Today's Great Idea 1
The Second Pilot
Star Trek"Sometimes you just have to go where no one has gone before."
● A licensed daily feature for radio sales teams
90 seconds listeners wait for. A sponsor they remember.
Today's Great Idea is a 90-second true story about the person behind a famous brand or invention, with the name revealed at the very end. Your station airs it daily. Your sales team sells it to a sponsor who wants to be connected with great ideas.
300+stories across 18+ industries, with more written every week
90 SECone story, one reveal, one sponsor
0% AIevery story researched and written by a person
Program log · Morning driveTue
6:45News headlines3:00
6:48Traffic & weather1:30
6:50Commercial break2:00
6:52Today's Great Ideapresented by Riverbend Credit Union1:30
6:54Sports update2:00
6:56Interview segment4:00
01 The feature
A true story, a twist, and a famous name at the end
Each episode follows an ordinary person with a problem who keeps going until something clicks. Listeners don't learn who it was until the final line, so they stay through the whole segment. The format aired daily for years on Calgary's NewsTalk AM770 (CHQR) at 6:52 a.m.
- Length
- 90 secondsA 75-second story and reveal, then a 15-second sponsor close. An optional 7-second sponsor open brings it to 97 seconds.
- Frequency
- One a dayMonday to Friday, or every day. Repeat airings in other dayparts are allowed.
- Library
- 300+ storiesAcross 18+ industries, tagged by region: international, national, regional and local.
- Delivery
- Broadcast-readyProduced audio files, scripts and web copy, delivered ahead of the air date.
The hookAn everyday person with a frustrating problem.
The struggleFailed attempts, doubters, and the wrong name or wrong colour.
The turnThe small idea that changes everything.
The revealThe brand or invention everyone knows.
The takeawayOne line about acting on your own great idea.
02 How it airs
Appointment listening, at the same time every day
Each day brings one new story. Your station airs it two or three times at fixed times, so listeners learn when it's on and tune in for it. Sponsors buy it in 13-week flights.
Morning drive6:52 AMFirst airing of the day's story
Midday12:52 PMSame story, second airing
Afternoon drive5:52 PMOptional third airing
Example airtimes. Each station sets its own.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Satoptional
Sunoptional
One story a dayA new story each day, never a repeat within a flight.
2 to 3 airingsThe same story runs at fixed times across dayparts.
Weekdays and/or weekendsRun Monday to Friday, add weekends, or schedule a weekend-only feature.
13-week flightsSponsors buy a full quarter: 65 weekday stories and up to 195 airings.
03 Four sample stories
Hear how the stories work
Each of these plays exactly as it airs, with a sample sponsor tag. Press play, guess the brand, then click to see the answer, just as a listener would hear it.
2
The Right Name
FedEx"You are never too small to think big."
3
A Clear Winner
The Coca-Cola contour bottle"Simple research can help you find the real thing."
4
Out of the Trash
Stephen King"When you are going for it having the write spouse can make all the difference!"
04 How it's sponsored
One feature, four ways to sell it
The sponsor owns the 15-second close, and can add an optional 7-second open. The story itself stays editorial, which is why listeners trust it and why sponsors want their name next to it.
Type an advertiser's name and every sample script on this page updates, including the pitch kits below. Handy in a sales meeting.
Anatomy of a sponsored airing
Optional 7 sec openStandard airing: 90 secondsWith open: 97 sec
Sponsor open (optional, 7 sec)"Today's Great Idea, presented by …" Sets up the sponsor before the hook.
Story and reveal (75 sec)Pure storytelling. No sales copy inside the story. The reveal keeps listeners to the end.
Sponsor close (15 sec)A short message that links the sponsor to great ideas and their community.
Package A · Exclusive
Title sponsor
One sponsor owns every airing, every day, with category exclusivity. The strongest association and the easiest sell for a premium price.
OpenToday's Great Idea is presented by Riverbend Credit Union, where great local ideas get started.CloseGot a great idea of your own? Riverbend Credit Union can help you take the first step.
- Sponsor close on every airing, plus an optional open
- Logo and link on the station's feature page
- Category exclusivity for the term
Package B · Split
Daypart sponsor
Run the story in morning drive and repeat it in the afternoon. Sell each daypart to a different sponsor and double the inventory from one story.
Morning openToday's Great Idea, brought to you by Northgate Auto Group.Afternoon openToday's Great Idea on your drive home, brought to you by Harbourside Home Builders.
- Two sponsors, two price points
- Good for advertisers who want one daypart only
Package C · Series
Local stories series
A sponsor underwrites a run of stories about businesses and inventors from your own city or region, written for your station.
OpenThis week, Great Ideas from our own backyard, presented by Prairie Innovation Hub.ClosePrairie Innovation Hub: proud to support the next great local idea.
- Weekly or monthly local series
- Strong fit for economic development and community sponsors
Package D · Custom
The sponsor's own story
We research and write a true 90-second story about how the sponsor's business started, held to the same editorial standards as every other story.
Close after reveal…and that small shop became Northgate Auto Group. Today's Great Idea is presented by Northgate Auto Group.
- Added to the rotation as an editorial story
- Sponsor can use the audio on its website and social channels
Extend every package past the airwaves: a feature page on the station website, a daily social post with the audio clip, a mention in the station newsletter, and a sponsor credit on each one.
05 Sales kit
Everything your sales team needs to pitch it
Download the kit, add your station's logo and details, and your reps can be in front of advertisers this week. The deck and one-pager are editable in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote.
For reps to present
Sponsorship deck
14 slides that walk an advertiser through the feature, sample stories, how it airs, what a 13-week flight delivers and the sponsorship options. Includes talking points in the speaker notes, a pricing table for your rates, and space for your logo.
For reps to leave behind
Sponsor one-pager
A single page reps can hand or email to the client after the meeting. Add your logo, airtimes and contact details.
For specific industries
Pitch kits by category
Full sales kits for pitching banks and credit unions, and car dealers: emails, a meeting script, answers to objections, sponsor lines and a sample sponsored story.
Highlighted fields in each file mark what to replace: your station name, logo, airtimes, rates and rep contact.
For your program director
Program director one-pager
One page that shows programming how the feature sounds, where it fits in the clock, and why it isn't a commercial.
06 Pitch kits
One-page pitches your reps can use today
Each one-pager explains the feature in the advertiser's own terms, matches it to stories that fit, and gives a ready sponsor script. Kits for more categories are on the way.
One-page pitch · Financial institutions
Be the bank behind great ideas
Every Today's Great Idea story is about someone who took a risk on an idea. That is exactly the customer a bank or credit union wants to reach: business owners, founders and people planning their next move.
Why it fits
- Positions the institution as a backer of local enterprise
- Reaches business owners in morning drive, when they're planning their day
- A daily, positive brand moment instead of a rate ad
- Supports small business banking and lending campaigns
Stories that fit
The Right Name · FedExA Clear Winner · Coke bottleOut of the Trash · Stephen King
Recommended package
Title sponsor, plus a local series about businesses the institution has helped start.
Sample script
OpenToday's Great Idea is presented by Riverbend Credit Union.CloseEvery great business starts with one idea. Riverbend Credit Union is here to help you start yours.
The ask: own 90 seconds of inspiration every weekday.Download the full bank kit (PDF)Prepared for Riverbend Credit Union
One-page pitch · Auto dealers and dealer groups
Ride along with every morning commute
Your customers are in their cars when the story airs. A daily feature they look forward to gives a dealership a friendly, memorable presence that a standard spot can't match.
Why it fits
- Drive-time placement reaches buyers while they're behind the wheel
- Builds name recognition and goodwill between sales events
- Stories about founders match a family-owned or long-standing dealership
- Custom story option tells how the dealership got started
Stories that fit
The Right Name · FedExThe Second Pilot · Star TrekOut of the Trash · Stephen King
Recommended package
Morning daypart sponsor, plus a custom story about the dealership's own beginnings.
Sample script
OpenToday's Great Idea, brought to you by Northgate Auto Group.CloseNorthgate Auto Group: keeping great ideas on the road since day one.
The ask: own the morning drive, every weekday.Download the full car dealer kit (PDF)Prepared for Northgate Auto Group
07 Customized to your station
Famous names, plus stories from your own market
Your station gets a mix of stories from four levels. We write the regional and local stories for you, so the feature sounds like it belongs to your market.
International
Global brands
The names everyone knows, from Post-it Notes to the Big Mac.
From the existing library
National
Your country
National pride stories, such as a Winnipeg actor who became HAL 9000.
From the existing library
Regional
Your province or state
Companies and inventors your listeners will recognize from the region.
Researched and written for you
Local
Your city
Hometown businesses, founders and ideas, including your advertisers.
Researched and written for you
Custom stories for sponsors
We can write a story about a sponsor or client. It runs as part of the regular rotation, so it has to meet the same editorial standards as every other story.
- The story is true and can be verified with sources
- It focuses on a person, a problem and an idea, with a real turning point
- The subject reviews the facts before air
- It is suitable for a general, family audience
- No prices, offers, phone numbers or calls to action inside the story
- No political, religious or advocacy messages
- No claims about competitors
● Written by people
Real stories, real writers. Not AI.
Every story is researched from published sources and written by hand by Glenn Suart, who has told these stories on radio for years. Each episode lists its sources, so your station can stand behind every fact on air.
That matters to listeners, and it matters to sponsors who don't want their name next to machine-written content.
08 Benefits for the station
Why stations carry it
Today's Great Idea earns its place three ways: it costs little, it makes money, and listeners like it.
$
Inexpensive content
A finished daily feature for far less than producing one in-house. No research, writing, voicing or editing for your staff.
+
New sellable inventory
A sponsorship your reps can sell right away, with packages, scripts and one-page pitches already built.
↻
Reinforces your advertisers
Stories about people who built businesses put every sponsor, and every local business, in a good light.
◉
Interesting to listeners
The reveal at the end is a small puzzle. Listeners guess along, stay tuned to find out, and talk about it later.
★
Strengthens your brand
A positive, recognizable daily moment that's yours in your market, with local stories that show you're part of the community.
∞
Evergreen and flexible
Stories don't go stale. Air them in any daypart, repeat them, and reuse them on your website, podcast feed and social channels.
09 For your program director
How to get programming on board
Your program director will want a say in anything that goes on the air, and should. Here's how sales directors explain why Today's Great Idea belongs in the format.
It's content, not a commercialThe story is 90 seconds of storytelling. The sponsor is only in the close (and an optional open), and the story itself never mentions them.
It entertainsEvery story ends with a reveal. Listeners guess along and stay through to the last line.
It builds appointment listeningFixed airtimes give the audience a reason to tune in at the same time every day.
It's good for the communityStories about people who acted on an idea are positive and inspiring, and suitable for every audience.
It sounds localRegional and local stories, written for your market, sit alongside the famous names.
Programming keeps controlThe PD sets the airtimes and dayparts, sees the story schedule ahead of air, and signs off on any custom sponsor story.
Questions program directors ask
Will it sound like an ad?
No. The sponsor gets a 15-second close and an optional 7-second open. The 75-second story is editorial, with no prices, offers or calls to action.
Does it fit our format?
It suits any format with a spoken-word feature: news/talk, adult contemporary, country, classic hits and more. It runs where you'd place any short feature.
Who decides when it runs?
Your station does. Pick the airtimes, choose weekdays, weekends or both, and decide how many times a day it airs.
Can we hear the stories before they air?
Yes. Stories are delivered ahead of the air date, with scripts, so programming can review them.
Is any of it written by AI?
No. Every story is researched and written by people, and sources are listed for each one.
And the dollars speak
A sponsored feature is sold before it ever airs. It adds revenue to the schedule while giving listeners something they actually enjoy.
10 Pricing and support
Affordable for small-market stations
Your station licenses the feature in 13-week terms, then sells the sponsorship at your own rates.
Small-market stations
$200/ month
Starting price, licensed in 13-week terms.
- One new story every day, broadcast-ready
- Scripts and web copy for your station's website and social posts
- Mix of international, national, regional and local stories
- The full sales kit: deck, one-pager and pitch kits
Larger markets and station groups: fixed quote after a free call.
You won't sell it alone
Glenn and the team help you pitch
We're available to help your reps pitch the feature to your target advertisers.
- Join sales calls with key prospects
- Help choose the right stories and package for each advertiser
- Write custom stories for sponsors who want their own story told
11 How it works
From first call to first airing
- Free callWe talk about your market, format and sales goals.
- License for your marketFrom $200 a month for small-market stations, in 13-week terms.
- Choose your mixPick the balance of international, national, regional and local stories.
- Sell the sponsorshipYour reps use the sales kit, and Glenn and the team help pitch key advertisers.
- Air it dailyBroadcast-ready audio and web copy arrive ahead of each air date.
12 About Glenn
The story behind Today's Great Idea
Glenn Suart has spent more than two decades helping people turn ideas into businesses. As a management consultant and founder of WriteMyPlan, he has worked with more than 300 clients in just about every industry, from retail and manufacturing to resorts, housing and services. He also helped start and build a premium consumer products brand into a multi-million-dollar business.
Along the way, Glenn found that the most useful business lessons came from stories: ordinary people who hit a wall, kept going, and found a way through. He started telling those stories on the radio, 90 seconds at a time, every day on Calgary's NewsTalk AM770. That became Today's Great Idea.
Every story is real. Each one is researched from published sources and written by hand. None of it is written by AI.
Glenn's passion is helping people move forward with their great ideas. Today's Great Idea talks to everybody, and when people call, if we can't help them, we'll point them in the right direction.
Glenn Suart · Creator and host
I have a passion for helping people move forward with their great ideas. We talk to everybody, and if we can't help, we'll point you in the right direction.
Based in Calgary, Alberta. Working with stations and clients everywhere.
13 What stations and sponsors say
From the people who sold it and sponsored it
Station sales
“Today’s Great Idea has been airing three times daily for well over 7 years now on Calgary’s NewsTalk station, 770 CHQR. It’s a great feature that really works for our whole audience due to its positivity, entertaining delivery and wide appeal. More importantly, it has been a relatively easy premium feature to sell to our advertisers. Our current sponsor for the past 5 years, Park2Go Value Valet Airport Parking likes it so much they even encouraged our sister News Talk station 630 CHED in Edmonton to take it as well.
Glenn even writes the occasional Today’s Great Idea story on some of our other local station advertisers, which they really like, and it adds value.
If you are looking for a feature that is really positive and that generates good local revenue Today’s Great Idea is definitely worth a trial.”
Calgary, Alberta · March 2020
Station owner
“The Rock 98.5 is one of Saskatchewan’s major commercial Christian music radio stations. When I heard Today’s Great Idea while passing through Calgary, I knew it was a feature I wanted on my radio station due to its uplifting and powerful messaging that really appeals to everyone. For the past 4 years, we’ve run the feature four times each weekday and happily pay for it monthly as it has been a very easy sell to our local advertisers like realtors and auto dealers. One of the attractive benefits is that Glenn is also open to showcasing ‘Great Ideas persons’ from our region. I can’t say enough good things about Today’s Great Idea.”
Yorkton, Saskatchewan · March 2020
Sponsor
“Since it opened 12 years ago Park2Go Value Valet has been Calgary airport’s premiere parking facility and has become very successful. We invest carefully in our marketing and for the past five years have chosen to sponsor Today’s Great Idea on Calgary’s 770 CHQR and Edmonton’s 630 CHED radio station for the following reasons:
- People like it and really listen for it
- The stories are intriguing, enjoyable and inspirational
- It helps position Park2Go as a supporter of great ideas, businesses and brands
- It targets the kind of clients and would be clients who use our service
- It is just great value for our advertising dollar
In fact, we think so highly of Today’s Great Idea that when we expanded to Edmonton three years ago we had the local News Talk station add the feature as part of our overall media buy so we could sponsor it.”
Calgary & Edmonton, Alberta · March 2020
● Get a demo
Hear it on your station before you buy
Book a 30-minute call. We'll send a week of sample stories with a mock sponsor close using one of your advertisers' names.
Producer & hostGlenn Suart
Phone403-669-6739
HoursMon–Fri, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Mountain
Hear the storiesTodaysGreatIdea.com