Whitney’s Hotline is HOT
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
An interesting story from LARADIO.com...
(Preface: Whitney Allen is a disc jockey in KZLA, a country station in Los Angeles. "Hotlines" are direct lines to the radio station control room.)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“At KZLA, as at most studios, we have numerous hotlines,” emailed afternooner Whitney Allen. “About four people have the number, which means I get more wrong numbers and sales pitches on that line than anything else.
One afternoon around 6:20 p.m. the super secret hotline rings.
Male Caller: Hello
Me: Hello
Male Caller: Hello
Me: Hello
Male Caller: Who's this?
Me: Uh uh, you called me. You tell me who YOU are first.
Well, he won't budge, continues to ask me where I am, what I do and at last I say, ‘Ya know, I'm not telling you anything if you don't tell me who you are. He won't tell me anything so I say, ‘See ya’ and hang up.
Line rings AGAIN. Same conversation, but shorter. Until I say, ‘ya know, I got no time for this’ and hang up again.
Line rings AGAIN I let it ring for a good three minutes. This guy is NOT giving up, so what the heck, I answer again, but I'm getting all ticked off, I'm doing a contest and I figure this guy just has my wrong number on redial and is getting some sort of weird kick out of this.
Male Caller: Just tell me who you are or where you are.
Me: Look, you will NEVER get that fucking information, OK? YOU fucking called me and you want all sorts of information on ME? We've gone through this like 3 times now and I'm not fucking telling you anything unless you tell me who YOU are.
Male Caller: This is Tommy Lasorda and I'm just wondering why your number is in my phone. Now, you tell me who you are, you promised.
Well, the blood has DRAINED from my face, my knees have BUCKLED I am TOTALLY HORRIFIED that I have just CUSSED OUT one of my IDOLS since childhood!! My intern Janice who is a HUGE baseball fan throws her hand over her mouth and starts crying while laughing.
At last I can speak, but barely. ‘I'm Whitney Allen, and I can't believe I just cussed out Tommy Lasorda, I want to kill myself.’
‘Whitney Allen,’ Tommy said, ‘Don't you worry, I don't even know what those words mean.’
It turns out Tommy was on Peter Tilden's morning show that morning, Opening Day. I congratulated Tommy on a fabulous win. He asked me if I was at the game, told him I would be there opening night and he told me to come on by and say hello. I told him he had NO idea how awful I felt. He signed my high school yearbook. He signed a baseball that I have. I used to watch him coach third base. He could NOT have been any kinder. I am still mortified.”
(Preface: Whitney Allen is a disc jockey in KZLA, a country station in Los Angeles. "Hotlines" are direct lines to the radio station control room.)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“At KZLA, as at most studios, we have numerous hotlines,” emailed afternooner Whitney Allen. “About four people have the number, which means I get more wrong numbers and sales pitches on that line than anything else.
One afternoon around 6:20 p.m. the super secret hotline rings.
Male Caller: Hello
Me: Hello
Male Caller: Hello
Me: Hello
Male Caller: Who's this?
Me: Uh uh, you called me. You tell me who YOU are first.
Well, he won't budge, continues to ask me where I am, what I do and at last I say, ‘Ya know, I'm not telling you anything if you don't tell me who you are. He won't tell me anything so I say, ‘See ya’ and hang up.
Line rings AGAIN. Same conversation, but shorter. Until I say, ‘ya know, I got no time for this’ and hang up again.
Line rings AGAIN I let it ring for a good three minutes. This guy is NOT giving up, so what the heck, I answer again, but I'm getting all ticked off, I'm doing a contest and I figure this guy just has my wrong number on redial and is getting some sort of weird kick out of this.
Male Caller: Just tell me who you are or where you are.
Me: Look, you will NEVER get that fucking information, OK? YOU fucking called me and you want all sorts of information on ME? We've gone through this like 3 times now and I'm not fucking telling you anything unless you tell me who YOU are.
Male Caller: This is Tommy Lasorda and I'm just wondering why your number is in my phone. Now, you tell me who you are, you promised.
Well, the blood has DRAINED from my face, my knees have BUCKLED I am TOTALLY HORRIFIED that I have just CUSSED OUT one of my IDOLS since childhood!! My intern Janice who is a HUGE baseball fan throws her hand over her mouth and starts crying while laughing.
At last I can speak, but barely. ‘I'm Whitney Allen, and I can't believe I just cussed out Tommy Lasorda, I want to kill myself.’
‘Whitney Allen,’ Tommy said, ‘Don't you worry, I don't even know what those words mean.’
It turns out Tommy was on Peter Tilden's morning show that morning, Opening Day. I congratulated Tommy on a fabulous win. He asked me if I was at the game, told him I would be there opening night and he told me to come on by and say hello. I told him he had NO idea how awful I felt. He signed my high school yearbook. He signed a baseball that I have. I used to watch him coach third base. He could NOT have been any kinder. I am still mortified.”
