Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Scott Muni, Hostage Negotiator


In 1975, a gunman holding hostages called veteran FM disc jockey Scott Muni on the air. How did he handle the situation?

by Rich Watson 


Scott Muni was an institution in rock and roll radio. He was there when the Beatles arrived in America. He was one of the first “progressive rock” New York deejays, favoring long-form album tracks over singles. And he was the heart of one of the best-known “classic rock” radio stations in history.

One thing he isn’t as remembered for, though, is the time in 1975 when he was forced to negotiate on the air for the lives of hostages, held by a fan.

CONTINUE


2 comments:

  1. Growing up, I was always pleased to hear Muni's gravelly baritone voice. My friends and I took turns impersonating him. Learning about this chapter in his life was wild.

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  2. It’s funny, but I used to find his voice somewhat off-putting. I didn’t hate it, but… I dunno. It was as if he was mad all the time. Hearing it in preparation for this piece though, for the first time in years, was very comforting.

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