When things go off the rails using automation, they totally crash. Such was the case at 8 PM Thursday night, when I was out walking the dog listening to CFRB in my headphones. The clock struck eight and on came the news. It started normally enough, with Zaraidah Alman reading the headlines and throwing to traffic with the stinger. 

But for whatever reason, the traffic didn't run and the music bed kept going with no one talking over it. After about 10-15 secs. or more of nothing, Alman returned, only to have the headlines she just read repeated a second time. And of course, because it was pre-recorded, she threw to traffic again.

When it didn't come on, they played the weather stinger and she did the forecast. That was followed by the sign off, along with a liner about how the station brings you the news first. I wondered how they were going to fill the rest of the 5 minutes, when suddenly, there was Alman again, reading the news - with the lede starting in the middle of the second sentence.

By now the scheduled time was way off, so halfway through a story about the Hamilton bus strike settlement, she was cut off and NewsTalk Tonight began.

I have no idea what caused the glitch, but it was one of the worst screw-ups I think I've ever heard on a Toronto radio station.

What a mess! Oh, for the days when they all did it live...