[BC] Serving the community

[Robert Meuser]

Barry

Very unrealistic.  These days you can not even call a network and get a person. 
Try calling and complaining the next time some idiot in DC has preempted regular 
programming.  You will get voice mail if you are lucky. I complain every time a 
politician appears in prime time, disrupting my DVR schedule.

Where I work when we create special programming we do staff a complaint line.  2 
  people for 15 plus million viewers.

On a separate note, research now shows that DVRs and TIVOs are good for business.


R

Barry Mishkind wrote:
It is too bad that
>         many in this business have little regard for
>         the listeners who, essentially, determine
>         their success/failure.
> 
>         Whether the "reason" is being busy, having an "off the
>         wall call" or even a drunk on the line, broadcasters
>         really need to look at that "bigger picture" than the
>         momentary annoyance at being "interrupted."
> 
>         We have all seen stations that don't answer their
>         request lines because the jock didn't want to
>         be bothered.  Is that any smarter than "Please
>         hold, your call is important to us."
> 
>         Worse are the guys who just "busy out" the lines.
> 
>         True, few of us here on the list would call a request
>         line today... we know our chances of getting an
>         answer is slim. (Heck, tonight I tried a CR Hot
>         Line and couldn't get an answer in the last hour
>         of the PM Drive show. My guess: it was all VT for
>         the last hour.)
> 
>         I really find it interesting to read the posts from
>         all those who "cry in joy" about skipping all
>         the commercials with their tivo. Where does
>         your paycheck come from? (If you feel that
>         way, how do your listeners/viewes feel?)
> 
>         It was a long time ago, at one of my
>         first jobs, when I got a woman who insisted
>         on telling me (at a radio station) that there
>         was "too much green in the picture."
> 
>         Later that year, I *was* at a TV station when
>         the audio tx died ... in the middle of Spanish
>         language programming. We didn't have to
>         answer the phone in the CR, on the weekend,
>         but looking at all the blinking lights we tried.
> 
>         Well, I tried with my rather limited Spanish ...
>         until one call when I tried to tell the lady my Spanish
>         was not too good - except I used the word feo instead
>         the one for "poor."  After the abrupt termination of
>         that call, our GM (who was in the CR answering the
>         phone, too) taught me a lesson.  He said he always
>         was kind on the phone, but not to try to tell them
>         more than they needed.
> 
>         The next call, he was overheard telling the caller:
>         "yes, ma'am, we know. We're sorry, apparently
>         we split an ohm, and are working on it."
> 
>         Each caller was happy, and it didn't take all that long.