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Whatever Happened To Radio Station Text Numbers?
I'll be the first one to admit I know next to nothing about the way the cellular phone system works. Maybe someone here does.
It used to be when texting a radio station, they'd give out a special number. You may remember CFRB's was "7-1010," which they promoted incessantly on air. AM 640 had one of its own, too, as did other outlets. But not anymore. Now if you want to text a station, you're asked to just use the regular call-in number.
Maybe it's just a cost saving gesture. But doesn't someone dialing a number to send a text wind up tying up that number for callers who want to go on air and just make it harder for listeners to get through? And do they still have special cell phone numbers to report traffic issues?
I admit I don't know how these systems work, but it seems to me they're putting a lot more stress on the available lines then they have to. Is everyone abandoning these in favour of one central phone number?
- Binson Echorec
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Re: Whatever Happened To Radio Station Text Numbers?
I heard a traffic reporter on 680News mention "call *680, it's a free call". Might be time to update their copy.
Long gone are the days when we bought phone plans by the minute. We now buy data-based plans and the phone stuff just seems to be included. I have free Canada-wide calling as a part of my plan; I rarely use the feature.
I'm guessing the technology has improved to the point where one number can cover both functions. Most systems are probably IP-based now and the text would be routed to a different stream long before it impacted an old-school caller dialing in. It's possibly cheaper this way on the back end too.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: Whatever Happened To Radio Station Text Numbers?
The CBC Radio station where I live, up until very recently, encouraged listeners to call *690 or #690 with traffic tips. Now they have a 10-digit number they want you to text, but it’s not a memorable number. I’ve never heard this particular number used for call-in; any call-in number on that station’s local shows has typically been a toll-free number or some other local number.