"It happens."
I am surprised that in his blog, Karel blames his board op. "It was my responsibility," he says, "but not my fault."
Oh, yes it was, Karel.
We as "performers" take the responsibility every moment we are within "earshot" of a microphone - open or not. Ask the president you so dislike, and the one before that you vilified who, as a broadcaster himself said to an an open mike, "we begin bombing in five minutes."
"It happens."
Move on and good luck, though professionalism is more important than luck. You were not professional on many occasions and to your listeners in particular.
In addition to the "mistakes" that came out of your mouth with an open mike on Nov. 1, the lack of ego control, preparation and sincerely taking responsibility - considering the career you've had on KGO and KFI previously, you have no one to blame but yourself.
It's not the station who employs you, the union that protects you or the audience who owes you - it's the talent as a performer who supervises what is is, ultimately, who guides that ruthless tongue -- not the board op. He, too, got his -- he was fired as well.
Radio people may not like to follow the rules, but as a public trust, we do that as part of the responsibility we take in being part of this business.
We're not "cable" or "satellite" and if nothing else, we owe it to our professionalism - not our rancor against the FCC or a relatively green board op for costing a job.
We owe it to ourselves as performers for doing a piss poor job.
Period.
You played to yourself, not to your audience ... and you knew the rules. Either that, or you forgot the most basic: A microphone is as mysterious as a lover, or, as deathly as a viper. Respect that at all times. It's not the mic's fault. It's, ultimately, ours at all times and at all costs. You are owed nothing but to give the finest performance you can.
As KGO's Gene Burns and Trish Robbins have noted -- that's "Broadcasting 101."
Accept responsibility and move on. Saying a triple "F-Bomb" and a "G-D" before an open mic is far more than Joe Scarborough in a non-supervised or regulated environment.
And you know that.
Especially from a environment called "your home" at the expense of an employer known as Citadel Broadcasting Corporation.
Because Joe Scarborough got away with it with a single "F-Bomb" on non-regulated MSNBC "cable" is stupid, just as your outburst was on FCC regulated, commercial radio.
And after 6 years, you know better. We all do.
