The Boss Using A Studio Hotline to chew out jocks while they're on the air

[Osama]

Boy, these must all be old stories, because they deal with people working at radio stations at night.

I know what you mean, but I actually am still doing one of the rare live local overnights to this day...same format as my story about 1980, BUT the PD isn't a jerk, and doesn't call on the hotline unless it is actually important...
Overnights at a rock station are great when you can actually still find that kind of a gig...the ultimate "chill" job...

 

[hmmm]

I recall a number of years ago in a major market I was doing the 10p-2a shift on a mainstream CHR. The PD at the time felt I needed a little 1 on 1 critique. So, he took a chair, sat behind me the the entire shift and critiqued each break as I finished and took my head set off. Looking back I should have told the fool where he could place the head set and walked out. Funny and sad all at the same time that we put up with this kind of crap on a daily basis in this industry. I wonder how many bus drivers are critiqued after each stop, better still I wonder how many would put up with it?

 

[scmidlapp]

Well, I AM one of those jocks that walked after being hotlined...but this had been going on for some time. We had all the music on cart---I put on American Pie and told him he had 7:45 to get down here and finish the show, signed off the log and left. This was 1979. I didn't work in radio again for another three years after that. It kinda sucked because I had wanted to be a jock while growing up, hung around stations, the whole nine yards before someone put me on weekends. This guy wouldn't give direction or helpful criticism---he would just berate. Word is he's a station owner in the Northeast now, running stations into the ground.

 

[words2you]

Well, I AM one of those jocks that walked after being hotlined...but this had been going on for some time. We had all the music on cart---I put on American Pie and told him he had 7:45 to get down here and finish the show, signed off the log and left. This was 1979. I didn't work in radio again for another three years after that. It kinda sucked because I had wanted to be a jock while growing up, hung around stations, the whole nine yards before someone put me on weekends. This guy wouldn't give direction or helpful criticism---he would just berate. Word is he's a station owner in the Northeast now, running stations into the ground.

It is just simply wrong; here you have a young guy who spent his childhood dreaming of an announcing career. Some emotionally troubled manager who didn’t get enough attention from mommy or at school, name your cliché, all because of his emotional problems he about drove a good person out of the business. Makes one wonder how many great people did walk and never came back. Many managers who climb their way from sales can never understand is that for the vast majority of on air people that it is more than just a job. For many, it’s a passion and a craft that they take pride in and are always striving to improve upon. There are few businesses that you will find that kind of motivation in employees.

 

[FiveStar]

I've felt for many years that radio is one of the worst managed industries in the country. At times I wonder if one of the requirements for radio managers is to have flunked all the basic courses in management and human relations. I agree that plenty of jocks need a "knock on the head", but anyone who thinks that doing it while someone is on the air is not dealing in reality. You're just going to aggravate the situation. Of course if you're looking for an excuse to fire someone, that's a great to rattle them into more mistakes that will give you an excuse to do it. It's despicable but it works.

The real solution to dj screwups and under performance is constant feedback with constructive and sensitive feedback. Getting a jock (or anyone else) to look forward to regular aircheck sessions as something that will help them perform better and give them more confidence is the way to build credibility with the staff. Sad to say aircheck sessions are all too often nothing more than randomly scheduled ego building sessions for programmers who are looking for a chance to build themselves up at someone else's expense and only happen when the boss feels the need to beat up on someone.

That kind of abusive behavior is indeed a result of people being treated that way when they came up. Just as abusive spouses and parents repeat the mistakes that they experienced growing up, programmers repeat the humiliations that were inflicted on them because they don't know any other way.

Even today, it still happens and there's no excuse for it. NONE. Especially in today's environment where everyone's running scared, programmers need to learn to turn the heat DOWN not up. Programmers who insist on pitching screaming hotline fits ( or even in person) run the risk of alienating newbies who will soon start to look for other (more lucrative less stressful) work and drive out the veterans who will decide that enough is enough.

 

[MINDonDAradio247]

I got you ALL beat. Okay as messed up as it is to hotline someone while on air to bitch at them is messed up, this is much worse. I wasnt hotlined during a shift this particular time. But it did involve me hotlining my boss at 1AM.

This happened when I was a rookie and in a top 50 market. I was working the overnight when I pickup the listener line. A mans voice comes on and says "Theres a bomb near you". My first instinct was to say, "Where?" He then replied "In the building".

Now there were only 3 other people in the building and I knew it wasnt likely he got in but I took him seriously and immediately hotlined my boss. He didnt answer, left a voicemail. Called the APD, no answer left a voicemail. Called several other people no answer, left voicemails. About 3 minutes later I get hotlined by program d*uch bag director and tell him what happened. guess he hadnt taken the time to listen to the voicemail. I told him what happened and he said "Well do you think he was serious?" I said "I have no idea but I dont wanna NOT take it seriously." He then says "He was probably just messing with you, don't worry about it I'm going back to bed."

WHAT!?!?!?!?!

Not a single person asked me about it and it was never brought up again. Obviously he was messing with me but what if he wasnt? What if he did plant a bomb and blew me, the other jocks and personel in the cluster sky high and we all died? All because no one wanted to take their lazy ass out of bed. To me, that is 10 million times worse than getting hotlined while on air. I know I did not, but it was possible if he was serious we could have all died.

 

[Tired-Old-Dog]

Let's just say that the Indy Hotline King does not work at WFBQ, WRZX, or WNDE.

 

[Kent]

I recall a number of years ago in a major market I was doing the 10p-2a shift on a mainstream CHR. The PD at the time felt I needed a little 1 on 1 critique. So, he took a chair, sat behind me the the entire shift and critiqued each break as I finished and took my head set off. Looking back I should have told the fool where he could place the head set and walked out. Funny and sad all at the same time that we put up with this kind of crap on a daily basis in this industry. I wonder how many bus drivers are critiqued after each stop, better still I wonder how many would put up with it?

Hasn't he heard of rolling tape? I worked part-time for someone who was really picky about breaks, but he never even thought of doing anything like that. You'd aircheck with him, and he'd have a stopwatch to time you. I can remember him saying, "WAAAAAAY too long! 20.2 seconds is far too long for a weather forecast. A weather forecast including temperatures should be no longer than 20 seconds!"

Ironically, that extreme perfectionist is the only PD I've ever worked for who never called me on the hotline even once. I only worked there for nine months because they upgraded the automation and fired all of their part-timers. He was actually pretty sorry to have to let me go and said I was one of the best people who'd ever worked for him.

 

[justalurker]

A mans voice comes on and says "Theres a bomb near you". My first instinct was to say, "Where?" He then replied "In the building".

That reminds me of the WKRP episode with the bomb threat where an active bomber (someone who actually set bombs) targeted the fictional station in Cincinnati. They stayed on the air by sending "Johnny Fever" to the tower site to broadcast ... which was fine until they realized that the guy bombed tower sites, not studios.

Bomb threats are hard to handle ... I don't even know the "station policy" if I would have ever received one. I know my first reaction would have been to look around for anything odd near me and not touch it. Fortunately the building is fairly secure. There is always a chance.

Gotta set up that "record all incoming calls" device ...

 

[Ur-A-Dawg]

You can replace the hotline bulb with a bad light bulb. That should bring you a least one quiet shift.
Tell, the boss you are very very sorry the equipment didn't work!!!!
Of course record all his calls!!! You can put them on CD and use them as entertainment at
private parties.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

The GM at Kiss 99 when it became Cecil Heftel's Indyzapple always called on the hotline. Usually important.

Knew amazingly when the new music logs weren't running. "The PD hasn't given them to us..." "Use last tuesday..." Don't remember his name though.

Randy Michaels would hotline from time to time. Never BS, always a learning experience. Jeff Smulyan always had the hotline number and would use it.

Can't say I have had the experience some have had as the people I worked for usually had a positive if gruff way to relate any on air changes needed. All these guys have enthusiasm for radio in common.

The lady at the small town station I worked for in high school was a hoot though. She called ALL the time on the 1945 Bell 100 lb rotary dial phone that rang with a light AND on the air.

Dad died and Mom was ill. She ran Dad's programs (Dad had been dead over 15 years) featuring programs Dad recorded in stages of dementia and hearing loss. 45's and 78's at the wrong speed interspersed with Bible passages. By the way: We are all going directly to Hell.(AC Baker's take)

"Dad's records are at the wrong speed and why are you doing this?" "Lady the magnecord only plays at two speeds and there is no way I can fix it."

Format was "pop" (mor pop) on am and fm until 2. Dad's programs for an hour, assorted pre recorded programs for another hour then am and fm split. FM was top 40 AM was "pop" and then after the am signed off FM was whatever you could find in the studio until signoff at 9pm.

After signoff you would do production with little girl (not little and many years past being a girl) while the smell of orange juice and vodka filled the studio.

One night the paramedics came. Heart attack she says. We thought she was a goner. One cut to the bra strap and the pain of a bra many years since the correct size had passed and she was fine although still not sober.

 

[wanderINdial]

Two words.....Vern Kaspar.

The thing you have to remember in some of these stories, the people giving you grief were employees just like you, only in a supervisory position. In those cases You have to determine if the person above them is willing to go to bat for you if you go over the supervisor's head.

In the case of Vern Kaspar and Russ Oasis, they are the owners. They invested the money, bought the equipment, moved studios, put up new towers, etc. The station is their baby. You then have to decide if it's worth being there or not and be ready for the consequences if you just quit, especially in the middle of a shift.

On a side note, I heard that the guy who brought the "Hot Hits" format to the airwaves was notorious for hotlining the jocks during a shift. This guy totally researched a city and knew where his target audience was during every quarter hour. The format was cume oriented, definitely NOT one for TSL. You could hear the same song 4 times in an hour if it was the Hottest Hit. Jocks who did not read the right liner, or follow the song format sheet got the blinking light...and they'd better darn well answer the phone. "Where was the city liner?" "Why are you playing this, you're supposed to be playing that?" His consultations were usually in major markets.

 

[Hoosierky]

I got you ALL beat. Okay as messed up as it is to hotline someone while on air to bitch at them is messed up, this is much worse. I wasnt hotlined during a shift this particular time. But it did involve me hotlining my boss at 1AM.

This happened when I was a rookie and in a top 50 market. I was working the overnight when I pickup the listener line. A mans voice comes on and says "Theres a bomb near you". My first instinct was to say, "Where?" He then replied "In the building".

Now there were only 3 other people in the building and I knew it wasnt likely he got in but I took him seriously and immediately hotlined my boss. He didnt answer, left a voicemail. Called the APD, no answer left a voicemail. Called several other people no answer, left voicemails. About 3 minutes later I get hotlined by program d*uch bag director and tell him what happened. guess he hadnt taken the time to listen to the voicemail. I told him what happened and he said "Well do you think he was serious?" I said "I have no idea but I dont wanna NOT take it seriously." He then says "He was probably just messing with you, don't worry about it I'm going back to bed."

WHAT!?!?!?!?!

Not a single person asked me about it and it was never brought up again. Obviously he was messing with me but what if he wasnt? What if he did plant a bomb and blew me, the other jocks and personel in the cluster sky high and we all died? All because no one wanted to take their lazy ass out of bed. To me, that is 10 million times worse than getting hotlined while on air. I know I did not, but it was possible if he was serious we could have all died.

I had a similar experience once at a small Mom & Pop AM. I was hanging out with the jock on the air, the listener line lit up. I answered the phone and a man on the other end said "I have posioned the Pepsi's at such and such market". I asked "Why are you calling us" meaning the radio station, his reply "Cause I love you!" While all of this is going on, I AM drinking a Pepsi

I asked him a few more questions, then called the police, while the jock called the GM. The police came straight to the station and also went to the market. No tampering was found (this was the early to mid 80's, so the Tylenal scare was still fresh). The caller has also called a TV station with the same message. The TV station was channel 13, I was working at 1340 AM.

GM showed up, talked to police,asked the police if there was anything the station could do (or not do, like make it a news event for the next day. The latter was chosen). He could make the hotline lite up, but when something serious happened, he did pull through.

 

[Kent]

I've had several experiences similar to the one with the Pepsi. They usually didn't make the hotline light up because, when I first encountered one, the station I was at had a news staff member on duty, and he told me exactly how to deal with such a situation. That situation involved the county jail. The fiancee of someone there called me and told me there was going to be a riot because of how bad conditions were. I simply called the county jail and warned them that some inmates were planning a riot. We didn't put the story on the news, and the woman got increasingly frustrated. Eventually, she ended up threatening me, the newsman, and the radio station. We got the police involved in these threats, and they were able to find out who she was. I seem to remember that they found out her identity after figuring out which inmate in the county jail was planning the riot. So, she joined her fiancee in the county jail! Even just doing weekends in radio, I still get roughly one call a year regarding something going on at some form of correctional institution regardless of where I'm working.

I was also working one morning when someone called the station to make a bomb threat at the Wal-Mart Supercenter a few miles away. I simply notified the police and made certain not to give the bozo who called the threat in any free press.

I can see how those situations can cause hotline issues these days. After all, most stations don't have a news staff. So, jocks who haven't experienced call the program director or GM and get a return call on the hotline or just give the idiots the free press, which causes the hotline to ring for different reasons.

 

[radioindy]

Of course record all his calls!!! You can put them on CD and use them as entertainment at private parties.

Record and Save ALL calls from management. And also, now that mp3 players have a voice recorder feature, you should be recording EVERY face to face conversation with management/owners and storing those.

Back in the day, we had to use the 120-minute cassette tapes, and you had to hope the conversation would be over within the 60 minutes so the owner/gm wouldn't still be in the room when the tape recorder reached the end of the tape and LOUDLY shut off while hidden in the desk drawer.

I have recordings of the owners' boasting of his great sexual escapades, volatile in station tirades (those are the funniest), admitting to watching video of female workers (morally these should be brought to the attention of those being 'violated'), etc.

These are not only priceless personal entertainment, but in case of firing, etc, just let them know you have them, and you'll be amazed at how much bigger your severance check will be.

 

[Timewarp]

Got to go now. My hotline is flashing.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Vince Fruge' and his pet troll were VERY unhappy I recorded the a meeting. When the tape recorder "clicked" he got a stunned look in his eyes.

Then the payola record scandal washed HIM out...

 

[cold_coffee]

Of course record all his calls!!! You can put them on CD and use them as entertainment at private parties.

Record and Save ALL calls from management. And also, now that mp3 players have a voice recorder feature, you should be recording EVERY face to face conversation with management/owners and storing those.

Back in the day, we had to use the 120-minute cassette tapes, and you had to hope the conversation would be over within the 60 minutes so the owner/gm wouldn't still be in the room when the tape recorder reached the end of the tape and LOUDLY shut off while hidden in the desk drawer.

I have recordings of the owners' boasting of his great sexual escapades, volatile in station tirades (those are the funniest), admitting to watching video of female workers (morally these should be brought to the attention of those being 'violated'), etc.

These are not only priceless personal entertainment, but in case of firing, etc, just let them know you have them, and you'll be amazed at how much bigger your severance check will be.

The boss doesn't need a hotline to get the automation to do what he wants. Like duh. I wonder why so many DJs are being replaced???

 

[justalurker]

The boss doesn't need a hotline to get the automation to do what he wants. Like duh. I wonder why so many DJs are being replaced???

That is when the engineer gets hotlined ... "we just had five seconds of dead air - call into the station remote control and have a written explaination of how it happened and what you are going to do to prevent it from happening ever again on my desk first thing in the morning."

Automation often does exactly what it is told ... exactly ... some voice track editor makes a mistake when editing and the automation does exactly what that voice track editor told the system to do. Including stopping after a song and waiting for a human being that isn't there to press play to restart the list.

 

[cold_coffee]

There was star jock in a Indiana medium market that was doing production during a frustrating day. He just couldn't record the ad right. Suddenly in a fit he blurted out a bunch of expletives into the recorder. After this emotional outburst he thought he had the production right, he took the tape & fed it into the automation system. He then went outside the station door to burn a fat one "420". He put his foot in the door because he didn't have a key & the next jock was due in a couple of hours. As his buzz was kicking in, he heard himself on the air cussing & swearing through the speaker above the door. At that point his foot slipped out of the door & he was locked out of the station. He could see the hot line flashing from his boss through the window & he realized there was nothing he could do but quit so he drove off while this was playing in a loop