@VivienReports/@AbbyEden/TwitterA local TV weatherman sparked a Save Ferris-esque movement across the country after telling the entire company he was ill.
Nick Vasos, from Kansas City, wasn’t feeling too well on Thursday, November 21.
Instead of giving his bosses at FOX4 a call, he thought it’d be better to write an email – but ended up accidentally sending a memo to all 197 TV stations across the US under the Nexstar Media Group.
Check out the news report from Vasos’ station below:
What began as an internal company mishap soon made its way on to Twitter, as journalists from all over the country shared Vasos’ FOX4 error.
Nexstar’s Director of Digital Content, Austin Kellerman, shared screenshots of replies to the original email, with reporters sending Vasos ‘good Gulf Coast vibes’ and ‘thoughts and prayers’.
Nick out sick is my new favorite thing. #NexstarNation #NickStrong pic.twitter.com/Td96i31WJu
— Austin Kellerman (@AustinKellerman) November 22, 2019
News 8‘s Dan Gross wrote on Twitter: ‘The entire footprint is wishing some dude named Nick get well wishes on the breaking news chain. It’s incredible. Every station is chiming in.’
As the email thread became jammed with responses, with everyone wanting in on the gag, Nexstar eventually put a stop to it.
They can take away our emails, but they can't take away our #PrayersForNick pic.twitter.com/jrXGnoG1iS
— Sam at it again (@Holtzue) November 22, 2019
The email read:
I hate to be a party pooper and I have as much sympathy for Nick as anyone. But with the number of members of the breaking news list there could be thousands of emails sent by the time this is done. We’ve locked the list down so that no-one can send to it.
Please refrain from replying all to any of the messages containing the News – All Station Breaking News Alert group. We need to restore the ability for users to send to the list very soon in the event that a breaking news event were to occur. Thanks for your understanding.
However, it was too little, too late – #PrayersForNick had well and truly taken off on Twitter, and the well wishes weren’t slowing down.
#PrayersforNick #NexstarNation pic.twitter.com/NILIb7RQQR
— Chief Keith Monahan, CBM (@ChiefKeith) November 22, 2019
Vasos’ coworkers at FOX4 even set up a vigil at his desk, with candles and a framed picture to really hit their ‘worries’ home. Jonathan McCall, a news anchor at FOX4 wrote on Twitter: ‘Don’t worry #NexstarNation, we here at @FOX4KC are keeping @NickVasos in our prayers until he comes back to work healthy and strong. #PrayersforNick.’
Thankfully, Vasos is doing fine. He wrote on Twitter: ‘Attention #NexstarNation. Take it from me, when calling sick don’t email [email protected] You’re welcome. #PrayersForNick Now time to rest. Good night.’
And to think earlier this week, he was so happy to try Casey’s pizza. I long for the simple days. #PrayersForNick 🤣 (for the record- he just called in sick. He’s ok.). pic.twitter.com/co9rjtGwHR
— Abby Eden (@AbbyEden) November 22, 2019
One of Vasos’ managers added: ‘Grateful to report he and I have communicated and he is going to pull through. You guys are a scream! Funny enough, WE didn’t get that email at @FOX4KC.’
Get well soon, Nick.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.