Radio show has everything but sound

It was a busy news morning and local radio presenter Andy Greener was on top form. He chatted happily to listeners about the blustery weather in the north-east of England and the resignation of a politician.

Greener was doing the breakfast programme on his own. There were a number of incoming phone calls but he thought they were just appreciative listeners, and he planned to call them back later.

After an hour, he answered the phone to find that it was his station manager saying: "Andy, for God's sake press the red button."

No o ne had been listening to the jokes, bulletins and specially requested dedications because Greener had failed to switch output from automatic overnight mode.

"Oh, what a dreadful mistake," said Greener, one of a group of volunteers at Radio Teesdale. "I've been doing the show three days a week for 10 months and always pressed the button. Goodness knows why I forgot this time."

Instead of Greener's cosy chatter, listeners had an hour of easy listening music. Station manager Peter Dixon soon realised that something wasn't right at the studio, 20km from his home.

"The choice of music certainly wasn't Andy's usual thing," he said. "Then I thought he was maybe poorly, because I kept ringing during gaps in the music and he never answered. He saw the red phone light flashing but he was on a real roll."

Greener later apologised on air to listeners, and "coped brilliantly" in the final half hour of his show. "He's a very good broadcaster. He repeated the dedications and summarised the main story," said Dixon.

"I'm sure some listeners will now make fun of me and colleagues will pull my leg," said Greener. "But it was my own fault and all I can do is say sorry and promise it won't happen again."

Lesson Plan

Explain the lesson is about a local radio DJ. Ask: Have you ever phoned a radio station or made a dedication request? (Request to play some music for a friend.) - 3 mins

Tell students they are going to write a dedication request for a partner. In pairs students ask/answer questions to find out if their partner has: a recent birthday, some good news, or interesting future plans. Students write a dedication, eg "Please play a dedication for Carlos because he's just passed his driving test." Collect dedications. At intervals in the lesson read them out and dedicate certain activities to students eg "This exercise is dedicated to Carlos because ..." - 10 mins

Pre-teach the words: radio presenter and broadcaster (used to refer to the DJ in the article). Elicit things a radio DJ might do eg make dedications, play music etc. Write the words below on the board for students to match - 5 mins

Tell students they are going to read about a DJ who made a mistake. Elicit what the mistake might be. Hand out the following true or false questions. Check vocabulary. Hand out the article. Students examine the headline/photo, then read and answer. - 12 mins

1. Andy Greener is a radio DJ in England - true/false.
2. Greener was doing his radio show alone - true/false.
3. There were a lot of phone calls and Greener answered them - true/false.
4. At the beginning of the show Greener pressed the red button - true/false.
5. Nobody could hear Greener's radio show for the first hour - true/false.
6. The station manager phoned Greener once - true/false.
7. In the last half hour, Greener said the dedications again - true/false.

Write up these phrases: do the breakfast show on his own, forget to press the red button, red phone light begins to flash, not answer, chat for an hour, pick up the phone, speak to boss, apologise on air. Students use the phrases plus other language to retell the story in the past. - 5 mins

Tell students to imagine what happens in a phone call between Greener and the station manager after the show. In pairs, students write dialogues between the two men and act them out. - 20 mins