# Are all radio station "crank calls" fake?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 31, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594 "2013-12-31T22:15:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594/41 "2014-01-02T20:23:37Z")

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> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#):
>
> Would it be correct that this FCC rule does not apply to calls made to people who hold political office? Because those calls are protected by the First Amendment? The prank calls to [Sarah Palin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masked_Avengers'_prank_on_Sarah_Palin) and [Scott Walker](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/scott-walker-buffalo-beast-phone-prank_n_827058.html) got wide airplay.

Your first link was about a call made by a Quebec based show. The second was made by an online newspaper. Neither of which are under the FCC. If either were made by American radio shows they could have been fined.

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**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594/42 "2014-01-02T20:27:24Z")

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The early Rush callers were certainly all fake.

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**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594/43 "2014-01-03T14:59:46Z")

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> [@phungi](#):
>
> Not sure if “radio station” refers to the Howard Stern show, but Captain Janks made dozens over the years, perhaps the most famous being his [portrayal of a neighbor of OJ Simpson who got through to Peter Jennings and Al Michaels on live tv.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLmoqbR3gto)

My understanding is that it is still legal to play recordings of calls made to other radio stations and tv stations. Obviously, people broadcasting have no expectation of privacy. It would be no different than playing a clip of the other show on the air. A prank caller recording would be no different than recording a legit caller.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-radio-station-crank-calls-fake/677594/44 "2014-01-03T20:35:37Z")

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Yes, call-in radio shows are explicitly legal by that FAA code. If you are calling in, you have no expectation of not being recorded. Ergo, the one calling in also recording should be covered. But the recordings are probably from the show itself.

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