Death of The Queen Mother
IRN was strongly criticised by many of its client stations for its handing of the death of the Queen Mother on 29 March 2002. Many commercial radio stations have OBIT lights installed in their studios which are automatically triggered by IRN in the event of the death of a leading member of the British Royal family. This is designed to give stations warning of such an event and allow them to adjust their output accordingly, as well as join special programming produced by IRN.
On this occasion, the OBIT alarm button failed to be pressed by IRN staff in London and radio stations were caught off-guard when the news was announced in the regular 1800 news bulletin.
IRN editor Jon Godel subsequently issued an apology in a memo addressed to "all news editors and programme controllers" in which he admitted this was "not IRN's finest hour".
Read more about this topic: Independent Radio News
Famous quotes containing the words death, queen and/or mother:
“The death of a dear friend, wife, brother, lover, which seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life, terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed, breaks up a wonted occupation, or a household, or style of living, and allows for the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“The adolescent does not develop her identity and individuality by moving outside her family. She is not triggered by some magic unconscious dynamic whereby she rejects her family in favour of her peers or of a larger society.... She continues to develop in relation to her parents. Her mother continues to have more influence over her than either her father or her friends.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)