The perils of *LIVE* TV “caught on tape”

I’ve worked in TV long enough to see a fair share of things go wrong, including a homeless woman stripping in the distance before running up behind a reporter interviewing an FBI Special Agent-in-Charge.

Yes, all of it “live.”

Another bit of bad luck happened to a reporter as I anchored an evening newscast in Albuquerque. She appeared lively and enthusiastic at the beginning of her live shot. But when she reappeared at the end of her report, she was soaked and dripping with determination to get through an uncomfortable moment. Turns out she was standing next to a sprinkler.

I am also thankful for the moments that were not live. A late 1990s meth bust in the East Mountains outside of Albuquerque comes to mind. For at that secluded scene within the pinon and juniper, a dog raced towards me and fervently established an undeniable connection with my leg. This was a very friendly canine.

It was so bad, I had to seek refuge in the live truck. Yet another good reason for responsible pet ownership: Get them spayed and–in this case–NEUTERED.

At least it wasn’t “live.”

The reporters that appear in a montage (below) posted on YouTube just yesterday weren’t so lucky.

They now know, first hand, the potential perils of TV news reporting (much of what you’ll see was live).

Some of these broadcast journalists, no doubt, would have gladly accepted an encounter with a “friendly” dog or a sprinkler surprise in exchange for the fates that unfolded here…