You are always welcome to call WFAN. On Thursday morning, Gregg Giannotti said that doesn’t mean you are entitled to get on the air.
The morning show co-host praised producer Al Dukes for his skills as a phone screener. He revealed that there are many reasons that listeners may not get through, but the most sure way to get cutoff is being too eager.
“Al doesn’t always answer the phone,” Gio said. “If he sees that you have called the radio station 700 times in the last two days, he’s not gonna pick you up.”
Every host and producer knows that callers can enhance a show. Unfortunately, it is easy for a bad or boring call to derail it.
Gio encouraged people to call, but he also explained that if Al Dukes doesn’t answer, there is a reason.
“That means he is doing his job. He ends up being more of a screener than anyone else at the radio station.”
He joked that Eddie Scozzare is a terrible phone screener and would often note on a call screen that a caller was old, boring, or didn’t know what he wanted to say. Eddie just didn’t feel like he could say no to anyone.
For Al Dukes, that isn’t a problem though. He told Boomer and Gio that he has his rules that he sticks to for callers, but they are too complicated and there are too many to explain on air.
“There’s a whole thing going on in here,” Dukes said.
Gio again reiterated that the practice was necessary to deliver a quality show, but noted that several listeners don’t understand that, including Hector in Washington Heights. Gio says that is a voice he hears on with Sal Licata overnight multiple times a week complaining about Al.
