Re: This is awful

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna Halper" <dlh@donnahalper.com>
To: "Sean Smyth" <ssmyth@suscom.net>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: This is awful


> Yes. A Stern fan got onto CNN and claimed to have witnessed the LA airport
> shooter calling out "Artie stole my job!"  Despite the reference to Jackie
> the Joke Man, the CNN crew didn't get it, nor did the AP, which spread the
> story as fact and it took hours for it to be refuted, since it soon
> appeared on websites

Donna:  Why don't the networks learn from these incident?  I would think
they could take steps to confirm the identity of the callers (ask for a
number to call back, an address, and so forth) and then tape the call for
later broadcast.  This system wouldn't be perfect and some false reports
might still make the air but most hoaksters would back out and those that
didn't wouldn't get their Stern references on the air.  This would at least
discourage such callers.

I understand people making the mistakes in the middle of live coverage --
it's a too job -- but the networks should adopt policies to minimize the
chances of such mistakes.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine