Conservative Radio Using Paid Actors As Callers

Premiere Radio Networks, the company that syndicates Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and

Sean Hannity, plus many others, has been using paid actors to call in to their radio shows. I occasionally watch one of these shows,Leo Laporte - The Tech Guy, while I will still watch as I find it informative and entertaining, I will be left trying to guess which of the callers are real or paid actors. Actually, judging the acting skills of the caller could become fun all in of itself.

Premiere On Call is our new custom caller service,” read the service’s website. “We supply voice talent to take/make your on-air calls, improvise your scenes or deliver your scripts. Using our simple online booking tool, specify the kind of voice you need, and we’ll get your the right person fast. Unless you request it, you won’t hear that same voice again for at least two months, ensuring the authenticity of your programming for avid listeners.”  *The website was taken off line as soon as this story broke. Here is a cached version

 The actors are paid $40 an hour, with one hour guaranteed per day. Sounds like a pretty good gig to me. When Premiere's entertainment division,was contacted by a reporter, one individual who spoke off the record claimed that the service was still being offered.The audition request form indicated that Premiere was looking for distinct voice types that included gruff, light, clean, crisp, high, deep and textured voices.

I always viewed most call-in shows, especially the political and shock jock ones, as having very little credibility in the first place and never thought in million years that my opinion would ever change for the worse, man was I ever wrong on that one.