Overhearing Radio Microphones

[Andyb]

Ignoring party politics - that is not the point of the poll - I consider this to be more of an ethical debate.

 

I understand there are many arguments in different directions, such as fair game, anyone could receive the frequency if they wanted to etc. Should it have happened? If you were responsible for recording a conversation you were not meant to, would you let it be broadcast / published?

 

It is a mistake most audio techs will have made at some point in their time, equally a performer will only ever make the mistake of going to the toilet with a mic on once!

 

What is your view?

 

andrew

[GRisdale]

I think it might be difficult to discuss this case without fracturing the "no politics" rule, but just to clarify the situation as I understand it:

 

The case of the incident this afternoon involving Gordon Brown was not a case of an operator screwing up - at least not in the way that would allow an actor's trip to the toilet to go out over a PA. Gordon was wearing a radio mic transmitter, provided by his campaign, to allow the news crews to hear him clearly. Presumably the frequency had been shared openly with the media crews present so that they could all tune in - quite a sensible system as it removes the need for a squadron of boom operators crowding the place.

 

As the PM left the conversation he was having to get into his car, no one was there to remove or mute his mic, and so his words were broadcast to the camera crews. Since the media were invited to record the words of the PM through the microphone, I'm not sure that his campaign could really complain about them being broadcast. Clearly no one properly explained to the PM how the mic worked. It's a good job these people aren't responsible for anything important...

 

On a more general note, I have to say that if a toilet break, or any offstage noise, goes out over the PA, it's the desk operators fault - the channel should have been down.

 

Gareth.

[paulears]

It's quite clear that sniffing somebody else's RF and using it is bad practice, however, if somebody wishes to take the opportunity to use equipment provided by a broadcaster in an attempt to promote what they are doing, and then instead of giving it back, they drive off with it - then I've no sympathy. Using kit when you think it is going to be an advantage but getting cross when it goes against you is fair game I reckon.

 

Bootleggers have been recording in-ears for quite a while now, and nobody seems to worry - despite it obviously being a dodgy thing to do!

[dbuckley]

This even made the New Zealand news!

 

As I recall it, the PM was in his car when this incident occured, and thus he would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, so it should not have been broadcast.

 

Of course, he should have a minder whose job it is to make sure that the radio mic is captured.

 

I seem to recall a comment on the Lab that politicians didn't like lapel mics at all for this very reason.

[Stan Hope-Streeter]

If I hadn't been taught "professional discretion", or if Blackmail weren't an imprisonable offence, I could have made a fortune out of the things I have overheard on radio mics...

 

Really this event is a major cockup by his stage managers. Surely EVERYONE knows you have to get the radio mic off your politician as soon as it's finished with, precisely to avoid this scenario?

[Simon Lewis]

The radio news stated that a radio mic had been asked for as boom mics were seen as visually intrusive, and that the feed was shared between BBC, ITV & Sky. I'd guess that the camera crew would follow the PM to each planned stop.

 

Whilst a most unfortunate incident, any public figure carrying out a string of public engagements under intense media scrutiny would do well to keep the "what they really think" comments to themselves.

 

In this case, I suspect that the uncomfortable truth probably needed to be heard....

[rooftop]

The ironic thing is that the audio starts to break up (presumably as the car drives off into the distance) just has he begins speaking the sentence with the biggot word... another few seconds and he'd probably been out of range...

[ceecrb1]

This same type of thing happened in spanish politics not long ago, If I recall correctly, it was the mayoress of madrid who was caught being rude...

She TRIED to publicly have a go at the news crew who recorded her bad mouthing.. but was shot down in flames..

In her case she was sat infront of a microphone at the start of a press conference....

 

Where do I stand as a sound opp?

 

If I was specifically recording everything comming into my desks, even with the PA muted, hoping to catch something then sell it to a tabloid.... big no no...

 

If I had a basic kit set up and the mic was open 100% of the time, and any presenter started bad mouthing and a news crew records it, well its their fault.. either say it at another time or check the mics off.... I wouldnt call it uncomon to send the feed to press da but not the speakers, so the camera crews have some sort of signal to check levels with... not perfect, but not every day do we always have the best kit.. some days its the last crappy desk in the warehouse...

 

Personaly, I have on a few jobs had presenter mics on PFL in my cans with the cans on one ear just before they are called to stage.. not to listen to THEM but to the signal quality etc generally I´m not even listending to the words but just like having a tv on in the background.. its there, and I can be confident that when a (in some cases) nationally famous presenter walks on stage, when I raise the fader, it WILL Work without fault.

Would I convey anything I´ve heard? well I´ve heard before about sex lives, minor health problems, bad opinions of the gig or gig organisers etc.. do I pass it on... no because to be honest, its just not that interesting really...

 

 

If you dont want to get caught.. dont do it comes to my mind..

In our work, the control suits record sound and video... one of hte techs was recorded bad-mouthing the boss... he KNEW they recorded for sound in there... its pretty much a case of think before you speak if you ask me.

[the kid]

I think most people here would have at least one point where they have had a mic PFL to check signal or what ever and heard possibly too much.

 

I did hear on some interview, Max Clifford I think, saying that Blair had someone whose job it was to make sure an event like this didn't happen and was charged with making sure all mic's were off before anyone else talked.

 

I think if it was an open frequency that was being shared if the TV didn't go with it then the papers would have hold of it, at the end of the day though its a remark that anyone might have said, it's just he said it at the wrong time just a bit too close to people who mattered.

 

The one thing that gets me about this is the PR that went in to the "talk", if you listen to what was said just before, it's all "who set it up, who's fault was it she talked to me" , I shall not go too off topic but the in the 1st week the "Vote Now Show" (mon-wed 11pm R4) had an interesting comment from a reporter about how these "meet and greets and public things work".

[MarkPAman]

I thought there would be a discussion on here!

 

I've heard many things I was not supposed to on radio mics. I think in the same way as photographs, anybody should have a reasonable expectation of privacy & conversation in a car should be private.

 

Very stupid of him, to let himself get caught out like this :P

 

<Edits out loads of stuff that's a bit too political>

 

OT:

The only time I recall anything has that gone further than me was when I heard a (student) lead, say he thought he probably had enough time to drive to McDs and back before his next scene. I knew he didn't! I felt I had to tell the (teacher) SM who caught him & his girlfriend getting into the car ;)

[Doug Siddons]

Seeing as the send was going to many independant sources, it should be the responsibility of the sender to monitor what was sent as no one else can, even the tech by his side. The person driving a car should know how to stop it befor it causes a crash!

 

With regards to what we hear on pfl's ect being a proffessional means you make your decision based on the good of the show! :P

[scjb]

For us as backstage professionals, a definite no-no.

 

For news crews whose job it is to come up with a story, deplorable but expected.

[themadhippy]

serves him right,after all the man can now listen to your private phone conversations,read your text messages and emails and get a log showing what you've been doing on the Internet,however something at the back of mind is screaming set up.

[jim b]

I do hope they had the correct licensing in place for that transmitter....

[chris4monitors]

Politicians and corporate executives do seem to have a habit of leaving venues and forgeting to let the sound techs have their mics back. I have done a presntation where Mr B has nearly left the building before someone (his minder) reminded him to take off the mic. The people who I did this particular event for had warned me to try to ensure I got the mic back from him as in the past he had managed to walk out of at least 2 previous events without returning the mic. The mics turned up in the mail on both occations and the clients were billed acordingly for the extra hire days.