I first heard someone says “long time listener first time caller” some six years ago in a podcast I was listening to on 5by5 network. These words stuck with me. I can imagine being uncomfortable calling a radio show or podcast. You are talking to someone comfortable talking on podcast/radio, but you, the person on the other end, have not done this before. An agreement/saying that puts the person calling for the first time at ease. I wish more industries/avenues had this kind of agreement/saying.
Perhaps it is a way for the caller to have it both ways: “long time listener” establishes credentials in terms of knowledge…. but if they blow it, their excuse is that they are a “first-time caller”. In talk radio land, I guess that first-time caller label is supposed to evoke sympathy from the host.
