Yeah, I think things escalated around ~2010. It's definitely not an everyday thing, but I think every year or two someone manages to scream the N word on Washington Journal. Around 2012 they added a short delay to calls and every once in a while they make the delay even longer. There was also a period around the 2012 election when people kept calling in and asking about the size of Mitt Romney's penis.
Sounds like classic trolling fare, as in: Mitt Romney's penis is only discussed in places where mention of his penis is frowned on. Given how many Americans think "hate speech" is a legally defined thing, I'd expect offensive language in any environment where there is a chance to remotely provoke a reaction. That is, unless Romney's penis is commonly discussed on amateur radio - in that case there is something much more interesting happening.
