The Industry from an insider

I've worked in radio for now some 11 years. That's a pretty long ass time. With the work, come moments in your job that you look back on and either cringe, shake your head and laugh, or try really hard to remember because you blocked out several years due to poor management.

Remind me to tell you that story one of these days.

I guess what made me write this entry was something that really made my day that I had totally forgotten about.

It was more than likely 2001 or 2002. It was close to the holiday season and all of the commercials everyone groans and complains about hearing every commercial break were playing with regular rotation. I myself found it irritating to hear Christmas jingles playing on the commercials while down the hall, more commericals were being produced with more homogenized music of the holidays being unceremoniously slapped together with glazed hams and car dealerships. It's the sort of thing in radio and TV that makes you tire of (any) holiday fast.

I was still trying to stomach everything when on my business phone, a caller who was listening to a radio commercial earlier in the previous evening asked about some product being sold for the holidays. Judging by her voice, she was easily in her late 60's to early 70's. Kind, sweet and sincere, her voice echoed with the sense of deep, wishful thinking that she could hopefully find this commercial she had no time to write down. I can't remember what the commercial was about, it's been so long, but all I remember was the sound in her voice when she asked if I could find the commercial we played.

I kindly got her telephone number and told her I would call her back whenever I found it.

I searched the log*. I couldn't find anything that remotely matched her commercial. Then I started to think it wasn't one of ours, but one of the national spots** that airs. So I went onto each radio shows website and reviewed their holiday commercials. I found the one she was asking for (not in the right time slot she said) and called her back. The sound of relief in her voice that I was able to find the commercial, product name and a phone number made her day. She thanked me untold times and asked for my name. I didn't think too much of it, thanked her for listening and hung up.

One week later, I go out to my mailbox at the radio station and find a holiday card and a small, simple box of chocolates. I opened the card up and found that the nice lady who I had given the information to, ordered exactly what she wanted for the holiday and had sent me a thank you card and the candies to thank me for helping her send the exact gift she needed. My supervisor had seen the chocolates on the table and had asked who they were from, so I showed him the card and explained what happened.

My whole point of the story is this. If you call up a radio station, just remember that the people who answer the phones, take your call, take your requests and put up with your stupid questions on a daily basis are human. We have emotions, thoughts and opinions just like you. We strive to be as personable and like-able as possible so you keep listening and be entertained by us. We also (probably like you) like to get some sort of token of appreciation for the things we do.

If we look up a phone number for you on a commercial we played that you didn't have enough common sense to try and listen for again, thank us -- don't just say "uh huh, 'kay" and hang up. If you hear the radio station is "off air", for the love of God do not call us and ask us the question "Do you guys know you're off air?".

We know.

For the love of Pete, we know.

With that said, do us one simple favor. Call us up and say thank you every once in a while. You'd be surprised how shocked and thankful we are for the compliment and acknowledgement for a seemingly thankless job well done.



*Radio stations have what are called commercial logs that tell us the name of the commercial advertiser, the time they should play, the total length of the commercial, and how long the total commercial break should be, as well as any other information such as Legal ID's, Promos, Tags, Liners etc.
**National Spots are commercials that are found nationwide. A perfect example would be a commercial for Ruby Tuesday's, Applebees or Kohl's department stores.