Dealing with prank callers?

[ProducerGuy]

I'm looking for some advice on how to deal with prank callers. The problem I've had is the previous host seems to have encouraged several of his friends to try to disrupt my show. We don't have a screener, and due to technical constraints, also don't have caller ID. Yet. (Something to do with the phone lines being a T1 fed into a PBX.)

In the beginning, the calls were trying to be funny, and I would have fun with them. When that didn't work, the deal now is to wait until I start either talking about something important or start playing an audio news clip, then call and hang up. Totally disrupts the show. The person/people responsible have also been doing the same thing to the receptionist and other people in the office.

Anyone have any creative ways to deal with this while we work on converting the phone lines to analog to enable caller ID? I can busy out the lines, but that takes away the chance for real callers to interact, and I like to be caller intensive. I'd like to find a humorous way to deal with it if possible. At least until we can get the C&D letters sent out.

 

[semoochie]

I'm hoping that I didn't misread your comments. People tune in to hear what the host(and guest)has to say. The callers are secondary. If you focus on the handful of people who actually call the station, you are asking for 75+ demos!

 

[umfan]

If you have the ability to cut the cut quickly or even mute it from being On Air, as soon as you get a sense that they're veering to off topic areas, cut it off and address the on topic, seemingly legitimate portion they present and then bounce them. I assume the former host only has so many friends, so you should start to recognize the voices soon if you aren't already.

Good luck with this.

 

[michael hagerty]

Serious question: How long are your commercial breaks, are they automated, and how many do you have in an hour?

 

[ProducerGuy]

I'm hoping that I didn't misread your comments. People tune in to hear what the host(and guest)has to say. The callers are secondary. If you focus on the handful of people who actually call the station, you are asking for 75+ demos!

Our listeners are thankfully a bit younger than most talk stations. It's a young community.

As for focusing on what the host has to say and not the callers, I enjoy talking to the callers. And I have quite a wide variety of them. Thee guys/guy just mess up the flow. It's not a huge deal, but I'm picky about how the show sounds.

 

[ProducerGuy]

Serious question: How long are your commercial breaks, are they automated, and how many do you have in an hour?

I do three breaks after the network and local news. 4 minutes each at around :15, :30 (this one has to be close since we have live sports) and :45. They're automated, but I can fire them any time and restructure them if needed. If I have a guest with limited time, I can skip breaks entirely if needed. Basically, I can structure things however I want as long as the show's spots all get played within the 4 hours of the show.

Are you thinking to restructure the breaks to throw them off?

 

[ProducerGuy]

If you have the ability to cut the cut quickly or even mute it from being On Air, as soon as you get a sense that they're veering to off topic areas, cut it off and address the on topic, seemingly legitimate portion they present and then bounce them. I assume the former host only has so many friends, so you should start to recognize the voices soon if you aren't already.

Good luck with this.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was doing when they actually talked. If they said anything that I couldn't have fun with, or was off topic I'd dump out. Then not take another call until the delay built back up. It worked well enough to relegate them to just calling and hanging up, but that's it's own unique problem.

I could easily do 4 hours every day without a single call. But I'm the rare radio talk show host that likes to talk WITH people, not AT them.

 

[michael hagerty]

Serious question: How long are your commercial breaks, are they automated, and how many do you have in an hour?

I do three breaks after the network and local news. 4 minutes each at around :15, :30 (this one has to be close since we have live sports) and :45. They're automated, but I can fire them any time and restructure them if needed. If I have a guest with limited time, I can skip breaks entirely if needed. Basically, I can structure things however I want as long as the show's spots all get played within the 4 hours of the show.

Are you thinking to restructure the breaks to throw them off?

No, I'm thinking you use the breaks to screen your calls. Gives you a chance to go through the phones and weed out the ones whose voices you recognize, at least.

 

[ProducerGuy]

No, I'm thinking you use the breaks to screen your calls. Gives you a chance to go through the phones and weed out the ones whose voices you recognize, at least.

I might give that a shot. The problem lately has just been hangups. But at least they wouldn't be disrupting the flow of the show. Thanks for the tip.

 

[FredLeonard]

If *69 works on your phone lines, you could always call them back. Prank calls are a radio staple and if they think you have their number, you might freak them out enough to make them stop calling.

 

[del_griffith]

You've peaked my interest in your show. Can you say when and where you are on? Do you stream? Would love to hear your work.

 

[ProducerGuy]

If *69 works on your phone lines, you could always call them back. Prank calls are a radio staple and if they think you have their number, you might freak them out enough to make them stop calling.

Yeah, that's the problem. I don't think it works. We even have a pretty good idea who it is, just no way to prove it until the lines get converted back to analog to put caller ID on. I've dealt with prank calls at other stations, but we always had caller ID. I'd just threaten to read their number over the air, and that was the end of it.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I'm hoping that I didn't misread your comments. People tune in to hear what the host(and guest)has to say. The callers are secondary. If you focus on the handful of people who actually call the station, you are asking for 75+ demos!

I had to think about your contribution to the discussion for awhile.

You seem to be assuming there can only be ONE WAY to do Talk Radio. And it would appear there is an audience out there who wants to hear "the voice of the pro". They come to hear Rush, or Hannity and maybe on the other side the come to hear Ed Schultz or Smerconish.

But is it possible there is another audience out there that would enjoy a show that focuses on the callers. I wouldn't begin to guess whether it is half the size of the audience that wants to hear "The Man".... or is this alternate audience TWICE the size of the 'personality cult' audience? Does time of day make a difference? Is night time more receptive to "Caller Radio"?

 

[ProducerGuy]

I had to think about your contribution to the discussion for awhile.

You seem to be assuming there can only be ONE WAY to do Talk Radio. And it would appear there is an audience out there who wants to hear "the voice of the pro". They come to hear Rush, or Hannity and maybe on the other side the come to hear Ed Schultz or Smerconish.

But is it possible there is another audience out there that would enjoy a show that focuses on the callers. I wouldn't begin to guess whether it is half the size of the audience that wants to hear "The Man".... or is this alternate audience TWICE the size of the 'personality cult' audience? Does time of day make a difference? Is night time more receptive to "Caller Radio"?

There is absolutely an audience that wants to hear conversation here. I've seen the results in just a few short months. I have also seen first hand a show that built a completely caller driven show that was non-political on a political station similar to the one I am on now. I do politics, and am not for the most part politically different from the audience. But the eventual goal is to be either local guests, or when I have no guests, non political content. That, however takes time.

Meanwhile, I was hoping I could come up with a fun way to deal with these few idiots who think they're going to rattle me into quitting and get their boy back on the air (which will never happen, management brought me in specifically to do what I'm doing now. The old guy is out for good.)

Looks like the old fashioned ways will have to do for now, unless someone has seen a creative way to deal with it.

 

[ProducerGuy]

You've peaked my interest in your show. Can you say when and where you are on? Do you stream? Would love to hear your work.

I'll send you a link. I don't wanna make a big deal out in the open. The station doesn't stream, but I do a Ustream channel for the show.

 

[semoochie]

I'm hoping that I didn't misread your comments. People tune in to hear what the host(and guest)has to say. The callers are secondary. If you focus on the handful of people who actually call the station, you are asking for 75+ demos!

I had to think about your contribution to the discussion for awhile.

You seem to be assuming there can only be ONE WAY to do Talk Radio. And it would appear there is an audience out there who wants to hear "the voice of the pro". They come to hear Rush, or Hannity and maybe on the other side the come to hear Ed Schultz or Smerconish.

But is it possible there is another audience out there that would enjoy a show that focuses on the callers. I wouldn't begin to guess whether it is half the size of the audience that wants to hear "The Man".... or is this alternate audience TWICE the size of the 'personality cult' audience? Does time of day make a difference? Is night time more receptive to "Caller Radio"?

If it's a very large market, with seemingly endless opportunities for callers and a strong host, with lots of backup, it can work, or at least has in the past. Otherwise, you attract a small group of instantly recognizable callers that in turn, bring in an inordinate amount of older demos. I worked for one such station that was far and away #1 65+!

 

[FredLeonard]

I'm hoping that I didn't misread your comments. People tune in to hear what the host(and guest)has to say. The callers are secondary. If you focus on the handful of people who actually call the station, you are asking for 75+ demos!

I had to think about your contribution to the discussion for awhile.

You seem to be assuming there can only be ONE WAY to do Talk Radio. And it would appear there is an audience out there who wants to hear "the voice of the pro". They come to hear Rush, or Hannity and maybe on the other side the come to hear Ed Schultz or Smerconish.

But is it possible there is another audience out there that would enjoy a show that focuses on the callers. I wouldn't begin to guess whether it is half the size of the audience that wants to hear "The Man".... or is this alternate audience TWICE the size of the 'personality cult' audience? Does time of day make a difference? Is night time more receptive to "Caller Radio"?

If it's a very large market, with seemingly endless opportunities for callers and a strong host, with lots of backup, it can work, or at least has in the past. Otherwise, you attract a small group of instantly recognizable callers that in turn, bring in an inordinate amount of older demos. I worked for one such station that was far and away #1 65+!

semoochie: You're right. That's the problem with small station - small market talk radio. The figures I've seen that in any talk radio (including major market) less than one per cent of listeners have EVER called. Talk radio is for listeners, not for callers. Somebody here a long time ago compared callers to volunteers from the audience of a magic act who come on stage to get sawed in half. Callers are part of the act; not the act. The only way I've seen talk radio work is: (1) Limit the amount of time. One or two hours a day max. (2) Have a host who can fill time - that is, talk a lot. (3) Make the show guest-centric. Not caller centric. The problem occurs when a host gets desperate for callers and starts trying to cater to THEM. (4) Topic-specific shows seem to work better in small markets: Swap Shop. Household Hints. Ask _______.

But this conversation here illustrates why talk radio was limited to a few large markets before satellite syndication and cheap long distance. And why smaller and medium market stations latched onto to syndicated talk.

Callers can kill a show. Exhibit A: Talk of the Nation. Agree or disagree with Rush but he is a case study in how effectively to use callers.

 

[norman881]

You've peaked my interest in your show. Can you say when and where you are on? Do you stream? Would love to hear your work.

I'll send you a link. I don't wanna make a big deal out in the open. The station doesn't stream, but I do a Ustream channel for the show.

I have been curious for a while too. Would you please send me the link?

 

[dyeingeye]

You've peaked my interest in your show. Can you say when and where you are on? Do you stream? Would love to hear your work.

It's motherfucking goddamned "piqued", not "peaked." For Christsakes, get it right. Learn the ****ing language.

 

[FredLeonard]

You've peaked my interest in your show. Can you say when and where you are on? Do you stream? Would love to hear your work.

It's motherfucking goddamned "piqued", not "peaked." For Christsakes, get it right. Learn the ------- language.

Sounds like you were piqued, but only enough to drop one f-bomb, not two.

Peaked: adj. Ailing, indisposed, sickly.
Peaked: v. To reach or achieve a peak, as in an orgasmic state.