AP News, September 20th, 2007
A television station apologized to viewers after an Internet video showed a longtime weather anchor clowning around in front of a computer graphic of a woman's breast.
WBKO-TV said on its Web site that it has reprimanded weather anchor Chris Allen for "acting in a juvenile and unprofessional manner." Rick McCue, station vice president and general manager, said Allen remains an employee.
The tape was from years earlier, never aired on television and was stolen by a former employee, who posted it on the Internet, according to the station, which did not name the former employee.
The video appeared on blogs and other Web sites, showing Allen to the left of a giant computer graphic of a woman's body in profile, under the text "Breast Milk Donors." A grinning Allen appears to lick the nipple and squeeze the breast while making honking noises, whistling and laughing.
WBKO's statement included an apology from Allen:
"This video _ which was never intended to be seen outside of the station _ was part of a joke that was played on me during a lighter moment off the air several years ago. I regret that a former employee has decided it is something that everyone should see and took the liberty of posting it on the Internet," Allen said. "I am embarrassed by the whole ordeal and humbly apologize for anyone offended by my actions."
A message left for Allen at WBKO-TV by The Associated Press on Thursday was not immediately returned. Allen was away attending a training session in Wisconsin, McCue said.
The station considers the tape copyrighted material and is trying to have the video removed from various sites, McCue said.
