WBCN Phone # with mobile phones, WBCN concert on the air 1/05

[fccfight]

We were discussing WBCN concerts a week ago. Around noontime today I heard
a Strawberry's Presents live CD.

When I called 617 266 1111 to get information (because the old Leo-8000 or
617 536 8000 # was DISCONNECTED! to my chagrin) the operator told me to call
617 931 1014. (Nik is right about one thing - except for the Patriots they aren't looking for people my age! have been away from the station so long don't even know the listener line! )

So I called that and got the DISCONNECTED message. Politely called her back and she told me that many cell phones don't get through.

Isn't that odd?

OK, so is this "Strawberries Presents" thing a series of live CDs?

On a similar note, I picked up the SIRIUS FREE 3 DAYS over New Years and listened to Patti Smith live (was invited to the show but decided to just
listen in). Outside of Patti, I really wasn't all that excited by Sirius.
The Gay channel didn't keep my attention, and a ROLLING STONES 24/7 channel
seems kind of silly. Like - why would one buy satellite to pay for music most Stones fans have in the collection anyway???? It's like paying double to listen half as much.

Was in Manhattan - but like Poltergeist...I'm back. Didn't see any ads for
radio people on the taxis! Was hoping to see a familiar Boston face on the billboards but, alas, Stern mania is setting in! I won't be listening.

 

[johnster]

There is no WBCN listener line anymore. There hasn't been anyone to awnser it for quite a while. 931-1041 is thier contest line. Radio stations can't get interns anymore forget volunteers.
From thier website:
WBCN 104.1-FM
83 Leo M. Birmingham Parkway
Boston, MA 02135
Business Line: 617-746-1400
Contest Line: 617-931-1041

 

[MassMusicMan]

> There is no WBCN listener line anymore. There hasn't been
> anyone to awnser it for quite a while.

Isn't that the jock's job?

>Radio stations can't get interns anymore

Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying to be sarcastic?

 

[boondocksaint037]

> We were discussing WBCN concerts a week ago. Around
> noontime today I heard
> a Strawberry's Presents live CD.
>
> When I called 617 266 1111 to get information (because the
> old Leo-8000 or
> 617 536 8000 # was DISCONNECTED! to my chagrin) the operator
> told me to call
> 617 931 1014.

Yeah it's 1041. And cells get through fine (I've done it).

> OK, so is this "Strawberries Presents" thing a series of
> live CDs?

Was it the AIC concert? Probably just sponsored the live lunch (every Thursday). They sponsored the Core 104.

FNX > WBCN<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by boondocksaint037 on 01/06/06 06:00 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[johnster]

>
> >Radio stations can't get interns anymore
>
> Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying to
> be sarcastic?
>

No I'm not. There seems to be very little interest in radio today with young people. All of the Boston stations are short on interns. Look at any of their websites. They didn't used to advertise for them there and on the air. In the old days they had waiting lists. In fact BCN had shifts of volunteers for the Listener line on top of that.

> There is no WBCN listener line anymore. There hasn't been
> anyone to answer it for quite a while.

Isn't that the jock's job?

WBCN's listener line since it started was answered by teams of volunteers outside the air studio. The DJ's could pick up the line but it wan't thier job. When the listner line fell apart it did just become an outside line to the studio but it was often ignored.

The fact of the matter is radio on a whole has lost it's impact. It draws very little attention anymore and certinly has no glamour. I don't think there is any one reason..the fad just died. TV is probably next..?

 

[TravisWMLN]

> >
> > >Radio stations can't get interns anymore
> >
> > Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying
> to
> > be sarcastic?
> >
>
> No I'm not. There seems to be very little interest in radio
> today with young people. All of the Boston stations are
> short on interns. Look at any of their websites. They didn't
> used to advertise for them there and on the air. In the old
> days they had waiting lists. In fact BCN had shifts of
> volunteers for the Listener line on top of that.
>
Hmm don't know about that one...getting an internship in this town isn't exactly the easiest thing, i sent in many a resume to stations in boston (even one's that advertised on their websites) most of the answers i got were "our positions are filled, sorry for not updating our website" or "we're looking for someone possibly next spring"...an dif there was very little interest in radio, why are there so many college stations out there? at curry, we have nearly 130 people involved at our radio station.

-Travis-

 

[boondocksaint037]

> >
> > >Radio stations can't get interns anymore
> >
> > Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying
> to
> > be sarcastic?
> >
>
> No I'm not. There seems to be very little interest in radio
> today with young people. All of the Boston stations are
> short on interns. Look at any of their websites. They didn't
> used to advertise for them there and on the air. In the old
> days they had waiting lists. In fact BCN had shifts of
> volunteers for the Listener line on top of that.


I agree with Travis. There are a lot of interns out there. Young people not interested? That's just wrong.

 

[NotoriousN-I-K]

> >
> > >Radio stations can't get interns anymore
> >
> > Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying
> to
> > be sarcastic?
> >
>
> No I'm not. There seems to be very little interest in radio
> today with young people. All of the Boston stations are
> short on interns. Look at any of their websites. They didn't
> used to advertise for them there and on the air. In the old
> days they had waiting lists. In fact BCN had shifts of
> volunteers for the Listener line on top of that.
>
> > There is no WBCN listener line anymore. There hasn't been
>
> > anyone to answer it for quite a while.
>
> Isn't that the jock's job?
>
> WBCN's listener line since it started was answered by teams
> of volunteers outside the air studio. The DJ's could pick up
> the line but it wan't thier job. When the listner line fell
> apart it did just become an outside line to the studio but
> it was often ignored.
>
> The fact of the matter is radio on a whole has lost it's
> impact. It draws very little attention anymore and certinly
> has no glamour. I don't think there is any one reason..the
> fad just died. TV is probably next..?
>
Actually that is somewhat incorrect:

Wellington did away with the last of the listener line guys while I was there last year. The idea was that they were not covered by insurance, so unless you were an actual employee or an intern, if you slipped in the hall you could own the place. Most of teh time I answered my own phone or I did have my interns do it if I was doing something else. I think the wall between the listener and the jock is more of a CHR thing whereas the rock stations tend to be more hands on with the listeners,, that has been my experience.

 

[MassMusicMan]

I think
> the wall between the listener and the jock is more of a CHR
> thing whereas the rock stations tend to be more hands on
> with the listeners,, that has been my experience.

Jocks should be hands-on with listeners in all formats. That's the whole point of radio.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Years ago, anyone could apply for a radio internship, so there were more average people off the street doing it. Nowadays, the station websites say that they only accept internship applications from students who qualify to use the experience as college credit.

I recall that WBCN's old Listener Line started many decades ago as much more than just a typical jock request/comment line. Back in the "hippie" days, it was also a volunteer intern-staffed referral service for young people needing advice on where to go in the city for help with various issues such as counseling, medical, drug/alcohol problems, etc... and I seem to recall that, way back then, Listener Line volunteers were even trained in the basics of dealing with people calling in desperate situations to help talk them out of whatever bummer situation or freakout they may have gotten themselves into in the middle of the night, and for depressed or down-and-out people who just felt they needed a "friend" to talk to.

It began as a team-staffed community service in the late 60's "counterculture" era, and it provided a lot more of a service than an on-air jock could be expected to handle while doing a show.

That was a very different time in many ways...



> > >Radio stations can't get interns anymore
> >
> > Huh? With all the colleges in this town? Are you trying to
> > be sarcastic?
> >
>
> No I'm not. There seems to be very little interest in radio
> today with young people. All of the Boston stations are
> short on interns. Look at any of their websites. They didn't
> used to advertise for them there and on the air. In the old
> days they had waiting lists. In fact BCN had shifts of
> volunteers for the Listener line on top of that.
>
> > There is no WBCN listener line anymore. There hasn't been
> > anyone to answer it for quite a while.
>
> Isn't that the jock's job?
>
> WBCN's listener line since it started was answered by teams
> of volunteers outside the air studio. The DJ's could pick up
> the line but it wan't thier job. When the listner line fell
> apart it did just become an outside line to the studio but
> it was often ignored.
>
> The fact of the matter is radio on a whole has lost it's
> impact. It draws very little attention anymore and certinly
> has no glamour. I don't think there is any one reason..the
> fad just died. TV is probably next..?
>

 

[NotoriousN-I-K]

> I think
> > the wall between the listener and the jock is more of a
> CHR
> > thing whereas the rock stations tend to be more hands on
> > with the listeners,, that has been my experience.
>
> Jocks should be hands-on with listeners in all formats.
> That's the whole point of radio.
>
Yes if you answer the phone yourself it's all that much easier to HANG UP on listeners when they annoy and make silly comments and...............oh, was that out loud?....LOL.....By the way: this is SATIRE before our favorite blogger takes this and puts it in his blog under the heading "Nik Carter never respected his listeners and here's proof"......JESUS!

 

[toejammer]

Sorry, but am I the only one who hates hearing callers during a music show? The audience usually adds nothing. Most of the time they can barely handle a conversation about music since they have to sing their request to you, so why put them on the air outside of morning drive - and even then, we laugh at the callers because they are so pathetic.

The other thing that makes this thread silly is we all know that there is not a single station out there that cares about requests. Requests have no influence on the playlist and haven't in years.



> I think
> > the wall between the listener and the jock is more of a
> CHR
> > thing whereas the rock stations tend to be more hands on
> > with the listeners,, that has been my experience.
>
> Jocks should be hands-on with listeners in all formats.
> That's the whole point of radio.
>

 

[MassMusicMan]

> Sorry, but am I the only one who hates hearing callers
> during a music show? The audience usually adds nothing.
> Most of the time they can barely handle a conversation about
> music since they have to sing their request to you, so why
> put them on the air outside of morning drive - and even
> then, we laugh at the callers because they are so pathetic.

I'm not saying that jocks should incorporate more (or any) phoners into their shows. But they should be the ones answering the calls and talking to the listeners.