A former radio host spilled the beans about caller numbers during giveaways. According to him, there is no caller 100.
The video started off with a stitch from TikTok user @tacoreacts who asked, “What’s a company secret that we shouldn’t know but you’re just like, f*ck it, I hate this job?” User @itsmcginn, a former radio host and DJ, took the opportunity to spill the tea about giveaways. “Fun fact, they actually never give it to the actual caller number 100,” he reveals.
@itsmcginn #stitch with @Taco reacts opps i did it again. #radio #funfacts #taylorswift #radio ♬ original sound – itsmcginn
Why? “Because the radio host or producer really doesn’t feel like counting that high,” he claims. Instead, she says they skip numbers. As calls pour in, the host starts spouting out random numbers until they reach 100. “So, when the radio host tells you, ‘Congratulations, you’re caller number 100,’ you’re probably, in reality, caller number 12. Congrats,” he concluded the video.
The video garnered more than 33,000 views since it was posted. In the comments, alleged former and current workers in the radio industry confirmed @itsmcginn’s assertion.
“Radio producer here: I can confirm this,” one viewer wrote.
“As a former radio sales rep this is accurate 100%,” a second agreed.
In addition, others shared how they’ve won tickets from giveaways.
“Woohoo! I feel even more lucky that I won Kelly Clarkson tickets!!!” one user commented.
“My local radio is caller #9.. I won Ed Sheeran tickets once,” a second stated.
One viewer quipped, “Excuse me. ‘Saved By The Bell ‘had me trying to time my call to a radio station to win stuff as a kid. Don’t do this to me.”
How do radio stations determine the winning number of listeners? According to Live 365, “Both internet and terrestrial radio stations track audience size using devices called Portable People Meters or Nielsen Meters, a couple of basic radio terms to know. These are device-selected groups of sample listeners used to record their listening habits and report the data to media research providers such as Nielsen. PPM devices used to be similar to pagers, but today wearables often serve as PPMs.”
This isn’t the first time a radio DJ has given audiences a look behind the scenes. Last year, a radio DJ in North Carolina went viral after explaining the process of running a radio contest, starting from the initial request for calls and ending with the winning call playing on air.
In an interview with The Daily Dot, @itsmcginn revealed he worked as a radio host for eight years, from 2015-2023 for a radio station that is no longer in operation. In addition, @itsmcginn predicted radio will become obsolete in a few years.
“Radio is going to die in a few years. With instant access to music on demand, the new generation doesn’t see the value in it. Also corporate giants are killing radio because they value online #s & click rate over on air product,” he wrote.