I wouldn’t be surprised if the fiasco was a combination of the theories suggested in this thread. I tend to believe it was a massive internet failure. But I might also theorize that workers dealing with construction and abatement might have accidentally severed data lines running through the building. Few other things could explain an internet failure localized to one building.
This should serve as a warning (but won’t) that absolute dependence on the web to facilitate day to day operations, without an alternative, is a recipe for disaster. I remember, when internet access became a normal part of station operations, that certain parts of the facility were kept as closed systems, without web connections. Editing, master control, traffic, etc. were not allowed direct web access. Servers were isolated. This wasn’t so much to protect against internet failure, as it was to prevent the introduction of viruses and malware. News, by necessity, had internet access. But I remember more than once when a virus shut down the primary system, forcing a painful switch to an ill-maintained back-up server.
I appreciate the many advantages and progress of cloud system operations, and using the internet, instead of costly and sometimes obtuse closed or direct access systems. But the dependence on the web comes with a serious risk that station management minimizes. If the power goes out, most stations have generators. If a water mains break, bottled water can be brought in. But absolute reliance on the internet, with no back-up or alternative to serve your number one responsibility of putting product on the air, is a guarantee that exactly what happened, will happen.