Radio Boss Issues Bizarre Memo Banning 119 Words From the Air

[meegbear]

Tribune Company CEO, Randy Michaels decided to micro-manage in the weirdest way possible — by banning words like 'authorities', 'diva' and 'manhunt' from the mouths of reporters or anchors at flagship news/talk station WGN-AM (720) in Chicago.

The station is located in his office building. Which is maybe why 'Randy' — his Wikipedia page says he changed his name from Benjamin Homel — thought it was OK to literally dictate what they say. He's also "directing his staff to keep tabs on each other's compliance: They're to report any on-air infractions by their co-workers, making sure to note the precise time and date on "bingo cards" he provided that contain a random assortment of Michaels' forbidden words," according to this report.

The full list is here, but the banned words include:

- Authorities

- Bare naked

- Clash with police

- Diva

- In the wake of (unless it's a boating story)

- Killing spree

- Manhunt

- Underwent surgery

- White stuff

http://gawker.com/5489965/radio-boss-issues-bizarre-memo-banning-119-words-from-the-air

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Michaels then went on to explain how he invented the question mark

n/t

[Lerkfish]

2. although some are looney choices, it seems to me he's trying to limit usage of bad cliches

which is not necessarily a bad thing

[John Q. Citizen]

5. My thought as well.

[Jim__]

11. I agree. But the list is so long, that it will make it hard for the DJs to talk coherently - n/t

[BurtWorm]

30. He's targeting news people, not DJs, just to be clear.

I hear he's forbidding DJs from saying things like "with a bullet," "spin this platter," and "get down to these sounds."

(Not really.)

[QC]

13. That's exactly what he's doing.

The means might be a little extreme, but the goal of eliminating vapid news clichés is a good one.

[Brickbat]

20. Yup. We have several words and phrases prohibited at one of the newspapers I worked at, and "white

stuff" was on the list. Which I fully support.

[Blue_Tires]

23. what the hell is white stuff?

[Brickbat]

24. It's a precious "euphemism" for snow.

[Blue_Tires]

26. oh...lol

i don't think i've ever heard it used...

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. Which is a euphamism for cocaine? nt

[demwing]

39. I thought it was a euphemism for cocaine

As in "Hey, What's that white stuff on your nose?"

Or possibly for sperm, as in "Hey, What's that white stuff on your nose?"

[Brickbat]

21. And having read the entire list, I agree with almost all of them.

[blondeatlast]

28. "Definitely possible..."

is one of the phrases he is trying to abolish and good for him!

[Walk away]

3. Remember "Perpetrators".....

gone for everywhere except TMC.

I had to edit this because "Perps" is on the complete list. I thought that was unofficially banned by everyone including the police years ago.

[piratefish08]

4. Why doesn't he just hand his on-air personalities scripts each day?

[napi21]

6. Gee! the nutball is trying to teach English Class! When I read the full list

it took me back to my years in HS English Class! That sure tells me a lot about the people he's hired. I would THINK one requirement to be on air would be the proper use of the english language!

[RandomThoughts]

7. Sounds like he is using advanced marketing.

He decided that there were certain words that give an indication that it is not someone talking to you, but is a reading of a news story.

So from a marketing perspective, he is trying to make it sound like something it is not, or as he says.

“The real goal here is to avoid using words that make you sound like you’re reading, instead of talking — that shatter the image you’re speaking knowledgeably to one person. By not using ‘newsspeak,’ you enhance your reputation as a communicator.”

But they are reading, so by doing that he wants people to think they are not doing something they are doing. He is promoting deception. If he doesn't want them to sound like they are reading, hire people that can speak on issues without a teleprompter. Or interview people in the field that the story is about.

The big point here, is to get credibility, he wants to deceive the audience, and he may not even know he is doing that, or maybe it does not matter to him. And so he is deceiving to get credibility, LOL, would he be upset about made up news stories if he thought it helped with credibility?

[Sal Minella]

9. A little coaching on how to fake sincerity is probably needed here, too. n/t

[NashVegas]

15. Alas,

Broadcasters who can relate information to a listener without reading, or sounding like it, have no interest in being one of Randy's corporate stooges.

[pipi_k]

8. Try not to think of a pink elephant...

I guess this guy has never played one of those party games where you're given some items and told not to say a certain word (at a Baby Shower the word would be "baby", etc) and if you say the word during the entire party, the person who "catches" you gets to take one of your items away. At the end of the party the person with the most items (forfeited by other people who have said the "banned" word) wins a prize.

Sounds easy, but it's not.

One word.

vs 119?


This guy is an idiot.

[Turbineguy]

10. A number of years ago

my Boss came up with a "Buzzword Generator" as a way of dealing with management speak in the company. This sounds a bit like that. Maybe he just doesn't want his radio station to sound like all the others.

[Gold Metal Flake]

12. I support this.

Mainly because it's gonna be hilarious to listen how those brainless fools work without their favorite empty cliches. They may have to start including content in their "reporting". But I wonder what will be next? Forbid TV weathercasters to lunge? Eliminate "happy talk"? Maybe he will forbid the Standard TV Reader Head Bob? (Move to left, move to right, chin up, nod up and down, repeat)

[Ron Green]

17. I support it also. I just wish he'd have put "temblor" on the list.

[Gold Metal Flake]

18. Yes, I agree.

Related, for TV, I would also ban interior shots grocery stores showing cans that have fallen off of shelves.

Did the list have "the wet stuff"?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. WGN is freaking out. They've got this whackjob plus the PD= "Pig Vomit" (from Stern's Private Parts)

For the first time in my 50 years WGN isn't in first place in the ratings. They're dumping the middle of the road talent they've successfully hired and cultured forever to bring in clueless no-talents who scare away as many listeners as they draw.

[Toasterlad]

16. That Guy Should Be Institutionalized, And Anyone Who's Read This Thread Should Be Able

to sign the committment papers.

[Mudoria]

19. If only he had included the phrase "reached out"

it drives me nuts to hear some announcer say "XXX reached out to YYY concerning...".

[QC]

40. I'm tired of the White House talking about "reaching out" all the time.

Here's an idea: when it comes to people like Boehner, reach out with the back of your hand!

[hatrack]

22. All of that effort and he couldn't find time to work in "closure" and "very unique"?

Seriously, though, what a farkin' buffoon.

[KamaAina]

25. "In the wake of yesterday's killing spree at a Barenaked Ladies concert,..."

authorities are conducting a citywide manhunt for a well-known diva who provoked a clash with police outside the United Center. One police officer underwent surgery for scratching wounds inflicted by her false fingernails. I'm KamaAina, WGN News. Now here's Traci with the weather. Can we expect any more of the white stuff?

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. Stop! Yer killin' me!

:rofl:

[Initech]

27. Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker and tits

[Hekate]

29. This comment is ripped from the teevee newsreaders...

http://gawker.com/5489965/radio-boss-issues-bizarre-memo-banning-119-words-from-the-air

>> Guys, bad news, yesterday at 5 a.m. in the morning, area residents down in Urbana witnessed a youth allegedly commit a senseless murder. Informed sources say that, when authorities confronted the gunman, shots rang out causing the perpetrator to flee on foot. After that near miss, a manhunt started, though it was marred by the diva-like behavior of some officials at a local medical hospital. At this point in time, we have sketchy details, but the apparent undocumented alien literally continued his killing spree, killing three and injuring seven, two of whom underwent surgery. Unfortunately folks, in the wake of yesterday's torrential rains, tracking the suspect has been difficult, though, to be fair, the foot of white stuff we are expecting today and the resulting auto accidents may prevent him from fleeing in a vehicle. Though pedestrians should keep an eye out. Some of you may think that with this perfect storm of bad weather and escaped killers in such close proximity, we are all under siege and lucky to be alive, but going forward our state's legendary law enforcement, those icons of Illinois, while under fire themselves, are giving 100% to keep us out of harm's way and to make sure this criminal is incarcerated. We’ll be back after these commercial messages. <<

[JPZenger]

32. Ted Turner Used to Fine Reporters for using "Foreign"

When Ted Turner started CNN, he used to fine his reporters if they used the word "foreign" instead of "international".

Turner joked that he was the only person to be named man of the year by Time-Warner and to also be fired by them.

[KamaAina]

33. That reached the very pinnacle of idiocy during a pro wrestling match

back when Turner controlled the NWA.

Announcer (breathlessly): "And here comes the manager! He's -- he's thrown an international object into the ring!"

Seriesly.

[DFab420]

35. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

And underwear should be change twice aday!! And it shall now be worn on the outside to make sure of compliance!

Absolute power.. Corrupts hilariously?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

36. WGN had one of the most successful formats & formulas of all time. And a couple years ago...

...new management came in and started fucking with it. Ratings have been dropping ever since. Their changes have been received about as well as was changing Marshall Field's to Macy's.
Moral of the story is there is no radio station so successful that 99.9% of all the radio consultants can't ruin it.

[jmowreader]

37. I like the list.

Let's see...

"5 AM in the morning." Since AM hours are in the morning, it's redundant.

"Bare naked." Redundant.

"Behind bars." What's wrong with "in jail"?

"Best kept secret." Cliche.

"Completely destroyed." Like he says, completely redundant.

"Eye Rack and Eye Ran." Mispronunciations.

"False pretenses." You mean there are true ones?

"Fatal death." As opposed to non-fatal deaths?

"Welcome back." Normally the listener is still there after having listened to the commercials, and the radio people are back. Who are they welcoming--themselves?

[Quantess]

38. He has the right to keep pet peeves.

It's a little extreme.
I would add to the ban "let's touch base"