Hot Line, Hot Line, Calling On The Hot Line...

A recent entry on Radio-Info (a collection of radio industry message boards) is titled, “The Boss Using A Studio Hotline to chew out jocks while they're on the air.” (I trust this is self-explanatory to you non-radio folks; every DJ has a story about getting "hot-lined" by a butthead program director while on the air.) Here’s my own small contribution to the discussion:

The following story happened to a friend of mine while jocking at a CHR station in a certain Top Five market, circa 1977. (The DJ and PD (program director) shall remain nameless; if you're familiar with the East Coast radio scene from that era, you'd probably recognize both names...)

One night during my friend's shift (10P - 2A), the station's office line lit up.

The DJ picked it up. Heard a click as the caller hung up.

A few moments later, the office line lit up again.

The jock picked it up. Again, a click.

Thirty seconds later it lit up again.He picked it up. Click.

About a minute later the hot line lit up.

It was the program director.

"The office line is not to be answered after hours," he said. "If you answer it again, you may consider yourself out of a job."

The PD hung up.

Moments later, the office line lit up...

(By the way, if you don't get the title of this posting, here is a very cool blast from the past. Well, except for the Captain and Tennille introduction..)