Mark my words, somewhere around this country somebody in radio or television is going to get blown out the door today as a result of an April fool’s joke gone bad.
Not because of the slow economy or the cratered advertising market, but because it’s April first.
April first? Are there mandatory firings on April first in the broadcasting industry? Well, in a word, yes.
Every year, some misguided rookie – or arrogant veteran – thinks that they’ll be the one to pull of the next great April first faux broadcast. They may be dumb enough to play the game in a newscast, or, it may come in chat – or on a talk show.
One way or the other though, somebody is going to do something stupid and the general manager is going to have to deliver the listening public, and corporate, an ass. Let the games begin.
So as I write this little blog 38 minutes into the second quarter – and April first – let’s see if I’m right. Let’s see what the self-inflicted body count is.
Granted, with 7,000 or so fewer people working in the electronic media right now than there were last April the odds are down somewhat, but if there’s one thing in which I never lose faith, it’s bad judgment.
