That’s not a screener problem.

They must still be there - almost every caller starts his or her rant with, "As I was telling your screener..."

My guess - there aren't that many great phone calls, but when you're doing a talk show and soliciting responses, sometimes you take what you can get.

I recall from my time in that chair that putting even one caller on the air when few were dialing in often prompted others to do the same. So it's a lot like priming a water pump. The first few spurts out of it are dirty and undrinkable and you have no choice but to let it come out. But what comes after that is fit for human consumption. 

ig wrote:

Obviously depends on the host but my rule as a producer was only the absolute best and the absolute worst.  Everything in-between is a tune out.  A good host doesn't need calls and should only use them to make his show better.  

I couldn't agree more, but I found that sometimes when there are no calls, it only takes one to open the floodgates. So sometimes, you put on a small dud - make it quick! - in hoping what follows is a torrent of decent people with real points to make.