How to Win Concert Tickets From Radio Contests

You're driving home the commute is long, but the DJ is giving away two tickets to see The Cult, you're broke but you want to go, here's what you do...

Step 1 (Find the right station)

Make sure that the local station you are listening to is a convenient drive. If you do end up winning the tickets you don't want the trip to pick the tickets up to cost more than the concert would have! Also, stick to the stations which announce ahead of time when they will be giving prizes/tickets away. Furthermore, if you don't like country music, odds are you're not going to want to win tickets to see Toby Keith.

Step 2 (Have the number ready)

If you are scrambling to text in the number when they pull the trigger you might as well give up. Everyone has a cell phone so plug the number in, dial it once, hang up quick, then just use the call button (calls last number) when the time is right. Because the way logistics work with radio stations, their listening/marketing base, (i.e. coverage area) is in the tens of thousands (sometimes hundreds) which means everybody and their grandma will be dialing in split seconds after the DJ says, Ok, we're going to go the phones now...Give yourself the edge.

Step 3 (Call!)

So the DJ announced the contest would be coming up at 5:00, well if you tune in at 4:58 and there is a song or commercial playing you are primed and ready to go. Usually, the DJ will come back from commercial and immediately go to the phones (sometimes there is a pre-programmed plug used as an intro to the phone lines opening up). Take into account your phone's delay (seconds it takes to dial after you hit the call button). Once you hear the DJ/promo spot announce the contest is underway call as they are speaking. The sooner the better, with the exception of contests which award different callers (i.e. caller number 7, or caller number x) in that case generally you would wait 1-2 seconds before dialing in. If it is a contest for trivia follow all the prior directions assuming you know the answer to the trivia question (name that song or just a general trivia) then a layer of difficulty is added, however, it is beneficial to be further down the trough the more difficult the question in order to utlize the process of elimination of the previous callers wrong answers.

Note: Don't call too early, the phone line will be busy wait until you hear an announcement.

Step 4 ( Don't be nervous)

Remember its just radio, so don't think about the fact that everyone can hear your shaky voice and possibly listen as you stumble through a trivia question or awkwardly say the wrong radio station in your closing remarks. You have nothing to lose...except of course the tickets. Good Luck!

Radio stations are located in buildings just like this

The Cult vs. Blue Oyster Cult

Which band would you rather see live today if they were alive, together and in their prime?