There have been a lot of bizarre moments or mistakes on air at nearly every radio station at one time or another, but you'll have to go some distance to beat the one that happened on Christmas Day. I was tuning around the AM dial Saturday afternoon just to see what each station was doing on the dullest programming day of the year, and I came across WWKB 1520, now known as "The Bet." (It's airing a format dedicated to sports gambling.)

They had regular programming on as usual, except when I tuned it in, something very strange was on the air. The voice of whoever was hosting (I assume it was on tape being Xmas) was stuck in a bizarre loop. And all I heard was someone saying this:

"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."
"Touchdown. And then they went..."

It went on and on and on like that with the exact same words being repeated over and over and over - and that's just from the time I turned it on. There's no knowing how long it had been happening before that. Well, needless to say, only people in radio would keep listening to that, just to see what happens next. So I was glued to the thing. 

After about four minutes of the same words being rebroadcast, they went to a series of spots, which played normally. They lasted about three minutes. And when they came back after a station I.D., it started all over again, this time with some new words. 

"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."
"Well, you can't think they..."

This went on for another 10 minutes or so, with the same thing being repeated endlessly. I have to admit, I couldn't turn it off. How long could this go on? 

Finally, after another spot break whatever it was rectified itself and they returned to regular programming. I'm assuming this had something to do with the automation software. But for the more technically informed out there, I'm curious - how could something like that happen? What would have caused an effect that was unlike anything I've ever heard before on any radio station?

Because for a while there, all "Bets" were off.