Morning zoo

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Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting.^[1] The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts. The morning zoo concept and name is most often deployed on contemporary hit radio (CHR-Top 40) radio stations.

The term morning zoo was first conceptualized by radio personalities Cleveland Wheeler and Scott Shannon, who worked together on the "Q Morning Zoo" on WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida in the 1980s. The show was rated so highly (usually with market shares in the 20s) that it began to be imitated all across the United States. The zoo concept developed and matured during the 1980s, with many elements of the zoo formula continuing as benchmarks of morning radio today. Currently, few of the original radio stations promoting morning zoo morning shows continue to do so, with many abandoning live morning shows in favor of satellite/syndicated offerings; others simply have retired the concept. However, while the name morning zoo is not in as much use today, the concept itself remains the general template for most morning shows across the country.

The morning zoo typically consisted of two or three personalities, usually capable of comedic discourse as well as competent delivery of news and service elements. Most zoo programs involved stunt personalities, on-air games and regular contesting.

Perhaps the industry's leading example of consistent, long-term morning zoo programming can be found by studying the history of WHTZ Newark/New York's Z100. In Australia, it is heard on Triple M as 'The Cage', amongst other stations. The Don and Mike show originated as a Morning zoo show in at WAVA in the 1980s, and retained some elements of the format. KKBQ-FM in Houston had a highly successful run throughout the 1980s with its "Q-Morning Zoo" headed by John Lander until 1990. Scott Shannon was on hand for the shows premier in 1982. KKBQ (now country) reinstalled the format to its current morning show.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, LG73 (call sign CKLG) adopted this format for its popular morning program, led by Dean Hill, from 1985 to 1993. Personalities of note included "Jon Bon Bichin'", "Constable Bob", "Uncle Angus", and "The Coach". The LG Morning Zoo featured a house band "The LG Morning Zoo Cement Heads", who recorded parodies of popular songs, such as "Yack Yack", a spoof of the Paul Lekakis hit "Boom Boom", "Change of Socks", poking fun at Cyndi Lauper's "Change of Heart", and "(Baby You Can't) Drive Your Car", mocking the provincial government's automobile insurance monopoly ICBC, to the tune of the Beatles' "Drive My Car".

In Quebec City, CJMF-FM 93.3 had "Le Zoo du 93" from 1985 to 1990. Not only the show still holds a number of records in terms of ratings and market shares (a quarter hour of 148 000 listeners), but it also skyrocketed the station to now unreachable numbers, with 573 200 listeners on a weekly basis (according to the BBM summer 1987 survey).

In the UK, Steve Wright (currently of BBC Radio 2) is famous for revolutionizing British radio by introducing the format when he started his Steve Wright in the Afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 [1]. Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty use the zoo format to great success. They have recently received eight million listeners in the latest RAJAR Radio Statistics.

The format is used on stations of many different genres. Even Christian radio stations such as WAWZ in New Jersey have a morning zoo.^[2]

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