Hot mics are every broadcaster’s worst nightmare, except Joe Benigno, who had a hot mic moment and shared it for the masses.
The former full-time WFAN host has always shared his disdain for technology; he still refuses to use a smart phone. With Benigno hosting radio shows and podcasts from the confines of his own home, it was only a matter of time before he experienced some technical difficulties.
Earlier this month, while recording an episode of his Oh the Pain Podcast, Benigno X’ed out of something that popped up on his computer screen and mistakenly assumed he also stopped taping his show. What ensued, was 90 seconds of frustration from someone who aptly named their podcast Oh the Pain.
Joe Benigno technical difficulties 😭 pic.twitter.com/VYGOwhV7AF
— Big Action Bill (@BigActionBill) November 22, 2023
“Ah,” Benigno grumbled. “Of course, she would go up and this would happen, right?”
The “she” being Benigno’s wife, Terry. Since Benigno started recording shows and podcasts from home during the pandemic, the longtime radio host has been open about relying on Terry for anything even remotely related to technology. Desperate to get back into his rhythm of recording this podcast, Benigno summoned his wife for assistance.
“I don’t know what that is that pops up, it goes all the way across the screen. I tried to get rid of it and it just stopped,” Benigno could be heard explaining. “I don’t know why — I hit — see?”
After Terry realized they were still actively recording, Benigno jumped right back behind the mic, admitting, “We had a little glitch, here. We apologize to everybody, momentary lapse.”
The glitch appeared to be caused by Benigno just minimizing whatever program he uses to record his podcasts. What do you expect from someone who admits they’re just technologically savvy enough to send a typed text message?
Considering this wasn’t a live radio show for WFAN, the raw footage from Benigno’s personal podcast never should have made it out there for the masses to hear. So what minion had the gall to find and release Benigno’s hot mic moment? That would be the WFAN legend himself.
The 90 seconds of pain, angst and frustration could have easily been edited out of the podcast and no one would have ever known Benigno thought he X’ed out of his own recording. But instead, they left this Marconi worthy performance in the show for everyone’s enjoyment. Kudos to Benigno for having a 90-second hot mic moment where he managed to avoid saying anything that could be considered distasteful.
