A radio announcer in Knox is forgoing some shuteye to try and take the record for the longest continuous broadcast.
Tom Berg of WKVI started last Monday with a radio broadcast that’s still going, and he hopes to continue until 12 a.m. Tuesday.
“I am right now probably in the middle of the longest DJ shift in the country,” said Berg. “I want to see if we can get into the Guinness Book of World Records, because believe it or not, there is a category for that. I’m a radio disc jockey. The only way I’m going to make my mark is by doing something in the Guinness Book of World Records. The goal was to be (on the air) 187 hours (straight).”
Businesses have been bringing him food, and local medical professionals have regularly been giving Berg blood pressure and heart checks to make sure he’s physically okay to keep going.
There’s a countdown on WKVI’s website.
“As far as sleep deprivation, you really can’t prepare for that sort of thing,” said Berg. “You just have to go through it and let your body do what it does. My voice is a little rough, a little ragly. People have been calling up with all kind of throat remedies, but the most unusual one I got was someone said I should wrap my neck in bacon.”
The record for the longest single radio broadcast had been set by an Italian DJ at 182 hours and just a few weeks ago, a Belgian DJ broke that record by staying on the air continuously for 184 hours.
Volunteers have come in to help witness the event and everything is being documented for the Guinness World Record officials. After the officials review the submitted material, it will then be announced if the record has been broken.
“I’m here doing a job that I love,” said Berg. “I think it’s going to be a big community event when that clock hits zero.”
