Question about Request Line numbers

[dyoungprod]

How do radio stations go about obtaining their request line numbers? Every station in Atlanta's request line is 404-741-XXXX and is always a vanity number. Is there a special department at Bellsouth that knows radio stations always get the 404-741-XXXX prefix? Usually the prefix is according to the central office of the phone company, so it has always amused me that Cumulus in Sandy Springs, Clear Channel in Midtown, Cox in Midtown, JP in Buckhead, etc. all get the same prefix for their request lines.

Can anyone shed any light?

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

The 741 prefix was set aside many years ago for exclusive use as radio lines. I don't know all of the details, but I know it has separate circuits so whenever there is major contesting, there is no danger of crashing the system or causing service disruptions for regular customers. Also, because no one else has this exchange, the availability of the vanity numbers is much greater. The corporate sales reps from the phone companies are able to change the number fairly easily and quickly, as I recall.

I remember doing a $20,000 giveaway years ago and the 741 exchange crashed. Every station lost their request lines for a a half hour or so.

 

[taylorengineer]

It's a special network known as the "choke" network. Most radio stations have the "741" prefix which is the choke network.
Many years ago, when radio stations ran contests, there would be so many call that the telephone exchange would crash. Ma Bell decided it would be better if radio stations played in their own sandbox ......

 

[DToTheJ]

All I know is, in New York, the major radio station request lines all started with 212-955-XXXX.

 

[amos]

interesting explanation of choke networks here:

http://tscm.com/phone/choke_network.html

 

[Mark77]

Here in Montreal, Canada, where I live, all of the stations have numbers that sart with (514) 790-####. It appears that other cities have a similar system for radio station request lines too.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I do know they are also 741 in Birmingham and Nashville.

 

[BRice16]

Its 656 in Knoxville.

 

[jal41]

I know that the contest line for WSB-AM is 404-741-0750, but why is the talk line a regular number (404-872-0750)? Similar issue with WGST. From what I am reading, the same type of damage could be done with a call-in talk show.

 

[RadioDoogie]

...and 535 in Memphis home of FM100 at 99.7FM for the last 30+years. Just like our station here in Atlanta: Q100 at 99.7FM. I was never confused growing up that FM100 was at 99.7FM. Of course back then most of us had dial radios but as soon as digital PLL tuners came out I figured it out in about two seconds. So I think everyone else should be easily adjusted to Q100 at 99.7FM.

 

[ClarkKent]

I know that the contest line for WSB-AM is 404-741-0750, but why is the talk line a regular number (404-872-0750)? Similar issue with WGST. From what I am reading, the same type of damage could be done with a call-in talk show.

Not exactly...I don't think people frantically dial a call-in talk show's number over and over, trying to be caller 9. I think most talk shows give out a particular number or two, but then they have roll-over lines to hold the volume.

And Doogie? Did you mean to post on this thread?

 

[romer979fm]

I do know they are also 741 in Birmingham and Nashville.

not exactly...the majority of Nashville stations have the "737" prefix...have since the 70's

 

[jtudor]

Charlotte NC stations are all 704-570-XXXX

 

[WhyReason]

The rest of the numbers (ie. the wheel of format stunt line) that they air are usually within the business.
ie) With 99x/Q100 they have 404-497-????. The hot/warm lines and such are those numbers. They can still handle large volume (much like other large businesses) and are mostly exclusive to that company or that building, etc. In other words, you're just dialing an extension when you call that 'other' station number.

Also, colleges and universities often have 'exclusive' prefixes. It helps to mainstream things.

 

[the_widows_son]

741 numbers are alias numbers that connect to one central office. It then forwards the calls via the real request line numbers to the stations. The phone company limits the number of calls a central office can route to the 741 central office at one time. When you get the fast busy your central office has reached its limit. The 741 system was created to prevent a crash back before the telephone infrastructure evolved to what it is today.

 

[MRFLASHPORT]

I take it those 404-744-xxxx numbers go to the same CO's? (referring to 11Alive's old "dial a vote" numbers: 744-1144 and 744-1166.)

 

[littlejohn]

Choke calls in Atlanta are handled in ether the Buckhead Tandem or the Lakewood Tandem. Lakewood was added when the Buckhed CO filled up and more stations added choke lines. In either instance, the tandem handles the call as a call forward to the true number of the line. These numbers are closely guarded within the telco, and should be at the station, since a person who discovered one would have a great advantage in contesting. Normal procedure is to have them changed every so often. The other concern is they must either be restircted from outdial or their ANI must be set to something else, normally the station's main published number. If this isn't done, and the jock calls out on a request line, ANI will report the true number to which the choke system forwards.
SS7 should have resolved this, since it removes the supervision from the talk path; but most telcos are very conservative organizations (read Luddites) and there isn't true agreement within their divisions as to whether choke could be eliminated or not. So, it remains. It is rumored that BellSouth dehired some techs a few years ago for winning too many contests in Atlanta.