"I can't believe I..." (on-air faux pas)

LtDunsel · Post by **LtDunsel** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:03 am

Tell on yourself, what stupid things have you done?

I was a 17 yr old HS student, and had been working the evening shift at a 1000 watt day/250 watt night AM for maybe a month, my first radio gig. It'd been raining HARD for a week, and the creeks and streams were about ready to overflow. As a student, I was anxiously waiting for "the call" that school the next day would be cancelled. (Not to mention the non-stop calls coming in with the inevitible "is there school tomorrow?" question)

And eventually, the call DID come in. "This is _____, school superintendent, and I'd like you to announce that school tomorrow is cancelled."

So I immediately went on air after every record and made the announcement, answering every phone call with, "Yes, you heard right, school tomorrow has been cancelled."

After about an hour the phone rings, dude asks, "Have you been announcing that school tomorrow has been cancelled?" Naturally, smiling from ear to ear, I replied in the affirmative. "And where did you get that information?" And of course, being the "professional broadcaster" that I was, I replied, "The school supt. called." To which he replied, "No, I'm the supt, and I didn't call. The password is _____, and there IS school tomorrow."

I'd been "played" by a couple of HS seniors who called in...sigh. So NOW I have to go on-air, and announce that "there WILL be school tomorrow," and deal with the repurcussions. (MORE phone calls ensue, yada yada yada). The PD just laughed, gave me the "these things happen, don't worry" schpiel, reminded me that I'd been advised that there was a list of passwords for this kind of thing, "make sure you use it from now on, this is a lesson you won't forget."

So naturally I was the brunt of a few jokes before homeroom the next morning. Bell rings, we all head to homeroom, and the daily announcements begin with, "School today is being cancelled, buses will begin loading in a few minutes..."

Needless to say, I was sort of exonerated, but the PD was right, this was a lesson I NEVER forgot.

"Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, I'll probably get canned."

SPIKE NESMITH! · Post by **SPIKE NESMITH!** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:20 am

Jo Whiley, one of my favourite music broadcasters, had quite the tonge-twisting mistake on her show last week whilst trying to say "East Kent Cup". Paging Dr Freud!

Dave Loudin · Post by **Dave Loudin** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:58 am

The one sterling boner in my short career was in 1978 on WSGB. While reading ripped AP copy about the unrest in Iran for an afternoon newscast, I spied an unusual word about three lines down from what I was saying. There was the usual helpful phonetic spelling following, but I didn't process it fully. Hence, the phrase "Iran's shitty moslems..." made it out over the air. Although I kept right on reading, I fully expected to get a few calls.

I didn't get a single call (hmmm), and didn't hear from anybody from the station until the next day. As I walked into the office, I heard one of the other guys say "How about those shitty Moslems?"

EZ103.3FM · Post by **EZ103.3FM** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:07 pm

Dave Loudin wrote:The one sterling boner in my short career was in 1978 on WSGB. While reading ripped AP copy about the unrest in Iran for an afternoon newscast, I spied an unusual word about three lines down from what I was saying. There was the usual helpful phonetic spelling following, but I didn't process it fully. Hence, the phrase "Iran's shitty moslems..." made it out over the air. Although I kept right on reading, I fully expected to get a few calls.

I didn't get a single call (hmmm), and didn't hear from anybody from the station until the next day. As I walked into the office, I heard one of the other guys say "How about those shitty Moslems?"

Apparently no one gave a shiite.

Dave Loudin · Post by **Dave Loudin** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:13 pm

EZ103.3FM wrote:Apparently no one gave a shiite.

Or, everyone (defined as 7 listeners plus the 20 cows in the field with the transmitter shack) agreed completely.

LtDunsel · Post by **LtDunsel** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:17 pm

SPIKE NESMITH! wrote:Jo Whiley, one of my favourite music broadcasters, had quite the tonge-twisting mistake on her show last week whilst trying to say "East Kent Cup". Paging Dr Freud!

Soooooooo, she said, "East Kunt Kep" ?? ROFL

AmpedNow · Post by **AmpedNow** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:30 pm

SPIKE NESMITH! wrote:Jo Whiley, one of my favourite music broadcasters, had quite the tonge-twisting mistake on her show last week whilst trying to say "East Kent Cup". Paging Dr Freud!

She's good.

I enjoy Radio 1.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:20 pm

Just last month while doing a live broadcast at a car dealership I said something like, "This huge sale comes to end at 8pm tonite at Thornhill Gm Superstore." The problem? I was doing the remote at Moore Chrysler in Williamson.

Big Media · Post by **Big Media** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:56 pm

daveinthemorning wrote:Just last month while doing a live broadcast at a car dealership I said something like, "This huge sale comes to end at 8pm tonite at Thornhill Gm Superstore." The problem? I was doing the remote at Moore Chrysler in Williamson.

Classic.

Bob Loblaw · Post by **Bob Loblaw** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:13 pm

Live remote from Tom Peden.

Copy said: Chevrolet (somethings) starting at $18,000, (somethings) starting at $22,000, and (somethings) at $25,000 with $2000 rebate

What came out of my mouth: Chevrolet (somethings) starting at 18 hundred, (somethings) starting at 22 hundred, and (somethings) at 25 hundred with $2000 rebate.

(I was so dumb.)

Jay Nunley · Post by **Jay Nunley** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:49 pm

On three occasions in my career I have said the wrong station name on the air. The third one (and I hope it was the last) was only two months ago.

Clay JD Walker · Post by **Clay JD Walker** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:07 am

i heard that jay...while enroute back from one of my own remotes...what was best was your recovery...hahaha!

herdgirl72 · Post by **herdgirl72** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:11 am

I've said Gino's while at a Giovanni's remote!! Oops...

and then there was that unfortunate Bucky the Bull incident.....

Bob Campbell · Post by **Bob Campbell** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:28 am

While doing mornings at WONE Akron. Emceeing Judas Priest concert in front of 10,000 people. This was when Ripper Owens had replaced Rob Halford (see the movie about it, Rockstar with Mark Wahlberg). We're talking backstage (and doing some other "bad" things) about 80's metal bands like Priest, Scorpions, and others.
I go on stage, welcome Ripper home for his first live show in Akron and introduce, "ladies and gentlemen, The Scorpions!!.....uhh, Judas Priest".

Ran off stage thinking,"whew, nobody noticed". My Promotions guy comes running up yelling "hey asshole, I got it all on tape".
5 Years later he still reminds me about it at least once a month.

Did I mention the audience member on the tape who you can hear yelling,"what a fucking idiot"?

Zak Tyler · Post by **Zak Tyler** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:48 am

Bob Campbell wrote:While doing mornings at WONE Akron. Emceeing Judas Priest concert in front of 10,000 people. This was when Ripper Owens had replaced Rob Halford (see the movie about it, Rockstar with Mark Wahlberg). We're talking backstage (and doing some other "bad" things) about 80's metal bands like Priest, Scorpions, and others.
I go on stage, welcome Ripper home for his first live show in Akron and introduce, "ladies and gentlemen, The Scorpions!!.....uhh, Judas Priest".

Ran off stage thinking,"whew, nobody noticed". My Promotions guy comes running up yelling "hey asshole, I got it all on tape".
5 Years later he still reminds me about it at least once a month.

Did I mention the audience member on the tape who you can hear yelling,"what a fucking idiot"?

lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it coulda been worse.

you could have started by saying "WHAT'S UP PITTSBURGH!!!!"

1015RiverRat · Post by **1015RiverRat** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:37 pm

At least you didn't call them The Beach Boys!