The News Junkie, reporting on YouTube, showing her in action...

Last edited by Radiowiz (July 11, 2022 7:00 am)

OK, confession time. I won't use the name of the anchor person in this story, because it would not be fair, but I can assure you, this newscaster was very famous. It happened in the TV newsroom where I was working at the time. One day, this person went out to grab a quick bite to eat before the 6 o'clock show and was gone for a while. 

When this guy/gal came back, it was pretty obvious they'd had a few. And maybe a few too many. No one noticed until the show started and the newscaster started slurring their words on air. The news was delivered without problem, and nothing like the woman in the video. But there was clearly something wrong with the enunciation and delivery that night. 

Thankfully, this was before the days of the Internet or I can only imagine the reaction and the video might still be on YouTube to this day. Instead, the phones started ringing. There were so many, they overflowed and anyone near a phone was asked to take the excess. I answered one of them, to be greeted by an irate viewer who told me in an angry voice, "I can't believe your station would allow a person on the air who's obviously drunk!" 

The on-air type wasn't drunk, per se, but was definitely feeling the effects of something. I believe the story that was fed out was that this person had been to the dentist, had their mouth frozen temporarily and it had not worn off. But like a good soldier, he/she was carrying on with their job as best as they could, because it was too late to find a replacement. 

The guy on the phone didn't buy any of it. "I know when someone's had a few too many!" he yelled at me, and then promptly hung up. 

To this person's credit, they never, ever showed up at work in that condition again and it was the only time in a very long, very distinguished and award-winning career that it happened. But it just goes to show that even the most experienced air person can sometimes make a mistake.

They just can't make it twice. 

I have 3 airchecks of a weekend afternoon Toronto rock station newsman in 1969 who was very, very, very drunk.  He interviewed a couple of kids walking down Yonge Street for Oxfam in a truly embarrassing radio moment.  He got through 3 complete newscasts (one at the top of each hour) before he was 'relieved' of his duties.