Company Hires Actors To Call Radio Talk Shows

[Bob DeMattia]

I read an article about this a while back.  Sorry, I can't remember
where, but it went something like this:

In the 80s,stations started doing prank phone calls to people.  A little
more complex than "is your refrigerator running", but you get the idea.
I remember 98.5 used to do this in the early 90's at 7:45 am.

At some point they were told they couldn't do this because they were taping
and retransmitting the phone conversation without prior consent.

To get around this, Premiere started used paid actors to play the pranks
on.  So this might explain some of it.



On Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 10:53 AM, Paul B. Walker, Jr. <
walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com> wrote:

> I worked at a station that carried a nationally syndicated morning
> show,which for a short time, originated from our studios.
>
> Occassionally I'd hear a phone call that sounded really suspect, you
> know.... the caller knew way too well exactly what to say. Wether it was
> dissing the competition or had way too good of a story, it made me wonder.
>
> A few times I happened to answer the phone to a person who introduced
> themselves by phone, off air as one person that was to do a "bit" with the
> host. Then I'd hear them on the air with a different name, pretending to be
> a listener.
>
> One of these "listeners" even went so far as to refer to another morning
> show as "a bunch of d-bags"
>
> Paul Walker
>
> On Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 9:46 AM, Roger Kirk <rogerkirk@ttlc.net> wrote:
>
> > I just finished reading a column (in HufPo) written by an actor in NY who
> > was offered a job paying $40/hr to call specific radio shows and
> following a
> > script to present a requested point of view.  The company making the
> offer
> > is Premiere Radio (a division of Clear Channel).
> >
> > Has anyone on this board had any experience with setups like this?
> >
> >
> >
> >
>