Song requests

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34128, 14 April 1976, Page 20

Song requests

Sir, — Why does Radio Avon so avidly encourage listeners to ring them up at their number for requests? All evening they are reminding listeners of the number to ring; it sounds encouraging enough; so on Monday evening, at the correct time (after 8 p.m.) we rang Radio Avon, to request a record, as they suggest everyone should. “Radio Avon,” said the voice at the other end of the phone, “I’d like to ‘pick-a-song’ please,” I explained, “Yes,” said the voice. “What song would you like?” We told him, and then — the line went dead. Again the next evening, April 6, we made repeated attempts to contact Radio Avon, each time the conversation ran on the same lines as it did the previous day, before the line went dead; — time after time Radio Avon had hung up on us. Why? Is this the way they treat everyone? — Yours, etc., HEIDI BARTON.

April 7, 19 7 6. [Mr Graeme Parsonage,; programme director of Radio Avon, replies: “At selected times during our evening programme we invite listeners to telephone for a request. Telephone calls are solicited between 8 p.m. and midnight, three times an hour. The popularity of this programme is such that not everyone telephoning for a request can be given the song of their choice. And, naturally enough, we cannot take requests from those who telephone at times other than the specific request time. Radio Avon’s evening personality, Lee Hanner, has many duties during his evening show, the most important. informing and entertaining more than half of (the Christchurch evening radio audience. As well as this, he is responsible for answering 10 incoming telephone lines. It is not always i possible for Lee to spend as ‘much time on the telephone 'as our callers would like.”]