Hotlining jocks (was Re: bathroom problems)

[SteveOrdinetz <steveord@xtdl.com>]

At 08:19 PM 7/31/97 -0400, Donna Halper wrote:
>When I was a hit-line operator at WRKO during my college years, the rule was
>that whenever the studio phone rang, if the jock wasn't in the studio, you
>were supposed to find him, wherever he might be, and tell him the Batphone
>was ringing.  I do indeed have memories of opening the men's room door and
>yelling "BATPHONE!!!" as loudly as I could and watching the jock come
>running out, zipping himself up as he ran... (And when that phone rang, it
>was never a friendly call either...only Bill Drake or PD Mel Phillips had
>the number...)    
>


What could be so earth-shatteringly important that the consultant or PD
would feel the need to hotline the jock in the middle of their show?  The
only excuse I can think of would be doing something to put the station's
license in jeopardy.  Is this practice still around today?  I've never
worked at a station where they even HAD a hotline.

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