There are a lot of things that you can’t really be prepared for in this business of radio. Now, I never went to college for it, so perhaps there is a course for the unknown, but I suspect this is unlikely.
For example, when I took my first job as a morning man, there was nothing that could prepare me for the hour that is commonly known as 4AM. Until I started doing morning radio, I was unaware that such an hour even existed. I thought it was just a figment of my imagination. An mysterious collection of 60 minutes that existed only in dreams, or at least, a collection that was only experienced while dreaming. I had no idea people actually awoke at such an hour. It seemed so uncomfortable and unnecessary. A day shouldn’t – in my humble opinion – start before 10AM.
Another thing that you can never be prepared for is that as on air on personality, you will be the buck stops here person. What I mean by this is that when people can find no other outlet upon which to cast their frustrations, they will call you. Therapy is expensive and radio stations are a free call with multiple lines to get through on!
Over the course of my career, which has spanned 14 years, I have been personally held responsible for a number of circumstances, situations and phenomenon. Upon careful inspection and consideration, it is indeed obvious that I am not to blame. But when a caller is angry, upset, hurt, frustrated, or feeling any other number of emotions, and you happen to be the one that answers the phone, for that brief moment (and sometimes not so brief moment) it’s all pinned on you!
When the weather does the exact opposite of what I say it will do… it’s my fault. When a motor vehicle collision occurs on the 403 during the afternoon rush and people get stuck in traffic for an hour… it’s my fault. When the wrong team wins a world title… it’s my fault. When an event we’ve been promoting for weeks is suddenly canceled… it’s my fault. And yes… when the family pet runs away… it’s my fault.
When I worked in Simcoe at what was then CD106.7, I had one of my most memorable experiences. At the time I worked evenings and weekends. On a Thursday evening I had given a forecast for the weekend. It was filled with sunshine and mild temperatures. I worked that Saturday afternoon, and as luck would have it, the sky was filled with clouds and from them came rain. It happens.
A particular listener who heard my forecast on Thursday and made outdoor plans for Saturday as a result, was less than thrilled with me when Saturday rolled around. In fact, for nearly 30 minutes on this particular Saturday afternoon he reamed me out. He went on about how useless and stupid I am. About how I had ruined his family reunion / BBQ. How I had no right to be on the radio given weather reports. I mean, it went on and on and on. I just quietly listened.
I hadn’t been on the air for very long when this happened. Less than a year in fact. I remember feeling devastated. I thought people loved radio announcers? I thought we brightened their day with a laugh or a smile or a song. I couldn’t fathom being thrown under the bus by one of these people. It really shook me and left me questioning my ability to do the job and do it well.
What I have come to learn over the years is that in 99% of the cases, it’s not personal. In the case of this particular gentleman, his plans and hard work were ruined, and surrounded only by family, he needed to vent. I bet his in-laws were there giving him a hard time! Unsure of where else to vent, he called the first logical person. The person that gave him the weather forecast that encouraged him to have his party in the first place.
The same goes for the person stuck in traffic, the person who watched their team lose, and the person who lost their dog.
I took a call today from somebody who, in essence, was holding me responsible for the spread of the H1N1. The caller went on about how I shouldn’t be exposing co-workers, how I shouldn’t be so selfish. How I should just stay home. They went on and on and on. They were quite upset and quite serious.
I quietly listened. When they were finished I acknowledged their concerns and then gently delivered some facts for them. I explained that I had taken a week off work. I further explained that I did not return to work until the doctor told me it was OK to do so. I explained that although I had not been allowed on the air Tuesday or Wednesday, it wasn’t because of being sick and contagious, it was because my voice simply hadn’t returned yet.
In the end, the person was quite apologetic. They explained that they were just frustrated and concerned by all the hype and attention surrounding H1N1. Because they knew me – the voice on the radio – and because they knew I had suffered from the H1N1, I became the outlet for their concerns and fear.
I am a radio announcer. I’m not a therapist. I will not solve all the problems of the world in my lifetime. I’ll just play some music, give some bad weather forecasts, and try to help you detour around the traffic nightmares. Thankfully, experience and maturity over the years has just helped me to deal with one of the problems I was never prepared for by my teachers… the angry caller.
For as long as there has been radio, there has been people calling to vent. Until they started billing by the hour for call time like a shrink does… the people will continue to call. The best I can do is promise that when I answer, I’ll treat you with respect, listen to what you have to say, offer any assistance, information, or counsel that I can, and then, when we’re done, I’ll thank you for listening.
