Open mike - who's up for it

Marking Masters papers and listening to Radio 4, there's an item on about the new open mikes used by refs that can be heard by the crowd.

Of course the currency is the pending world cup - that's Rugby

I was at a Twickenham for a friendly recently and happened to buy a ref-link and record some of the ref's comments with players.

It makes for interesting listening.

My favourite is an: "Oy nunber 2 one more of that and you're off. You're beginnning to wind me up. No Shut it"

The reply is along the lines of: "Yes sir"

Now could it be that for further entertainment value news organisations could start to release some of the editor's chatter.

Anyone whose been in a live studio on a breaking news day will know how frenetic things can be.

"Ask him whether he's going to resign?"

"Ask him again"

"Wot that's b**** get the ****** to say why he won't resign"

Of course often you'll never know. The best presenters can be screamed at and still look unruffled. Often some ignore the editor for effect and instead of asking verbatim what the editors asks, will put their own spin on it.

My own recollection was for a presnting a pilot prog and having my ear piece fall out. It was a live show, so I couldn't stop, but at the time I thought where's that ear thing gone, by the time I had it in my ear, the floor manager had commenced a 10 second countdown to the credits.

I hadn't even summed up the show.. Oh dear! Well I'm scrabbled something together. I might post my deficiency some time.

Open mike? How long till we hear about this in... the making of the programme?

Mind you if you are recording ambient background sound, whatever you do don't record an orchestra practising without prior permission. There's a famous story of a broadcaster being hammered e.g royalties and "needle time" for merely recording the orchestra tuning before the show.