that horrible BEEP

[Doug Drown]

If memory serves, Shawn is right; the beep had to do with the station's (or
network's) intent to record.  Moreover, it encompassed not only phone
callers, but news correspondents.  Didn't the radio networks have beeps in
at least some of their remote actualities years ago?  I think that was even
the case on TV back in the early '60s, if I remember correctly.   -Doug

---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shawn Mamros" <mamros@MIT.EDU>
To: "Donna Halper" <dlh@donnahalper.com>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: that horrible BEEP


> >Do any of you nice folks recall when a phone call used to be put on
> >the air, how you'd hear a really annoying beep every few seconds?  I
> >am trying to find out when the FCC said you didn't have to do that
> >anymore... and why they made radio stations do it in the first
> >place... My vague recollection is that it was done because the caller
> >was being warned that his/her call was going out over the air-- but
> >that seems like a silly reason, given that callers to talk shows
> >WANTED their call to be put on the air...
>
> I think the regulation required the beep anytime a phone conversation
> was recorded.  The intention was to warn the caller of said recording.
> It applied to more than just radio talk shows, but they were probably
> the most well-known case where the caller was recorded (for seven-second
> delay and/or archival purposes).
>
> Nowadays, a message stating "this call may be recorded" is considered
> sufficient.  I don't know when that regulation changed.
>
> -Shawn Mamros
> E-mail to: mamros -at- mit dot edu