Off-Air
Transitions between news segments on television can be particularly difficult. A presenter or weatherman can be live without even realizing it if the required notice is not given. That’s exactly what happened in 2018 when the BBC had to cut meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker short due to technical difficulties. Unfortunately, Schafernaker appears to have been unaware of the problem. Schafernaker assumed he was off the radio after repeatedly shouting “Hello?” and received no response. He had no idea that tens of thousands of people were watching him wander offscreen, pick at his nails and clothing, and get angry at the lack of communication at the game. Even meteorologists have days off days.
Off Air
Throwing Everything Away
Have you ever been embarrassed at work and wished it would just go away? Tom Brown, the weather anchor for CTV Toronto, agreed! Brown was reporting from the polar bear exhibit at the Toronto 200 in 2011. Animal keepers asked the weatherman if he’d like to throw one of the bears’ favorite snacks, pumpkins, to them. Brown, unfortunately, missed the exhibit on both of his first two tosses! He then flung both his third pumpkin and his microphone into the frigid, polar bear-infested lake on his final throw! Brown wanted to forget about the incident, but his teammates wouldn’t let him. They teased the anchor over the years by substituting his weather chart with a video of his pumpkin throws.
Throwing Everything Away
