and I got a chance to be on our own for a few days without their prying eyes.
 
A win-win for everyone!
 
The last thing I ever won was a coveted treasure that I still have. And even though I no longer really entered contests once I was in the biz, this one was special – it was a Record Pig contest held by Big Jay Sorenson on WNBC’s Time Machine, one of my all time favourite radio stations and shows.
 
I answered a question no one else seemed to be able to, and they awarded me a coveted WNBC T-Shirt and Time Machine keychain.
 
The contests that stations have now are different. Somehow texting in an answer isn’t quite the same as trying to get a ringing phone line when everyone else is calling the same number. Although I think the prizes – more often cash - are generally bigger now.


 

September 19, 2019 1:03 pm  #2


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I won a book on the CityPulse news test in 1978.

Dini Petty mis-pronounced my name.

 

September 19, 2019 4:03 pm  #3


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I will admit to being a radio "prize pig" and won many times. All started on CHUM FM in 1973 and continued on and off till maybe 2009. Was always a radio and music trivia buff and that was responsible for most of my wins.

When I started on CHUM FM I would dial 870 91 and keep the phones on that fifth number until the contest came up and then I would dial   31 and I always got through. Had to make sure the lines were clear at the fifth number or the system would not work. People thought it was a racket but it was simple it actually worked for about three years. I would get my friends in the act as well and kept a log of my winnings and the question. The first pic is the first page of that log.

After that system stopped working it was a question of getting through and if the question was harder all the better. In the later years a redial cordless phone came in handy, one that I actually won on the radio.

The second and third pics are from a log I kept between 1986 and 2001. I started that one because I use to record many of my wins and was able to do so b/c many contests were on tape delay and I would have time to set up the recording after winning. Some of these recordings are up on my web site.

Last edited by Fitz (September 19, 2019 4:05 pm)


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

September 19, 2019 4:13 pm  #4


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I was listening to Rollye James on WPHT one Friday night, when her theme topic was radio and when she would, for prizes of obscure 50s oldies CDs, read song lyrics to be guessed. They sound way different read than sung. I won a disc for recognizing "You've Got To Be Loved" by the Montanas.

 

September 19, 2019 4:51 pm  #5


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I won a K-Tel album from Don Daynard at CKFH in 1967. Twenty years later - in 1987 - I won some albums from Andy Frost at Q107. Twenty years after that - in 2007 - I won something from Gord James at CHUM that I never picked up. Can't wait for 2027.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 19, 2019 5:10 pm  #6


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I won tires last fall from a Twitter contest by Jazz FM...I was in my car and heard my name mentioned...I needed new tires too and got great ones  from Dufferin Motors...it was part of their Winterize and Win contest...by the way Dufferin Motors is excellent!





Congratulations, you won 

Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (September 19, 2019 5:11 pm)


The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
 

September 19, 2019 10:02 pm  #7


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

In the early 2000s, there was a station in Cambridge (the name escapes me but they eventually turned into DaveFM).
One afternoon they broadcast that the next 3 people that showed up at their promotions van parked at the Walmart at the 401 and Hespler Rd. would receive a prize.
I was about 10 minutes down the 401 so I thought I'd stop by and see what was left.
When I arrived 10 minutes later, the promotions team said no one showed up so I could have everything.  (A CD, a branded car window shade, and a frisbee.). LOL.

Years later, my office co-worker programed all the Speed dial numbers on the office phone for Y108.  I won on The Wheel of Meat, lots of event tickets, and 100 Lotto 649 tickets.  (Only won $5.)

Davester.

 

September 19, 2019 10:12 pm  #8


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I won 45's on two different occasions from CKEY in the late 50's; lottery tickets from CHYM in the late 70's and $1,000 from CHUM-FM about 1990.

 

September 19, 2019 10:34 pm  #9


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Not from a radio station that I can recall, but somehow I got a Dave Keon towel way back in the day as a prize from somewhere or other... 

 

September 20, 2019 12:16 pm  #10


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

A large part of my early teens was funded by $6.80 and $10.50 weekly news awards.  Seemed like a fortune back then and with a couple of scanners I made out like a bandit.

(Scanners you had to buy crystals for each channel for don'cha' know .  I still have 155.400, 411.9875 and 150.670 branded in my little brain. 
 


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

September 20, 2019 6:13 pm  #11


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Dale Patterson wrote:

I won a K-Tel album from Don Daynard at CKFH in 1967. Twenty years later - in 1987 - I won some albums from Andy Frost at Q107. Twenty years after that - in 2007 - I won something from Gord James at CHUM that I never picked up. Can't wait for 2027.

Also won a key chain from Joe Donovan at WHAS around 1987, and I recall winning a mug from AM740 a couple of years ago that's still waiting for me. It's funny how I only seem to win radio contests in years ending in seven, but it's not by plan. Not a big contest guy, but every 10 or 20 years...


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 20, 2019 6:18 pm  #12


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

How about a coffee table book from Radio Prague?

Also recall correctly answering a question and winning something from Global TV back when they had SPORTSLINE with Tatti and Hebscher on at 11:30 p.m.  I don't recall what the prize was.

 

September 20, 2019 6:39 pm  #13


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Anyone remember two-for-two on CJRN in Niagara Falls more than 40 years ago?

 

September 21, 2019 1:01 am  #14


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Glen Warren wrote:

I won a book on the CityPulse news test in 1978.

Dini Petty mis-pronounced my name.

How on earth could she mis-pronounce Glen Warren?
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

September 21, 2019 8:20 am  #15


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Yes.

 

September 21, 2019 10:00 am  #16


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I should point out that my "prize pig" days" as described in my post above mostly came to an end around 2001 because it became almost like a gambling addiction. I remember winning on CHUM and Q 107 by stopping the car and using a pay phone.

I thought there ain't  much more I can do with this music trivia thing and it became a chore.. Those trivia contests were the ones that allowed one to get through on the phones as they would go through multiple callers. The "Breakfast in The Barbados" type contests were not for me b/c everyone would call in and like  the lottery had a low probability of winning. 


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

September 21, 2019 10:00 am  #17


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Dale Patterson wrote:

Glen Warren wrote:

I won a book on the CityPulse news test in 1978.

Dini Petty mis-pronounced my name.

How on earth could she mis-pronounce Glen Warren?
 

The double "rr" can be tricky...
 

 

September 21, 2019 2:49 pm  #18


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Sometime in the mid-60's I won Ronnie Dove's Greatest Hits from CHUM. I gave the album to my sister. In the 80's on CHUM-FM I identified Whiter Shade of Pale in one note, and won Parachute Club's first album and two tickets to a nightclub for New Year's eve. But I the best prize I ever won was a result of sending Don Daynard my ten favourite oldies and ended up being DJ for a Day (really only one hour) on CKFM's Saturday Night Oldies with Don. To top that off, Don actually helped me a few years later to get my first job in radio. He referred me to Craig Smith who I had met when he was Don's producer and who had recently become the Production Manager at CJEZ. Craig hired me five days after meeting him.

 

September 21, 2019 5:08 pm  #19


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

Glen Warren wrote:

I won a book on the CityPulse news test in 1978.

Dini Petty mis-pronounced my name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqaSZEgoZcc   give it another shot


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

September 25, 2019 10:58 am  #20


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

NW wrote:

How about a coffee table book from Radio Prague? 

Did you get a free RCMP-emblazoned letter opener when Canada Post delivered your QSLs from Radio Moscow?

(actually, it would have been an RCMP-emblazoned steam kettle, but I digress)...

Last edited by Saul (September 25, 2019 10:59 am)

 

September 25, 2019 12:30 pm  #21


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I won tickets to see the movie TRESPASS in Burlington from ENERGY 108 in the 90s. Wasnt a blockbuster, but was entertaining.

 

September 25, 2019 12:31 pm  #22


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I do a few giveaways a year now on my own overnight hip-hop radio show in Hamilton.

 

September 25, 2019 12:44 pm  #23


Re: Did You Ever Win Something From A Radio Station?

I once gave away tickets to a special screening of a highly anticipated movie doing an overnight fill-in shift I was doing.

The winner was a TTC bus driver, who happened to be up very late finishing his shift. I left the prize on the receptionist's desk, as we were supposed to. When the guy came in to pick them up the next day, the tickets were gone. Somebody stole them right off the desk and to this day, I suspect to our shame it was someone inside the station. 

I can't quite remember what we did to make the winner whole again, but what a terrible embarrassment for the station and for me. It's been a very long time since that night, but I still remember it as if it happened yesterday. 

And I might add, it wasn't the first time something went missing from that place. An unknown thief stole one of my reference books that I'd brought from home to use as part of some contest questions - and that was located in a back office cabinet that I thought I had locked! 

Never did find out who did it, but it's a weird feeling not to be able to trust your co-workers. 

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