April fool's radio pranks..... YES.... or NO ??

        After 22 years in this crazy radio business, I continue to struggle with this day every year.  It has always been a lightning rod for radio morning shows, with weeks of planning on how best to 'dupe' the listener with a tall tale that will have them wiping egg from their face later in the day when they reveal some bizarre 'truth' to their co-workers, only to be told that they've been victimized.

      Now, I like a good gag just as much as anyone.  But, call me a grumpy old fun-buster, but I have drawn the line in the sand when it comes to April Fool's jokes being part of my newscasts.  I don't believe it is the appropriate venue for such Tom Foolery.   The morning team, in their ordinary banter back and forth between songs I think is fair game.  But my experience has shown little good has ever come from 'fake' news items about:  Twinning cities, renaming sports arenas after someone in the community, giant sink-holes at city hall, the purchase of a Caribbean island, invention of a left-handed toilet, and the list goes on.  And, my experience has also shown that on occasion such fake news items can go terribly wrong.  I have seen the credibility of entire newsrooms come into question, and I believe it can leave listeners questioning everything you report from then on.  What if there is a very tragic or serious news item in your line-up, and then you follow it with 'gag humour' ?  What is a listener supposed to believe ?

     Even carrying out elaborate gags to 'fool' the listener can often result in negative feed-back.  I thought what we did this morning on THE DOCK, calling our bosses and loved ones and pulling the wool over their eyes was pretty harmless fun.  However, even then, you have to tread very carefully as some people's sense of humour is much different than others.  One call we made this morning never made it to air because the 'victim' was not the least bit amused.

   So, I'm not against April Fool's day.  I think it can act as a fun release from our otherwise crazy and hectic lives, but on the public airwaves, it must be treated with due care and empathy for the victims.  Now watch your backs, the next prankster might be just around the corner.

Wix.