Have you ever heard the story of Uncle Don?
In the heyday of radio, before television took over as the primary means of mass communication, Uncle Don hosted a radio show for children. You know the type: sing-alongs, games, and so on. Uncle Don became a beloved figure in his community over the years, until one day Uncle Don didn’t realize the microphone was still hot in the studio after his sign-off. He said, “That ought to hold the little b****rds!” Horrified by what Uncle Don really thought of his audience, listeners boycotted, Uncle Don lost his job, and went on to die in miserable oblivion.
There’s only one thing wrong with this story: It never happened. It’s an urban legend, served up as a cautionary tale to generations of radio hosts (including myself) as a terrifying warning that microphones are always live. And it works too, because no one wants to…
