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From: dciem!gandalf!oheare@uunet.uu.net (David O'Heare)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Radio Station Causes Telephone Overload
Message-ID: <12796@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 Sep 90 15:13:08 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 695, Message 5 of 8


TELECOM Digest readers might be interested in this morning's telephone
happenings in Ottawa.

One of our local radio stations is running a promotion and giving away
four cars -- special edition black Mazda Miatas, for those interested.
Every once in a while the station plays a special "sting", and the
106th caller through after it wins (the station is CHEZ, FM 106.1).
The calls go to a number on a "choke" exchange (613-750).

The sting got played at 7:40 A.M. As a faithful listener and a fan of
free cars, I try my luck.  Pick up the phone, dial, and immediately
get an odd busy signal - not reorder, but a busy about 30% faster than
normal.  As time passed it took longer and longer (eventually almost
30 seconds) to get dialtone when I went off-hook, although I always
got battery immediately.  Strangely, there were a couple of times that
DTMF tones didn't break dial tone, though pulse dialling always
worked.

I guess I'm not their only faithful listener :-) 

BTW, the fellow who won is a college (read poor) student.  I suspect
he may miss a class or two today.


Dave O'Heare   oheaer@gandalf.ca   +1 613 723 6500