Broadcast Blunders and Sad Slip-ups
Spotters needed: send your favourite (recent) classics to mingus@offmsg.connectfree.co.uk

1 October 2000

The Sunday Times, London

 1st October headline in the Sunday Times:

"SAS trains Montenegrin police"

30th July headline in the Independent:

"We have the heart for battle, says Montenegrin trained by SAS"

We know the Independent is a bit of a boring read, but you'd think the Wapping Warriors would give it a quick once-over. Or maybe it took two months to check out the story?

31 August 2000

Channel 4 News

 Headline upsum on Sierra Leone hostages:

NEWSCASTER: The released soldiers have been taken to a Royal Navy battleship off the coast.

Amazing fact: The last Royal Navy battleship was HMS Vanguard and that was decommissioned in 1953. (Unless, of course, the navy was engaged in its own 'Philadelphia Experiment' in the early fifties and the old tub just suddenly reappeared off Freetown...)
30 August 2000

Channel 4 News

 In a debate about UK Government proposals to strengthen laws against 'animal rights' campaigners, who threaten violence against human animals, Simon Lawton said:

LAWTON: There is a scientifically proven link between people who conduct experiments on animals, paedophiles, and people who eat meat.

Simon Lawton is a spokesman for the Campaign Against Hunting and Cruelty to Animals. Jon Snow tried to get him to explain this crap but, sensibly, gave up before it got even worse.
20 August 2000

Breakfast with Frost

BBC1

 British Defence Minister Jim Speller talking about the Russian nuclear submarine, Kursk:

SPELLER: Of course they could always declare the submarine a war grave...

A war grave? What war is that, then? Does Speller know something we don't?
2 August 2000

Regional Weather Yorkshire TV

 Weather forecaster Debbie Lindley introducing 12.25pm bulletin:

LINDLEY: The weather is settling into an unsettled period now...
1 August 2000

Channel 5 News at Noon

 'Sporty' Trish doing the footer news:

TRISH: Chelsea have pulled off an amazing coop in the transfer market.

Huh? Doesn't she know the 'p' is silent? As in 'bath'?
20 July 2000

Cod Report Channel 5 News

Annabelle Roberts, to-camera piece from Billingsgate:

ROBERTS: Our traditional dish of fish and chips is an endangered species.
8 July 2000

Advertisement in The Guardian

 Advertisement headline:

Computer make amazing thing happen!!!!

Go here.
26 June 2000

BBC2 Glastonbury

 Radio 1 DJs Jayne Middlems and Jamie Theakston reviewing newspaper coverage of the opening day of the event.

THEAKSTON: The Independent says there were 87 arrests for possession of drugs and that the police are enforcing a 'Mayor Giuliano zero-tolerance policy'.

MSMIDDLEMS: What's that?

We can reveal that Ms Middlems has been designated to speak for Radio 1 listeners. (Our sources at the BBC also tell us that Radio 1 is soon to be renamed Radio E).
26 June 2000

BBC2 Glastonbury

 Radio 1 DJs Jayne Middlemiss and Jamie Theakston introduce the next band.

THEAKSTON: Next on the main stage is some band or other.

MISSMIDDLEMISS: Yur, grate. Ah dint know Sowunso cud plate trumpit.

THEAKSTON: Nor did I.

CUT TO: Main stage. Bands starts intro, lead singer walks to mike with a very unmistakable trombone.

That's sad. Now she might never know if he plays the trumpet.
22 June 2000

Channel 5 News

Euro 2000 coverage

 Sports reporter, live from somewhere in Belgium.

REPORTER: Thanks, Charlie. I'm here in Waterloo -- which was of course made famous by Abba...

The fool! Doesn't he know that Abba was a striker for Sweden in Euro'96?