Payphones Past

Categories: SoundsUncategorized

Radio Disney Payphone Opera

Radio Disney broadcasts at 1560 on the AM dial in New York City.

Oddly enough, Radio Disney can also be heard over selected payphones, and probably other landlines. Through certain payphones I have heard Disney Radio, usually very faintly, mingling with the din of the dial tone, automated messages, and other payphone sounds.

I have heard Radio Disney (and never any other station, as far as I can tell) on many payphones, but never so loud and clear as today when I tried to use a certain Queens Boulevard phone. The radio interference almost overwhelmed the call, but there were other problems with this multi-malfunctional payphone. This provided for an entertainingly futile attempt at making a phone call. The push-button keys stuck, the sound of those touch-tones didn’t always seem quite right, automated voices repeatedly demanded that I redial the number, and after ending the attempted phone call (with that hideous hacking busy signal) the payphone swallowed my 50&#162.

Throw in a funky beat and we have the beginnings of a payphone opera.

Listen in:

the payphone project

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