Rumors Of My Death....

as reported by KLAS-TV 8
You Can hear a wav clip of this breaking news story by linking HERE!
*This false story was also picked up by Google!

The Howard Stern Show's annual Las Vegas visit wasted no
time getting to jokes about a false death report on
hard-drinking sidekick Artie Lange, R-J entertainment writer
Mike Weatherford reports.

Stern mentioned the KLAS-TV, Channel 8 mistake minutes
after the first broadcast began Tuesday afternoon (KXTE-FM,
107.5, airs the Las Vegas shows live, before the rest of the
country hears them the next morning).

"I heard that Artie was in such bad shape ..." co-host Robin
Quivers began. "... that he was reported dead in the news,"
Stern said. "And you wonder why you can't get roles in
movies," he quipped to Lange.

"I'm alive and I want a Jack (Daniels) and water right now!"
Lange shouted.

The report first went out about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in
a KLAS special report. By 10:30 a.m., the station had retracted
the report.

Stern asked the radio audience: "Who made that phony
phone call?"

The station received the tip, called the Hard Rock Hotel,
where Lange was staying, and a few minutes later received a
call from someone claiming to be with the hotel, KLAS
spokesman Bob Stoldal said Tuesday afternoon.

"The fact is, we screwed up. We did not follow our policy of a
second source," Stoldal told Weatherford. "A giant, giant red
flag should have gone up."

**********

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Thursday, May 13, 2004

The Scene and Heard

KLAS-TV, Channel 8, wasn't the only local station duped into reporting
the death of comedian Artie Lange, a member of the Howard Stern Show.
Radio news station KNUU-AM also went on the air after getting the hoax
call. "Having seen the many Stern hoaxes, we probably should have saw
it coming," said Darwin Paustian, station general manager. ...

**********
Las Vegas Weekly
May 13 - May 19 issue

Channel 8 Killed Artie Lange!
Then they brought him back!
By Kate Silver

It was like Easter in May: Artie Lange has died, and then, less than
an hour later, Artie Lange had risen.

Tuesday morning at 9:13 KLAS-TV sent out a Breaking News email to
subscribers. "Eyewitness News has learned that comedian Artie Lange
was found dead in his hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel. Lange was in
Las Vegas for the taping of Howard Stern's show. The hotel has
confirmed his death, but offered no other details."

Calls seeking comment from Channel 8 and the Hard Rock were not
returned.

Over at the Hard Rock there was little action and no visible news
vans. Employees of the hotel-casino were mystified by questions about
the rumored death. "I haven't heard anything about it. There haven't
been any ambulances here," said one man. "Did you check your calendar
to see if it was April 1?"

At The Joint, security stood by the door near a Howard Stern sign,
answering questions about when the line will start forming for the
broadcast. No one seemed maudlin or shocked. When asked about the
death, security said they knew nothing. They'd just received their
first question about it. Meanwhile, one publicist was answering her
phone "Artie Lange is not dead." Because, well, Artie Lange is still
alive.

At 10:02 Channel 8 sent out a retraction. "An earlier report that a
member of the Howard Stern show had died in Las Vegas appears to not
be true. A person claiming to be from the Hard Rock Hotel called media
outlets reporting the death. Once again the report is unfounded."

This comes from the same station who broke the news about "Hunting
for Bambi" last summer. That story also turned out to be a hoax. Maybe
Channel 8 Eyewitness News should strive for more eyewitnessing.

*********

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sunday, May 16, 2004

WEEK IN REVIEW: Reporter's Notebook

KLAS CHANNEL 8 MADE a startling announcement Tuesday.

"Eyewitness News has learned that comedian Artie Lange was found dead
in his hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel. Lange was in Las Vegas for
the taping of Howard Stern's show. The hotel has confirmed his death
but offered no other details."

This was soon followed by another announcement.

"An earlier report that a member of the Howard Stern show had died in
Las Vegas appears to not be true. A person claiming to be from the
Hard Rock Hotel called media outlets reporting the death. Once again
the report is unfounded."

The Stern show played "Taps" upon learning of the prank, which proved
to be a less than sobering experience for the notoriously indulgent
Lange. "I'm alive, and I want a Jack and water right now," he yelled.

Later in the week, a well-lubricated Lange fell off the stage at
Spearmint Rhino, forcing management to summon Stern. Lange, who said
he could not recall much of that evening, left the strip club in a
wheelchair.

**********

Las Vegas Sun
May 28, 2004

Lisa Ferguson

Look, up on the stage: It's a comic; it's a
zombie; it's Artie Lange. Earlier this month
news of the funny man's demise -- while he
and other members of "The Howard Stern
Show" cast were in Las Vegas broadcasting
the popular radio show -- was erroneously
reported on the Web site of a local
television-news station. Lange returns to the
scene of his brush with death when he
performs July 23 in "Beacher's Madhouse" at
The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.




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