Oh, those DJ nightmares. And no, not the “dead air dream.” That’s child’s play.
I’m talking about that normal-sounding listener who calls in on the studio line, strikes up a friendly provocative conversation, and the next thing you know, you’re meeting for a drink.
I always wondered about how often that actually happens in “real radio life.” So, for our very first AQ study, conducted in collaboration with Don Anthony’s “Morning Show Boot Camp” back in 2017, we popped the question:
“Have you ever dated a listener?”
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Nearly four in ten personalities in our sample of more than 1,100 across the U.S. (all formats) admitted to dating someone they met over the phone, at an event, or somewhere else. And 7% ended up tying the knot with a member of the listening audience.
And here’s the “shocker.” Male air talent – by more than a 2:1 margin – say they’ve gone out on a date with one of their listeners over female announcers. In fact, nearly half of guy jocks (46%) have dated and/or married a listener. (If that’s not a great reason why PDs should be looking to hire more women, I can’t think of one. They are obviously smarter.)
But the question we didn’t ask in either AQ study was whether an on-air host has ever been stalked by a listener. You don’t have to date someone from the cume audience to get bothered or even abused by them. In most cases, I’d wager these fan-obsessed moments happen whether the personality encourages it or not.
Thanks to social media, we know the incidence of being “trolled” or even “harassed” has risen a great deal over the past decade. Celebrity Chrissy Teigen recently bid adieu to her 13 million followers on Twitter. Trolling and abusive fans clearly factored into her decision to bail from a platform where she once thrived.
But a listener showing up at events, writing creepy messages, and behaving in an offensive or even illegal manner is a whole other thing. And I’m wondering whether it’s happening more than we know.
There have been many unintended events spurred by the pandemic. Community-wide mental health issues is one of them. We do not know the toll exacted by COVID, but events in Atlanta, Boulder, and other communities would suggest that as restrictions are lifted, some seriously ill folks will be roaming around our cities and towns.
The prevalence of stalking a radio personality is a question we’ll address when we launch AQ3. But why am I bringing this up now – months before Morning Show Boot Camp?
Because the “poster girl” for stalking DJs – Evelyn Draper – passed away last week. Actually, that’s just the character’s name. The actress who played the terrifying listener was Jessica Walter, and she died in her sleep at the age of 80.
Many of you know her as Lucille Bluth on the hit show, Arrested Development. She also was the voice of Malory Archer on the raunchy animated Archer.
But many of us first discovered Jessica Walter when she played the role of Evelyn in Clint Eastwood‘s directorial debut, Play ‘Misty’ For Me, released in 1971. The movie is about a late night DJ, Dave Garver (played by Eastwood). He works for KRML in Carmel, California, a jazz station where Dave gets to talk dreamily to his audience after dark, spinning cool tunes and working the phones. The station and the setting are sexy, as is Eastwood – no face for radio with the young Clint.
The relationship starts out innocently enough as Evelyn calls the request line, and asks DJ Dave to “Play ‘Misty’ For Me.” And then things rapidly go downhill. Evelyn and Dave hook up, but then she starts appearing everywhere. Unbeknownst to poor Dave, Evelyn is a psychopath, and he’s now firmly in her clutches. To my memory, Misty may have been the first in what became a genre – “stalker movies.”
Walters was a damn good actress. She was certainly convincing in a role where a seemingly normal relationship turns toxic – and then some – in a hurry.
Here’s a cringeworthy, scary scene where Evelyn barges in on a business lunch, where the ambitious Dave is being interviewed by a female executive interested in putting him on TV (every DJ’s dream come true). It is somewhat unsafe for work:
For the first 30 minutes of Misty, being on the air on a cool radio station seems like the perfect profession. I’ll bet many senior DJs were inspired by the film in the same way Perry Mason convinced many young kids to pursue a career in law.
Unfortunately, Evelyn’s antics likely reversed that, and all of a sudden, a career as an actuary or an engineer started looking pretty good.
It’s just a movie. But for many on-air talent, it’s a nightmare – and it’s very real. How many are stalked in one fashion or another? As a program
director, I dealt with this, trying to help protect one of our prominent hosts in every way possible.
Most of the time, there’s little that law enforcement will do prior to an actual crime being committed. That’s no solace to a personality living in fear the person in question shows up at the next car dealer remote or bar night.
When these situations spin out of control, responsible companies supply security support for events and perhaps even at the station. In some cases, it doesn’t matter because the talent is justifiably too flipped out to make appearances anyway.
Radio companies have a responsibility to protect their employees, especially those who are encouraged and required to show up, shake hands, kiss babies, and be a station ambassador.
Post-COVID, talent appearances will return. While video worked well during the pandemic, there will still be no substitute for eye contact – personalities who are present, engaging, and welcoming.
In AQ3, we’ll find out just how rampant this danger is, and hopefully provide the radio industry with support data that’s actionable.
In the meantime, if there’s an Evelyn in your midst, put those request lines on hold, block wherever you can on social media, and above all else, protect your talent.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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From my days with Rounsaville Radio in Orlando..This guy keeps calling me on the request line accusing me of having a spirited sexual relationship (I cleaned that up!) with his wife. He won’t stop calling. Shows up at the radio station one day, packing a piece, promising to blow a hole in me that he can walk through. My G.M. attracts his attention long enough so that I can hit 911, the cops come, take him away, and I am excused long enough to go to the bathroom..
Oh boy. Barry, I suspect this will be the first of many of these stories. Thanks for sharing it with us – I think! 🙂
My story was different, as it began with an extensive piece of mail. The person was adamant that I read every word and take action. This was over 30 years ago. Then the voice mails began, and they got to the point where I would receive 20 to 30 a weekend, which I would go through the following week. It began as a nuisance and escalated. The entire time I thought about “Play Misty For Me” and wondered whether or not this was serious. It started taking a much darker direction, and I was fortunate enough to have a fax sent my way from a small town. The person’s name was attached to it, and so I called the local police, and sent them a cassette with dozens of messages. They told me that they were aware of this person and would talk to them. The messages stopped, and months later at a public appearance, the person approached me, apologized for their actions and told me that they would never bother me again. Thanks a lot for dredging this up, Fred!!! PMFM was an iconic movie for all of us in radio, and thanks to Jessica Walters’ excellent performance, and Clint Eastwood’s savvy direction, it will stand the test of time.
Tai, thanks for sharing a story many can relate to. And I hope you sleep soundly tonight!
My story is less noxious. I had a favorite DJ on another station and developed a friendly relationship with him, and ultimately I persuaded him to come for a guest appearance on a show I was producing (and moderating) at my station on the other side of the bay. It worked out very well, even if there was no knot-tying. Cheers!
Glad to hear that some of the stories have a happy ending, John!
If you need to talk to announcers with stalker stories, let me know. I have a couple of doozies.
Back in my top 40 days, I was working the night shift when a woman started calling me on the phone each night. It didn’t take long for her to start with the indecent proposals. Even after I told her I was married (which was true) she still would call every night. It got weirder…or I should say, she did. It ended up with her waiting for me in the parking lot. I waited her out, and she left. When she called the next night, I told her I had her license plate number and I would call the police if she ever called me again.
Not sure the police could have done anything, but that put an end the calls.
Sounds like you handled it well, Don.
Back in the 90s, a listener sent emails to me threatening violence against my son, who was about 10 or 11 at the time. The regional FBI authorities intervened and the listener was arrested.
Very sad it happened, but good you got resolution. Was that at 95X?
TK99 (WTKW)
The problem is the difference between the sane, normal, friendly listeners and the psychopaths, at first anyway, is….nothing.
It was a great movie!
The next question you should ask the male jocks is “How many of you had your nuts glued to your leg by a listener?”
Carter, maybe YOU should ask that question.
I’ve actually had lunch in that same restaurant with Edd Hoyt, who was living in Monterey at the time. We had worked together as he was a Top 40 DJ, went on to Sales, Management, Station Ownership and Banking. RIP “Fast Eddie Mason.” This is a short version of a story that just may fill a chapter in a book.
Let’s call it
BRIGHT LIGHTS ATTRACT MOTHS
Stalking takes many forms. When I was Music Director and 6-10pm DJ at KSJO, the late and supremely talented Tawn Mastrey was 10pm-2am. One listener began hanging out at the station while she was on-air, and started to go out with her, and in… He was a sketchy character, and within a few nights, had disappeared with her car.
Her home was several blocks away on the other side of the 280 Freeway in San Jose. We’d often work late together, as Tawn was my assistant music director (and “partner in crime”).
After driving her home for a couple of nights rather than have her walk there in the dead of night, I told Tawn the way to get her car back was to go on-air, describe it, the guy who had it, and say she wanted it back. I knew he’d be driving around listening.
Sure enough, he called within minutes. When he showed up with an accomplice at the back door, I met him on the inside of it. He said: “I’m here to see Tawn, to give her these (jingling the car keys).” I said: “No, you’re no longer welcome here. Hand me the keys and leave.” He then tried to move past me to the studio, and I pulled out the baseball bat I was holding behind my back and repeated; “Just hand me her keys and leave.” He said “I’ve got a gun, what are you gonna do with that bat?” I should note here I was born and raised in NYC and got part of my education in the streets of The Bronx. I’d swing and not miss.
I glared at him with a menacing glance at his friend and said: “Go for your gun, Motherf…er and you’ll find out. Now either hand me the keys and leave or pull out your gun!” He complied, and they left.
After they drove off in his friends car, I went into the studio and handed Tawn her car keys. She thanked me and I told her to always remember that she was a beacon in the night, and bright lights attract moths.”
What a great story, Paul. I remember Tawn – a fabulous jock. And you are right about those “bright lights.”
I’m not sure anyone actually watched the clip you provided all the way through, Fred! No one mentioned the final image at the very end of the scene – KRML personality Dave Garver’s audition tape. It’s one of the all-time great continuity errors in film history. Note the return address with the wrong call letters: K.M.R.L.
Maybe Garver wasn’t ready to make Leap O’ The Week to San Francisco after all.
I did not notice that, Jay, but that definitely puts Dave toward the back of the stack. Good pipes, tight board, 3rd endorsed, but sketchy prep.
Good catch! I watched it through and missed it, too!
I have 2 great anecdotes related to radio listeners.
1. Thanks to radio I met the love of my life.
At the station where I worked in 1982 in Medellin, Colombia, we played the hits of the moment in the United States and Great Britain.
For this we had subscriptions to services that sent us the new entries to the Hot 100 every week, to keep us up to date.
Most of those songs only sounded on our station, and there were no possibilities to buy them in record stores, and obviously there were no services like iTunes to buy them online.
For this reason, many listeners and friends asked us to record them on cassettes.
One of those people was the girlfriend of my radio partner, who came one day with her best friend to record a cassette for her.
As soon as I saw her friend I fell in love with her, and after a quick courtship we got married 6 months later. On March 15, we celebrated our 39th anniversary of being happily married.
2. Thanks to the radio, we created one of the great funny radio characters in Colombia.
I was doing my shift at the station that I directed and to which I had just joined, and while I was doing my show I was thinking about how to carry out our Morning Show, which was a failure.
In the middle of the shift I got a call from a female voice saying that she loved my voice and that she would like to meet me in person.
I thanked her, but I kindly told her that I was married, that I was busy doing my work, and that I did not have time to attend to personal matters, and that if she wanted to request a song I would gladly take it into account to program it later.
She insisted that she wanted to meet me and started saying nice and slightly embarrassing words to me while I insisted that I was not interested in her, and that if she did not want to request a song I would be grateful if she hung up the phone to allow other people to call.
Just as I was about to cut the call, the voice on the other end laughed loudly and told me that he was one of my co-workers making an impersonation.
At the end of my shift I kept thinking and finally decided that if that partner was able to fool me he could make an excellent character for our Morning Show.
To prevent our listeners from recognizing his voice, I did some tests with him, connecting a microphone to an audio processor that allowed the voice to be changed electronically.
In this way, his voice was not only unrecognizable but was very striking and funny. This is how “Carlota” was born, one of the most recognized humorous characters on radio in Colombia in the 80s and 90s, who helped us take the station to the number 1 spot in Bogotá, a city of more than 8 million inhabitants.
Only in radio, right?
Tito, both great stories about the power of the medium. And it’s a reminder to me that radio is so universal – amazing stories have happened & are happening all over the planet, thanks to those airwaves.
I truly appreciate these great stories, and you reading our blog. All the best to you, your wife, and “Carlota.”
I could never get past how a guy grumbling into a late nite mic at a station with a sliding porch door had a swinging pad, a cool car and a maid.
That’s Carmel for you. Oh, and being Clint.