Radio Fail

October 21, 2009 4:41 PM

"I leave with a heavy heart as part of the changes that have, in my humble opinion, destroyed the station that I helped to set up 29 years ago."
Radio Fail documents (mostly UK) radio bloopers and cock-ups.
posted by hnnrs (11 comments total)

I love the titular entry, although I wouldn't call something a fail when it had to be tremendously satisfying. Googling that phrase doesn't bring up the guy's identity; can someone tell me?
posted by Countess Elena at 4:51 PM on October 21, 2009

Is it DLT, the Hairy Cornflake?
posted by the cuban at 4:56 PM on October 21, 2009

No it's not..
posted by the cuban at 4:59 PM on October 21, 2009

Holy crap, I could send them almost every show I ever did.

I worked for a broadcast radio station between '93-96. It was a college station, but you could get it 45 miles away.

I remember once saying, "Total Passover sucks," on air after a listener request, and one of the band member's girlfriends called up and was all, "We're going to sue you for slander and have you fired!" (It was all volunteer.)

So I spent the next hour giving the defenses against libel and slander, interspersing this with the station's call sign (FCC required). "91+ where Total Passover still sucks!"

Don't get me wrong, I was out of line, but screw it, I had an opinion, it was my soapbox, and I did three shows for the station, so was dedicating 9+ hours of my life to the medium, and in my opinion the band did suck (sorry Tara).

My big break was finally being able to take my stupid radio license to the big time! I got to guest DJ for a Des Moines station (it's defunct now and I don't remember the call sign). This was so cool. I got to say what I wanted, had a huge audience, etc. I just couldn't swear. You have no fucking idea how hard that was for me. I'd found my calling. I knew what I wanted to do.

Then, after actually cashing that $50 check (for 4 hours of work), I talked to the guy whose show I'd take over for the evening. He was pulling down 24k a year. Admittedly, this was the early 90s, but I already knew broadcast was not where it was at.

This said, I totally played the Robyn Hitchcock "Raymond Chandler Evening" 45 at a speed slower than it was supposed to be, whenever requested (a trick from the DJ that trained me [hi Sean]), and it always went over well.

I was born to be on radio or be a bookseller. Unfortunately, you can't feed yourself doing either of these.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:07 PM on October 21, 2009 [6 favorites]

Is it Ghostbusters 2?
posted by ShawnStruck at 5:51 PM on October 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

Good thing those bloopers didn't happen here in the Land of the Free™; each profane utterance would be a $7,000 to $32,500 administrative fine (as well as the risk of "imprisonment for not more than two years" if a prosecutor takes it to court and wins).

I bet the Brits are real glad they shipped their Puritans here.
posted by Wufpak at 6:04 PM on October 21, 2009

Some classics from stateside. Warning: realplayer required, so you know these clips have to be at least 50, 60 years old.
posted by not_on_display at 7:26 PM on October 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

Famed Golden Voiced Announcer Gary Owens reacts appropriately when given a live spot to read cold: a Christmas Greeting from Preparation H. (direct link to mp3, SFW because Gary is the consummate professional even when totally losing it)

While "Dick Clark's TV Bloopers" was running, he released an album of "Uncensored Radio Bloopers" which, if anybody can find sound files of it, is AWESOME. (Includes one track of the DJ I worked for long-ago, broadcasting live during an earthquake, mixing swearing, terror and random philosophising into a total NOT-FAIL moment)
posted by wendell at 7:53 PM on October 21, 2009 [3 favorites]

Do you have a brain or is your head just full of shit?
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth at 10:40 PM on October 21, 2009 [2 favorites]

profane utterance would be a $7,000 to $32,500 administrative fine

Yeah, I got a request once for Ministry's song "Stigmata," but I couldn't find the version I was looking for, so threw on the disc "Live in Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up." Let's just say the ending was quite different and I am pretty sure I owe someone a lot of money.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:53 PM on October 22, 2009

Check out this segment of Manager's Corner with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver.
posted by not_on_display at 4:47 PM on October 22, 2009