One of the exciting things about live radio is it is just that, live. There is no second chance. Anything can happen. That is a double-edged sword. Bad things are just as likely as good. For the most part, television is pre-recorded. The exception? Newscasts. So, if anything bad is going to occur, it’s then. Case in point. Alissa Carlson is a weekend weather anchor for KCAL News in Los Angeles. During a recent morning newscast, one of the scariest incidents I’ve ever seen captured on live TV took place.
Let’s get past the actual incident-which was frightening. Equally if not scarier was the reaction of her coworkers at the anchor desk. How about that reaction as Alissa Carlson disappears below the desk? “Oh no, not again.”
WHAT?! “Not again?!” Exactly how often does someone take a header on the set of KCAL that “Not again?!” is the first reaction? Crazy.
Anyway, all is well, Carlson merely fainted. However, there doesn’t appear to be a solid explanation as to why. Earlier in her life, Alissa had been diagnosed with a leaky heart valve and was told that eventually it would wear out and need to be replaced. This diagnosis inspired her to get healthier in her lifestyle (diet, lose weight, etc.). Then, she gave birth to a baby girl. Doctors discovered that her baby’s stem cells had somehow initiated Carlson’s heart to repair itself. So, this was not the cause of her loss of consciousness.
Alissa Carlson has not yet returned to the station but hopes too soon.