Information about a stock audio clip where a dispatcher says "Beta ... something something"

May 22, 2008 10:09 AM

There is a stock audio clip used all over the place in which you can hear a dispatcher say "Beta ... something something", I can never make out anything past "Beta" but it's very common. The last place I heard it was in one of the latest Arby's commercials where a paramedic is getting into an ambulance for some reason or other. And the first place I remember hearing it is in Sim City 2000 when you call in the police it would play this audio clip every time. I am looking for as much information as I can find out about it, and my google-fu has failed me. Specifically I would like to know what the dispatcher says.
posted by sir_rubixalot to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

I can't identify the clip, but I'm wondering if they were saying "breaker" rather than "beta".

Breaker: A term, along with "Break," used when a CB operator wants others on a channel to break off routine chatter: "Breaker. Breaker.,, Also refers to the person who is calling: "Hold on, Pink Panther, we got a breaker." See also "button-pusher."

If so, that might help in your search.
posted by teg at 10:27 AM on May 22, 2008

Response by poster: Good point teg, now that I think about it you are probably right. Beta doesn't make much sense and it's not really part of the standard phonetic alphabet.
posted by sir_rubixalot at 10:49 AM on May 22, 2008

I've definitely seen articles about this audio clip before, and had a list of places where it was used - but for the life of me I can't find it right now either.
posted by mrbill at 11:08 AM on May 22, 2008

Breaker was the first thing that popped into my head when I read this too. Specifically the one I've heard the most is "Breaker Breaker One Nine".
posted by burnmp3s at 11:45 AM on May 22, 2008

Yeah, it's definitely "Breaker," and it's probably not stock — it's common CB lingo and easy enough to produce with a radio microphone. When I think of it, though, the little dispatcher in my head is saying "Breaker four-one-nine, we got a . . ."
posted by electric_counterpoint at 11:54 AM on May 22, 2008

Response by poster: I feel it has to be stock, because I can swear its the same voice every time I hear it. Its up there, for me at least, with the wilhelm scream.
posted by sir_rubixalot at 12:14 PM on May 22, 2008

Is it "Breaker one niner, are there any Smokeys with ears on?" from "Smokey and the Bandit"? That's been used a lot, most notably by Hooverphonic.
posted by pzarquon at 8:46 PM on May 22, 2008