Hotlines

[canadianmist@juno.com (Hollie Domiano)]

On Sun, 03 Aug 1997 19:54:18 -0700 "Dan C." <dcole@ici.net> writes:

>> > > 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?

I had my station manager and chief announcer (he wasn't really a PD) ring
me up
in the middle of my show, and it was usually for the most trivial things.
 These guys were 
watching me pretty closely!

>> And the usually have it set on 'speed-dial' on their telephones!
>> 
>> And with the advent of cell-phones...it's even worse!
>

Aaaack!  I'm so glad I'm not subjected to that since I'm out of "the biz"
except as
an enthusiast.

>
>However, there were several times at night when I tried to call in 
>with a story, only to encounter a constant busy signal because the damn 
>board op was calling his/her boyfrend/girlfriend....and at night they
would
>not answer the business line.

Our station policy was simple: if the business line rang, answer it. 
Period.
No questions asked.  

>The solution was simple....get rid of the board op in favour of 
>someone who would pay attention to business and not their hormones...and

>install a new phone system where calls are automatically switched to an
open
>line, with specific instructions on how to put a local bulletin on the
>air.

Sounds simple to me, but how many stations actually put this into
practice?  The boyfriend/girlfriend
stuff had to wait for my off-hours.  I didn't have much time for a social
life because I was juggling
full time studies along with my air shift...talk about needing major
caffeine!

>
>Dan Cole
>WTSN / WBYY
>
Great to meet you, Dan...and all you New Englanders!

Hollie, New Orleans, LA (who has friends up in NE)

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