Originally Posted by Oscar_:
“In your opinion, do you honestly think that all this highly complex analysis of the callers actually makes for a better output on LBC for the listener?
I can't help feeling that it does have the effect of making the production team feel smug and self-important, that they are performing a function that requires PhD in PhoneBOX call-handling or something.
Regarding line quality, it isn't working. The number of callers on naff obamaphones that I hear on LBC is a disgrace. Major fail that the producers don't identify those before putting callers on.
Otherwise they should just rack up the calls and let the people speak. Don't try to be a bunch of smart-alecs. Callers want to speak to the HOST. Don't ask them for an audition or a chuffin' dress-rehearsal. Many callers who would make the station sound more interesting and enjoyable get put off by the process.
Classic case of being too clever by half. No need to be so DOUR and no need to arrogantly LEAD Britain's conversation. What they should do is let it flow, because conversation works best (and sounds best) when it happens that way.”
Yes in a word, some people call up for anything. Belive it or not some people literally call up every hour or call up and ask "what are you talking about at the moment". LBC's average listening time is a lot bigger than music stations so as a result some people with me listening for long periods of time. If someone calls again with the same view they just spouted 2 hours previous to another presenter it makes for boring radio.
Breakfast and Drive is another good example, if someone phones in at 8am and your traveling to work and hear there point and then at 5pm you travel home and hear the exact same point it's dull and you would likely switch over. This is where the likes of phonebox technology comes into it's own.
As said 15 callers an hour is about the most you will get on, if 100 people an hour call there is always going to be people that miss out. Why would you have a someone boring on when you have a stack of others with better points. I agree you can get some gold out of racking them up and putting them on, Iain Lee's triple M is a great example but by his own words the format "Get's a lot of misses and we have to go through a lot of rubbish but when we hit gold it's brilliant"
Regarding call quality it's very difficult, sometimes when you prep the caller for air in the 2 minutes it takes before going on air they may move and the signal goes poor, may switch to handsfree even though they have been told not to or something like a road drill has fired up and is causing horrible background noise. A poor line all never be put though unless someone have a story/Gold that people will put up with interference for but every attempt will have been made before hand to try a different line or improve the quality.
Originally Posted by
lordloz:
“Hi Radiodad, I know from before you know far more than me how radio production works but just a question I've highlighted is if that's the case how do Tony from Liverpool on NF, David from Exeter and Peter from (can't remember) on Nick Abbott et al get on a daily basis if that's the case. I'm not knocking them as they are pretty much always good callers but guess they are considered safe and reliable then...
I'm sure practice makes perfect and if we all called often enough we'd be ok too
OT but had 2 tweets read out by James Max this morning anti Vic Beckham (funny how only 140 characters and still edited it to a couple of words....
)
& he tweeted me to call in.... I didn't... mind you if it had been the goddess Julia in whose slot he's in I would have been tempted just to talk to her luscious plummy tones *sigh*
”
Shows like Nick Abbott and overnights will struggle for calls more and as a result calls that may not be of best quality or regular callers maybe used. Certainly if you put a regular on in daytime day after day while the switchboard was rammed you would be questioned on why you are doing it. Even the late shows will sometimes not put someone to air even if the switchboard is dead because they have been on far too much.
NF is a different kettle of fish and while he may have regulars they won't be everyday they will be likely once a week (on a different day and time to last time) at very most.