Three Australian television networks have been caught up in a bizarre blunder this week.
A spokesperson for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service was doing the rounds on Nine, Seven and Ten on Wednesday evening to discuss Sydney’s scorching weather.
Appearing on 9NEWS, the Media and Communications Manager for the RFS was known as ‘Ben Richardson’, without a rank.
However, over on 10 News First he quickly became ‘Brady Clarke’ and had attained the rank of Captain.
The confusion didn’t end there, however, with the hapless media spokesperson then heading over to 7NEWS for yet another name change.
On his third media appearance for the day he was identified as ‘Inspector Ben Shephard’.
However, all three networks were incorrect, with the spokeman’s name actually being Ben Shepherd.
The whole time, there was one huge telltale clue as to the spokesperson’s true identity, apparently missed by all three broadcasters.
A bizarre blunder occurred this week when spokesperson for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service was doing the rounds on Nine, Seven and Ten on Thursday evening to discuss scorching Sydney weather. Pictured: Ben Shepherd
Inspector Shepherd was wearing his very visible name tag in each interview.
The bizarre blunder comes after eagle-eyed Today Show viewers pointed out a big problem with Channel Nine’s Olympic Logo.
Armchair sleuths took to the MediaSpy forums, earlier this month, to point out that the network was still running the Olympic Rings logo above the time on the Today Show.
Given the 2024 Paris Olympics had already ended, some commenters suggested that the network was a bit behind the times and should instead be running the logo of the Paralympics – the Agitos.
Posting a series of Today Show screenshots to the forum, one commenter pointed out the ‘error’, saying they’ve noticed the ‘Olympic rings are occasionally still animated with the Today logo.’
Appearing on Nine News the Media and Communications Manager for the RFS was known as Ben Richardson, without a rank. However, over on 10 News First he quickly became Brady Clarke and had attained the rank of Captain
Replying to the discovery another chimed in, arguing that Nine should be using the ensuing two weeks to promote the Paralympics.
‘Would be nice to put a Paralympics logo in its replacement,’ they wrote.
Another chimed in: ‘Shouldn’t it be replaced with the Paralympic symbol that is the Agitos for the next 2.5 weeks’.
Earlier, one eagle-eyed TikTok user claimed the network had been using an incorrect version of the famed Olympic rings logo.
Marketing professional Kiandra Trickett, who goes by The Original Kiki on social media, revealed the Nine network appeared to be using an unauthorised, altered version of the Olympic rings.
On his third media appearance for the day, the man with multiple names had, this time, become Inspector Ben Shephard. However, that name too was incorrect
She then showed images of the different iterations of the logo that have been used over the years.
Trickett then showed the 9Now version, which shows different linking between the rings from what is set out in the official IOC guidelines.
While each ring interlaces behind and in front each neighbouring ring in those guidelines, the 9Now version has each ring fully layered either in front or behind the neighbouring ring, without the interlaced effect.
The rings themselves are also thinner than the official IOC design.
The whole time, there was one huge telltale clue as to the spokesperson’s true identity, apparently missed by all three broadcasters. Inspector Shepherd was wearing his very visible name tag in each interview. Pictured
