As much as I want to be able to turn on the microphone and suddenly all the accurate things appear through my brain and out of my mouth .. we are indeed human.

While preparing to honor Ric Ocasek tonight by featuring his hits from The Cars, I wanted to do it right. With an amazing last name like Ocasek, I also wanted to be absolutely sure I pronounced it right. News reporters were adamant about “Oh-CAUSE-eck” while my fellow colleagues here at the studios argue “Oh-CASE-eck.”

Turns out, they’re both wrong. Even I was wrong. Thanks to the wonderful world of YouTube, I stumbled upon the correct way to pronounce Ocasek … from Ric Ocasek himself.

“Oh-CAS-eck.” As I shared this video, one of our amazing Triangle Traffic reporters shouted “I’VE BEEN WRONG FOR OVER 30 YEARS!”

So, posthumously, Mr. Ocasek … I deeply apologize. With a band name so widely imprinted in Rock, Adult Contemporary, and New Wave, we should have known better. As we pay tribute to you tonight and in the future, may it be just what you needed.

Godspeed, Friend. And may we continue to turn confusion into a virtue.

— Lora