Look for a traffic jam this morning in Los Angeles – even more so than usual. CBS Radio’s KNX-AM is going to pump gasoline for free as a pre-Memorial Day promotion at a Shell station in Cerritos. Radio promotions for cut-rate gasoline date back to at least the 1970s – remember the Arab oil embargo? – usually with a price based on the station’s frequency. KNX, though, is charging zero, with a limit of 10 gallons of unleaded regular per car.
KNX said motorists will be permitted to begin lining up for the free fuel at 4:00 am off the west entrance on Studebaker Road for the Shell station located at 11004 South Street in Cerritos. The free gas will be pumped from 6:00 am to approximately 10:00 am. KNX estimates that hundreds of tanks will be filled. Station staffers will be pumping gas and cleaning windshields. They will also be dispensing refreshments to folks waiting in what is sure to be a long line.
“Southern California has the highest average gas price in the country, and with our long commutes, we’re feeling this crisis more than anyone,” said KNX General Manager Jeff Federman. So, the station is giving back to its community. It is also looking for lots of free publicity as well, having sent out email press releases complete with detailed maps to make sure LA-area TV stations have no trouble finding the gas station.
