95.7 The Game in San Francisco is trying something unique during baseball’s All-Star Week. The station is switching around its weekday show lineup just for this week. The goal, according to what host Mark Willard said as he kicked off the week on the air, is to have listeners “try something new for a week.” In partnership with a local restaurant called Jack’s, the promotion is being tied around the lineup being ‘Jacked Up.’
The Morning Roast with Bonta & Shasky, hosted by Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky, which normally airs from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. PT is airing in the midday slot this week from 10 a.m. – 2p.m. PT. The usual midday show, Steiny & Guru, hosted by Matt Steinmetz and Daryle ‘The Guru’ Johnson, will be holding down the afternoon drive slot from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT while the Willard & Dibs show, hosted by Mark Willard and Dan Dibley, which usually ends the day in the afternoons is taking over morning drive from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
95.7 The Game Brand Manager Matt Nahigian told BSM the idea came from programming based off something they had done a few years ago where they drew host names out of a hat to decide pairings for a week. The 95.7 The Game sales team used this year’s unique idea to sell in the restaurant partnership. “When sales found out about it they jumped on it,” he said.
“I think that now more than ever, we need to try different things and have some fun and when I approached all the hosts on it, they thought it was a really fun, different concept and we went with it,” said Nahigian. “You have people who are loyal to the shows and the station, but it gives the listeners a chance to hear other shows if they can’t hear them live. It also adds a little spark for the hosts. It’s something different.”
The morning slot would be the one you would think none of the hosts would have wanted to do, but it seems in this case, that was not true. “I just want to say this right out of the gate, not that this matters or anybody cares, but this was even easier than I knew it was going to be,” Willard said. “The whole getting up at 4-something o’clock in the morning. C’mon, let’s go. I couldn’t be more ready.”
“You gotta stay ready,” Dibley said. “I did darn near 20 years of it, so this morning, when the alarm went off, I had already been awake for an hour. So, let’s go.”
Willard then explained to the listeners what was happening. He said, “We are going to do the morning show this week because our lineup is ‘Jacked Up’ and it’s brought to you by Jack’s Restaurant. We are having fun. It’s the All-Star break, so who cares, there’s nothing going on in the way of sports. Let’s fart around for a week and have a good time. So, that’s what you’re going to get this week on 95.7 The Game.
“It’s all going to be ok, but this is what we are doing, and we just hope that everybody who is a faithful listener of the station tries something new for a week. Like, eat something different for breakfast. I had to put breakfast in Tupperware and bring it. It’s very, very different for me, but we are going to be ok.”
As for the timing of it, Nahigian said, “I think it’s a perfect time to do it. It’s the summertime. I think keeping people on their feet and giving them something different is fun.”
When asked if this could become an annual event, Nahigian said, “It’s a one-week thing, but I will tell you that I love doing these types of things because I think it gives the hosts something to look forward to and gives the listeners something different they maybe can’t normally listen to.”
