Is the caller there?

Ironically, after discussing viewer callers a bit earlier, the grand daddy of them all dialed in! Being an assignment editor is exhilarating, exciting, jam-packed, and endless. Multi-tasking is a definite pre-requisite, a MUST. You may be doing a dozen things at once. I know you are saying, that's impossible, but when running a news desk, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

At any one time you may be listening to scanners, typing a fact sheet, monitoring the other stations, dispatching crews over the two-way radio, configuring the live remotes, barking orders to your reporters and camera crews, clearing the fax machine, checking the AP wires, viewing video clips, putting stories on the website, in constant contact with the news chopper, booking satellite time, typing school closings on the I-Alert, and answering telephones--all while listening in on an editorial meeting!

Though answering phones is probably the least glamorous of the above tasks, it is one of the most crucial. An assignment editor could be the first link to the outside world, our customers. Could be the first contact our customers have with our station. Answering courteously, and being able to help the customer is a huge task. However, at times it becomes taxing by many of the requests, questions, or comments tossed our way.

We run the gamut of questions from legitimate story ideas to programming questions to "what time does the 6pm news come on"..."does my child have school tomorrow"..."has anyone else reported seeing an alien airship above Progressive Field"..."can you charter a flight so my family and I can leave Hopkins Airport during this awful blizzard"..."get this comment directly and immediately to Brian Williams or Lester Holt."

Being the link to the outside world, we have to handle the wide spectrum of calls with a business-like decorum and professionalism.

Well, 75 percent of the time, it's bearable. Another 20 percent of the time, it's annoying but necessary. The last 5 percent of the time is "I want to run out of the newsroom screaming and waving my arms because these people are looney!"

Tonight was one of those nights. When I mentioned the grand daddy of callers dialed in, I meant it. We have our "usuals." They are viewers who call on a regular basis. No purpose, no directives, they just call in making comments on the story of the day. Unfortunately, most of them call at the most inopportune times and really do not offer usable information.

Tonight's caller has been a regular for years. We recognize his caller ID, which is a plus. Knowing it is him, we can put him on speaker phone and let him rant while continuing our task at hand.

The only way to explain this caller and still be politically correct--a lonely, misguided elderly man who has tendencies making him a war veteran. He gets on his jags and calls. And calls. And calls. Two nights ago, he called over 50 or 60 times. Tonight, he called in upwards of 50 times. He does not say anything coherent. You catch a word here or there like "dying" or "why do we hurt the precious animals" or "mayor ....coward." Unfortunately, every comment contains numerous expletives. Now, we've been told that once someone starts screaming, swearing, and ignoring any comments we have to offer, we have the right to hang up. This little man just keeps calling over and over again. Tonight, every 30 seconds like clock work. I oftentimes want to ask him if he calls everyone or just us. However, he does not answer any of our questions. That is why I do not feel bad putting him on speaker phone and letting him go wild. Then he hangs up and dials up again. And again, and again!

This is bordering on harassment. However, we've been told if he does not make any threats, there is nothing that can be done. I have a very hard time comprehending how anyone can call a tv station with some of the cockamamie requests. I take it personally when someone, such as our little elderly man, calls in numerous times disrupting my job with no purpose. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with another career where this may happen. I'm stalled. Everyone has their inane requests, but I think the assignment editor has outright won this strange award.

Then all of a sudden, the calls stop for the night. No rhyme or reason. They just end and peace of mind is restored, for the moment!