From a purely entertainment standpoint, radio station contests are similar in nature to television game shows. People generally like to play along, and see or hear other people win, even if it’s a relatively minor prize.

Radio has the added benefit of allowing local listeners a chance to take part in the contest by just being the right caller, something television shows cannot do.

Regardless, as long as the contests are fast and fun, they add an enjoyable element to the programming that sets a station apart from the rest.

Examples of that abound. KHJ (930 AM) set a standard of almost constant contests beginning with Boss Radio in 1965; stations like KIIS-FM (102.7) kept the tradition alive for many years as well. They didn’t even have to be big or complicated; calling in at the right time for an album or small amount of cash was always fun to hear (and drove parents crazy as kids dialed all but the last digit, trying to hit it just right).

You may remember them: the Magic Key, Camaro Couple, trips to Catalina Island, Zork, Walking Around Money, the Big Sign, answering your telephone with the Phrase That Pays. More recently, Alt 98.7’s (KYSR FM) morning “Woody Show” has listeners call in to guess if a drunk person can answer simple trivia questions.

All have in common essential elements: fun, simple rules even if it is extended over a few weeks, and the chance for an everyday listener to win. As mentioned, it’s just fun to hear someone else win even if I’m just a spectator.

So I continue to be confused by contests that offer little — or nothing — for most listeners. I speak primarily of the keyword contest that runs on iHeart stations, generally under a different name depending on the station. It’s called Alternative Income on Alt, Listen to Win on KIIS and KFI (640 AM), and similar names on stations nationwide. Yes, nationwide. You enter a keyword on a station website and then presumably are told if you win.

Perhaps it is not really intended as a contest; instead, it might function as a data collection system.

But as an entertaining part of a radio station’s programming? A reason to listen? Hardly. It offers nothing to encourage a listener to stay tuned — it is not fun, you never hear if someone wins, and it is nationwide — spread over hundreds of stations — so other than being cheap for owner iHeart, it’s just a waste of time. All it does is take up on-air time encouraging people to enter the keyword of the day, then goes nowhere.

Pretty lame compared with RKO giving away a car a day for a month on KHJ. Or even KIIS-FM’s old Daily Cash Payoff, back in the pre-iHeart days. If any iHeart executives are reading this, I welcome the chance to have this explained.

On the more positive side, another contest I find interesting, for a different reason, is on Go Country (KKGO 105.1 FM). Morning man Bruce Scott runs the Thousand Dollar Minute at 8:10 weekday mornings, in which listeners can try to answer 10 trivia questions within a minute.

I laugh to myself when it runs, reminding me of the episode of television’s “WKRP in Cincinnati” where Dr. Johnny Fever accidentally gives the wrong amount listeners could win — $5,000 rather than $50, if memory serves correctly — so they make the contest so hard no one could possibly win it. Of course someone does anyway.

Perhaps someone has won the Thousand Dollar Minute, though I haven’t heard it. Think about it — you only get six seconds to think and answer … take away the time needed to ask each question and it probably comes down to three, making the contest extremely difficult.

And yet, it’s fun. I think it would be more fun if it was realistically winnable, perhaps offering $10 per correct answer and the full $1,000 for all. But I find myself testing my own trivia knowledge as I drive or bike to work; it definitely adds some fun to my morning.

Record charts question

“Love your weekly column in the LA Daily News. On May 9th you referenced the old KHJ Boss 30 charts. I believe on Wednesday nights KHJ would play the latest top 30 and the next day I used to go to a small record store that also sold hippie clothes (’70-’72) in Granada Hills called ‘Rags N Records’ as they would put out the latest chart. My first purchase was a 45 called ‘Draggin’ the Line’ by Tommy James for 99 cents.

“Your reader Steve Lively mentioned he has all the charts from 1965-1977 and you responded you may have these as well. Is there any way readers like myself could access these lists? I tried looking online to no avail??”

— Rick Rodman

I plan to scan what I have once I figure out an easy way to do it, but perhaps you would be interested in this site, thebig93.com, which has scans of all the charts from 1965 to 1973 along with much more, assembled by fellow KHJ fanatic Ray Randolph. Definitely a fun page to visit!

Isn’t it funny that you remember the first record you bought? I remember mine too … the first singles I bought with my own money were from the long-gone Chuck’s Sound of Music in San Pedro: “Drift Away,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” and “Knock Three Times.” I believe mine were all 99 cents each as well! The first album I bought was from Licorice Pizza in Redondo Beach: “Wow Great Concert,” by the Beach Boys.

Why can I remember that and I cannot remember what I had for breakfast? One is more meaningful, I guess. Keep the memories coming!

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com.