When
you work in broadcasting, things that go wrong on-air seem even funnier
(unless it's your transmission, of course). Here is an example of a
Sports Outside Broadcast going spectacularly pear-shaped. On May 25th
1966 Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammed Ali) fought Henry Cooper in
London: the
fight
was broadcast by BBC Radio. The referee stopped the fight in the sixth
round because of a cut over Cooper's eye, and Clay was declared the
winner. Total
chaos ensued as photographers and members of the
audience clambered into the ring - climbing over the radio
commentator's table in the process. The main commentator, W.
Barrington-Dalby, tried to keep going while Simon Smith attempted to
get into the ring to interview Clay - he was never heard from though
his microphone could be heard being kicked round the floor, together
with swearing and general noise for long periods. Altogether a complete
broadcasting mess, which you can hear in this extract from the live
transmission. 3
mins 51 seconds, 1.8MB
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