Hot mic

A microphone gaffe, sometimes referred to as an open microphone, is an error whereby a microphone is switched on in proximity of a subject who is unaware. The error allows unintended listeners to hear parts of private conversations. Errors usually involve live broadcasting in radio or television, sometimes material is recorded and played back via media outlets. Such events can cause embarrassment for the person or organisation involved, sometimes resulting in serious confrontations and employment termination.

Noted occurrences

Television broadcasts

• One of the most famous microphone gaffes in the UK was that of Ron Atkinson, a well-known football broadcaster and former player and manager, in April 2004. Speaking of Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly after the team's defeat he said "He's what's known in some schools as a fucking lazy thick nigger." The microphone was open to some countries in the Middle East, with UK broadcasts having already finished. Atkinson was forced to resign his position at ITV and left his role as a columnist at The Guardian by mutual agreement.
• A series of technical problems on 9 March 2006 forced ESPN2 to switch from its SportsCenter broadcast to that of ESPNEWS. Caught unprepared by the move, ESPNEWS broadcaster Danyelle Sargent struggled for words, forcing fellow anchor Robert Flores to finish her sentence. After the broadcast cut to taped footage, Sargent was heard exclaiming "What the fuck was that?"
• On 8 August 2006 former cricketer and Australian Network Ten sports commentator Dean Jones said "the terrorist has got another wicket" when Proteas fielder Hashim Amla (the first player of muslim descent to play test cricketfor South Africa) caught Kumar Sangakkara during a match between South Africa and Sri Lanka. Jones claimed he thought the microphone was off and made prompt formal apologies but was sacked from his post.
• On 29 August 2006 American news channel CNN was broadcasting the live Hurricane Katrina anniversary speech from U.S. President George W. Bush when the microphone of anchorwoman Kyra Phillips was left on. She was taking a break and around 90 seconds of her conversation with another woman was broadcast over CNN's coverage of Bush's speech. During the conversation she discussed her husband, whom she called "a really passionate, compassionate, great, great human being", and her sister-in-law, who came off less well, being called a "control freak". CNN apologised to viewers and the White House.
• During television coverage of the Canadian federal election, 2000, a CBC Television producer covering Stockwell Day's campaign was heard on-air making a gratuitous comment about the breasts of Juliana Thiessen Day, Stockwell's daughter-in-law. The producer was forced to apologize.

Political

• At the height of the Cold War in 1984 U.S. President Ronald Reagan was about to appear on a radio interview and, as a soundcheck, said "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."
• In 1993 British Prime Minister John Major, after an interview with ITN political editor Michael Brunson, forgot about the recording equipment. He called members of his Cabinet "bastards" and promised to "crucify" them, and saying of recent revelations "I can't stop people sleeping with other people if they ought not to." He also called himself a "wimp" and said that he had no idea how to win an election.
• During his 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush called New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a "major league asshole" just before a campaign speech to Vice-President Dick Cheney, whose response ("big time") was also audible. The media reaction was intense, with news stations repeatedly broadcasting it and the New York Post running two pages about the incident. Bush said of the incident: "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice-presidential candidate made it onto the public airwaves. I regret everybody heard what I said."
• During a televised debate between U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign, Gore's sighs (in response to some of Bush's statements) were heard through Gore's live microphone. In regards to the incident, Gore was quoted as saying "Both the governor and I have learned lessons about when the microphone is on, and when it's off."
• On 11 March 2004, following a satellite address to the AFL-CIO, U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry turned to one of the Union workers he was standing near and said "Oh yeah, don't worry man. We're going to keep pounding, let me tell you -- we're just beginning to fight here. These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen." Although being removed by an assistant at the time, Kerry's microphone was still live and captured his statement. His words were presumed to be directed at his political rivals, the U.S. Republican Party and U.S. President George W. Bush. Kerry spokesman David Wade later claimed that Kerry was indeed aware that his microphone was recording and was not referring to Republicans in general but to their use of "crooked, deceitful, personal attacks over the last four years."
• On 1 July 2006 a technician did not turn off the audio feed during a closed-door lunch between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amongst others. Journalists, on listening to the 20 minute broadcast, referred to the conversation as "bickering" about the Iraqi aid programme.

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Bush and Blair conversation

• On 17 July 2006 a private conversation between U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg was picked up by a nearby microphone. Bush told Blair that if Syria would "stop Hezbollah doing this shit" (referring to Syria's influence over and support of Hezbollah in the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon), the crisis would be over. He also revealed that Condoleezza Rice would visit the area.
• On 19 October 2006 during an official meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin was overheard praising Israeli President Moshe Katsav for raping ten employees of his office.

Other

• Britney Spears, about to go out in front of her largest ever concert audience in Rio de Janiero in 2001, allegedly complained about the organisation of her entourage saying "Don't tell me that they're just letting the audience just fucking stand out there like that. Oh my God! This is retarded." Her record company denied that it was Spears' voice that was broadcast to the 170,000 in attendance at the event.
• In March 2005 Charles, Prince of Wales was heard saying "Bloody people. I can't stand that man. He's so awful, he really is" while posing for photographers with his sons in Klosters, Switzerland.