Frozen pipe causes mayhem in US radio station studio

Three US radio stations were forced off air after a burst water pipe sent the morning hosts "running for their lives".

Worcester, Massachusetts host Bruce Palmer was presenting Pike FM's morning show on Wednesday when he heard a commotion loud enough to penetrate his soundproof studio, Telegram.com reports.

"Someone looked outside the studio and saw ankle-deep water running down the hallway. We grabbed what we could and ran out of the building," Mr Palmer said.

"We are in soundproof rooms, and if you can hear something like thunder in that soundproof room, you know it's big."

The mayhem was caused by a burst 15cm water pipe which had frozen solid as a result of the recent record low temperatures that have swept across the US. Water was sent crashing through the building and reportedly turned a glass-enclosed staircase “into an aquarium”.

All the workers inside the building, which houses radio stations 100 FM The Pike, 98.9 Nash Icon and 104.5 WXLO, had to be evacuated, knocking all off air.

WXLO program director Lance Ballance caught the commotion on film.

"We have got water all over the place … I'm afraid to open this door," Mr Balance says.

The Pike returned to the air around 12:30pm, while all three stations were back broadcasting by 1:30pm.

While the burst has left the building in a sorry state, WXLO Vice-President Bob Goodell said there was an upside.

"We've got a lot of clean-up … but the good part of it is, we're going to have to build a brand-new studio for 'XLO," Mr Goodell said.

Source: Telegram.com