When you have to bail, but the show must go on

3AW hosts Denis Walter and Simon Owens have won praise for taking job dedication – and radio creativity – to a whole new level.

Broadcasting from the Australian Open on Friday night, Walter was evacuated from his studio booth whilst live on air at Melbourne Park.

Getting close to midnight, an alarm could suddenly be heard going off in the background.

As Walter calmly began explaining to his audience what was happening, an emergency message ordered everybody in the concourse area to evacuate.

“We have an emergency of some description happening here,” Walter told listeners. “You can hear the alarm and it is telling us to evacuate, so we’d better do just that.”

Back in 3AW’s Docklands studios, a quick-thinking Owens jumped into action and rang Walter’s mobile, so that Walter could finish his broadcast via his phone as he headed back to his car.

Whilst it now appears it was a false alarm – impacting just a small section of Rod Laver Arena – the dramatic situation was captured on air as Walter made tracks.