Courtesy of Bill Shane, from Tuesday's TRI newsletter:
http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/html/tri-01042011.html
"My first radio gig was at WNLC in New London, CT in 1972. I did weekends, I did overnights and most importantly I did Sunday mornings. Among the bevy of religious and public affairs shows, we ran 'The Polish Hour' (which was only 30 minutes long). The show was on a reel-to-reel, so one morning I cued it up and started the show. I heard audio and left the control room to clear the AP and UPI wires. Over the next 20 minutes, I did other things, including keep an eye on our automated FM beautiful music station. I went back to the AM control room and when The Polish Hour was complete, I did my newscast and started the next program. I rewound the tape and took it off its hub when I noticed it said 'tails out.' I was supposed to rewind the tape before it aired but never did, so the entire show ran backwards. Fortunately, no one ever called, including the show’s local narrator. I didn’t know what 'tails out' meant, so I asked the next guy who came into the station and he told me. The following week, it ran as it should."
http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/html/tri-01042011.html
"My first radio gig was at WNLC in New London, CT in 1972. I did weekends, I did overnights and most importantly I did Sunday mornings. Among the bevy of religious and public affairs shows, we ran 'The Polish Hour' (which was only 30 minutes long). The show was on a reel-to-reel, so one morning I cued it up and started the show. I heard audio and left the control room to clear the AP and UPI wires. Over the next 20 minutes, I did other things, including keep an eye on our automated FM beautiful music station. I went back to the AM control room and when The Polish Hour was complete, I did my newscast and started the next program. I rewound the tape and took it off its hub when I noticed it said 'tails out.' I was supposed to rewind the tape before it aired but never did, so the entire show ran backwards. Fortunately, no one ever called, including the show’s local narrator. I didn’t know what 'tails out' meant, so I asked the next guy who came into the station and he told me. The following week, it ran as it should."