To think radio interviews should be conducted on land line phones?

[MorrisZapp]

I listen to a lot of talk type radio. Since lockdown, there are countless segments conducted over what sounds like a zoom link.

Constant dropping, lagging, weird wobbly voice effects etc. It makes for really awkward listening, and removes the listener from the immediacy of radio.

Could this not be done better by land line telephone? Zoom meetings are bad enough face to face, I can't see why they're needed on the radio.

Sorry I didn't mean to enable voting. Its hardly a voting issue, more of a technical question.

Does everyone have a landline now?

I've wondered this... I'm guessing it's something to do with how they record it? Or maybe they do a video call so that they can see each other when they're talking, as normally, they'd both be in the same studio.

I know many people don't have a land line but they could access one for the purpose of appearing on the radio? Or even talk on a mobile? I don't see why a video link is used, it certainly sounds like a video link anyway.

I don't know anyone with a landline anymore

It's hard to talk naturally and not talk over each other all the time on the phone. Zoom allows reactions, to see what the others doing/going to do.

I haven't owned a landline... ever. Not since I left my mums house

Zoom gives a much better audio quality than my landline does. Zoom sounds like you're in the same room, my landline makes it sound like you're in a different country.

I've found the opposite. Phone conversation flows naturally while zoom is all 'oh no you go first' and hesitation. Admittedly I haven't been a zoom user for long but many people find it awkward, there are loads of memes etc about it.

I don't know anyone without a landline, even if they don't use it very much. Those of you without I assume you use mobile broadband (which may explain poor quality Zoom calls).

I definitely prefer landline calls, although I get a decent mobile reception where I live. But it's not fun trying to talk to someone and losing half of what they say especially when it's a work call.

Landlines sound awful when broadcast, worst of all the options.

I don't know the best option but I agree that they shouldn't have them on if the audio quality isn't good enough. I'd rather they Pre recorded those segments as well where possible as well to avoid the awful sound and connection issues.

I don’t know anyone with a landline these days - not even my parents! We don’t even have them at work now. They’re virtually obsolete.

I have a landline because I live with my Nan. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have one as no need. Where would you have me go to use one, a telephone box vulnerable to street noise etc?

Lots of people have and use landlines.

Surely everyone in the UK with broadband (except those using mobile broadband) had a landline? You may choose not to use it but it's there all the same and you are still paying lone rental for it.

I've been on the radio maybe... 5x in last 7 months? Plus some TV.

ime, They never ask to use video connection when it's just radio. Maybe some interviewees insist on using Zoom or Slack but normally the producers ask for mobile number as first choice and are very happy if you say you've got an ISDN line. They say that landlines aren't any more reliable for connection but are worse for sound quality. I try to use headphones too, to avoid echo (not possible with landline). The producers check the sound quality before one goes live.

I've only interviewed from office or home. Maybe some people are interviewing from bad connection places.

I don't like interviews thru masks, harder to understand thru muffle.

We don’t have landlines at work and we regularly have people giving interviews. It’s all voice over ip in the office.

I gave up my landline at home in 2002. My house doesn’t even have phone jacks

@weathervane1 well yes I suppose I have the plug but not owning a landline phone set kind of means I don't have it. I use my mobile, live in C London so never lose signal

Do people really only use mobile broadband at home? And have signal and data allowance for streaming and video calls?

We need a landline for our alarm system.

We also need a landline for phone calls as no mobile signal and poor broadband at home, so voice over data isn’t great.

That said, I’m not a regular interviewee on radio 🤣

I have a high-speed fiber internet service. We were part of a test install so it’s super fast. I could do a virtual phone number through that just like you could with any internet connection at this point. That isn’t a landline though. It’s voice over IP.

I haven't had a landline for 8 years. we have regular broadband & resent paying the 'line rental' but if we plug a phone in then it messes up the internet somehow. And there is no need for a landline these days.

I have done a few radio interviews recently - all over zoom or similar.

No landline here!