Weekend Assignment: Bad Ideas
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What is the worst idea you ever had? Amuse us with a story of a cunning plan that produced less than stellar results.
As I told Karen in the comments, I could think of too many things- - unless I'm put on the spot! So I'm going to tell a story of a spur-of-the moment plan gone wrong.
Years ago, I used to work in Christian radio. I worked for a small station in a large market. Most of what we aired were "preaching and teaching" programs. While we had a number of nationally-syndicated programs with high production values, we also had a number of local programs with high production values. And then there were the ones put out on a shoestring budget. With some we were hard-pressed to tell that they didn't have a fancy studio. Some, however, were - charitably speaking, of course - stopwatch-challenged.
A fifteen minute program ran 14:30, and a half hour program was supposed to run 29:30. That left just enough time for a quick station ID and maybe a commercial before the next program. For some, the sermon was what it was. It might run five minutes, it might go for 20. We had to be ready with filler material in case of technical problems - on their end or ours.
One night I put on a program and stepped out to check the wire for the latest news, since I was supposed to read headlines afterward. We didn't have a monitor near the wire machine, but I could look in through the glass to the studio and see the volume needles. I could also prop open the door and crank up the monitor. I could hear that there was sound, but not always what was being said.
I looked up from the wire machine and saw that the needles were flat. No sound. They were dead, Jim.
I did what I was supposed to do in such a situation: I ran into the studio, checked the transmitter readings to make sure we weren't off the air, and then sat down, opened the microphone and made the, "we're experiencing technical difficulties..." statement. The tape was still rolling because I hadn't thought to stop it. Just as I reached for the button to start the filler music, I heard:
"Ladies and gentlemen, that was a moment of silence for our dear, departed parishioner."
It was a good thing I'd muted my microphone, for the sound of my beating my head against the console probably would have drowned out the rest of the sermon.
The next day I made sure there was a monitor at the wire machine. I even got a portable radio to carry when I went "down the hall."
Well, I did what I was supposed to do. The results were just too embarrassing to contemplate.
Extra Credit: Have you a mad scheme that's still in the planning stages? Yes, but I don't even want to talk about it, yet.because it's still in the early planning stages. But if I start it and it does fail, you'll know about it. ;-)
Tags: Weekend Assignment
Filed under: Weekend Assignment
Comments are closed
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Heh. That's like one of those endlessly forwarded anecdotes, except that it actually happened!
Date: 7/13/2008 8:15:36 PM
Date: 7/13/2008 8:15:36 PM
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Heh. That's like one of those endlessly forwarded anecdotes, except that it actually happened!
Date: 7/13/2008 8:15:36 PM
Date: 7/13/2008 8:15:36 PM
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