notes now. ‘Usually attention is helpful for a radio station. You know how keen I am to build up our corporate identity.
But this smells like a smear campaign. Someone is trying to blacken your name and ours. If it quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck, most people think it’s a duck.’
Lily wasn’t sure exactly what Bernie was saying. Smears. Smells. Ducks.
Was he off his head?
‘Are you taking me off the graveyard shift? Are you firing me?’
For a nano second, Lily wondered if a volunteer, who wasn’t paid, COULD be fired. Was she going to be the first to be fired before she even had a proper job? Unexpectedly, Bernie smiled.
‘No way. We’re in for the fight.’ Bernie’s fat circled eyes gleamed. ‘Someone’s out to destroy your reputation. But I’m in two minds how we should handle it? We could get a sub for you because we’ve got a genuine audience out there. With 10,000 paid up subscribers who shell out $65 per year to support their community radio stations and our sponsors—sorry supporters. Remember how the phones lit up with secondary students when you did a talkback on youth suicide. But Radio 3BC can’t afford ratings. Most station personnel don’t bother with the numbers game unless they want to get hijacked into mainstream radio. That’s what might happen to you. That or be destroyed.’
‘I don’t want to give in to him! And I don’t want to go to the police. Since he listens most of the time,’ Lily said firmly. ‘How about we run a program on something that will worry him… like… like… Stalkers as a subject! Get some experts on the line. Psychologists. Criminologists. Tackle him head on. Provoke him into calling in?’
Bernie shrugged. ‘Maybe. Wasn’t that done in an old movie once? Pity to waste all Jamie’s research and to waste a good idea.’ Bernie scratched his tummy reflectively. ‘But how would you handle it, if he did call on air?’
‘Treat him just like the rest.’ Lily thought rapidly. ‘Hit the kill button if he gets strange. Make a backup tape, just in case, anything serious happens.’
‘We’d need to give you some more support. These graveyard times are a worry for a young girl alone. Is Jamie doing the panel on your next session?’
Lily nodded. ‘Finished his exams. He’ll be there.’
‘I’ll have a word with Max too. He can drop in more often. And that big brother of yours is a bit big to miss the way he’s been jogging through the carpark. Maybe he’d like to sit in the studio and listen to your program tonight?’
Lily shrugged. ‘Fine. Not much space for jogging in there.’
‘This Stalker knows when you’re on air. It’s listed in the program. So he’s likely to be hanging around later tonight.’
‘We could pre-record?’ suggested Lily. ‘Except for the experts and talkback. Maybe do those tomorrow night? Might take a few hours to line up. I accept that I’m a target. But I’m not going to be a “victim” and I’m not even going to be called one.’
‘Right on,’ enthused Bernie. ‘Let’s do it. If Jamie’s there and the studio is free, you could start a pre-record in ten minutes. Just for an hour and then fill up with music. Graveyard is too long to pre-record all of it.’ He dialled quickly and a minute later, Jamie’s cheerful face appeared at the door, holding a thick book under his arm. Paper markers stuck out of certain pages.
‘Hi Lily. I’m the stalker-deterrent. Like fly spray. Stalkee-escort duty tonight. Me and a few others. So just cool it a bit, eh? Ready to roll’
Did she feel better? Not really, but he was trying hard. ‘Thanks Jamie.’
Did he think he was going to brain the stalker with that book?
‘Even got some questions ready for the quiz. Name ten three-letter body parts to be found in the medical textbook Grey’s Anatomy.’ Jamie fumbled in the large book under his arm. Paper markers fell on the floor.
But this smells like a smear campaign. Someone is trying to blacken your name and ours. If it quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck, most people think it’s a duck.’
Lily wasn’t sure exactly what Bernie was saying. Smears. Smells. Ducks.
Was he off his head?
‘Are you taking me off the graveyard shift? Are you firing me?’
For a nano second, Lily wondered if a volunteer, who wasn’t paid, COULD be fired. Was she going to be the first to be fired before she even had a proper job? Unexpectedly, Bernie smiled.
‘No way. We’re in for the fight.’ Bernie’s fat circled eyes gleamed. ‘Someone’s out to destroy your reputation. But I’m in two minds how we should handle it? We could get a sub for you because we’ve got a genuine audience out there. With 10,000 paid up subscribers who shell out $65 per year to support their community radio stations and our sponsors—sorry supporters. Remember how the phones lit up with secondary students when you did a talkback on youth suicide. But Radio 3BC can’t afford ratings. Most station personnel don’t bother with the numbers game unless they want to get hijacked into mainstream radio. That’s what might happen to you. That or be destroyed.’
‘I don’t want to give in to him! And I don’t want to go to the police. Since he listens most of the time,’ Lily said firmly. ‘How about we run a program on something that will worry him… like… like… Stalkers as a subject! Get some experts on the line. Psychologists. Criminologists. Tackle him head on. Provoke him into calling in?’
Bernie shrugged. ‘Maybe. Wasn’t that done in an old movie once? Pity to waste all Jamie’s research and to waste a good idea.’ Bernie scratched his tummy reflectively. ‘But how would you handle it, if he did call on air?’
‘Treat him just like the rest.’ Lily thought rapidly. ‘Hit the kill button if he gets strange. Make a backup tape, just in case, anything serious happens.’
‘We’d need to give you some more support. These graveyard times are a worry for a young girl alone. Is Jamie doing the panel on your next session?’
Lily nodded. ‘Finished his exams. He’ll be there.’
‘I’ll have a word with Max too. He can drop in more often. And that big brother of yours is a bit big to miss the way he’s been jogging through the carpark. Maybe he’d like to sit in the studio and listen to your program tonight?’
Lily shrugged. ‘Fine. Not much space for jogging in there.’
‘This Stalker knows when you’re on air. It’s listed in the program. So he’s likely to be hanging around later tonight.’
‘We could pre-record?’ suggested Lily. ‘Except for the experts and talkback. Maybe do those tomorrow night? Might take a few hours to line up. I accept that I’m a target. But I’m not going to be a “victim” and I’m not even going to be called one.’
‘Right on,’ enthused Bernie. ‘Let’s do it. If Jamie’s there and the studio is free, you could start a pre-record in ten minutes. Just for an hour and then fill up with music. Graveyard is too long to pre-record all of it.’ He dialled quickly and a minute later, Jamie’s cheerful face appeared at the door, holding a thick book under his arm. Paper markers stuck out of certain pages.
‘Hi Lily. I’m the stalker-deterrent. Like fly spray. Stalkee-escort duty tonight. Me and a few others. So just cool it a bit, eh? Ready to roll’
Did she feel better? Not really, but he was trying hard. ‘Thanks Jamie.’
Did he think he was going to brain the stalker with that book?
‘Even got some questions ready for the quiz. Name ten three-letter body parts to be found in the medical textbook Grey’s Anatomy.’ Jamie fumbled in the large book under his arm. Paper markers fell on the floor.
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