TV station managers suspended following Twitter 'gang rape' billboard

London Telegraph ^ | 11/30/09 | Tom Chivers

[raccoonradio]

Two senior staff in an Alabama news station have allegedly been suspended after a billboard with a live Twitter feed seemingly accused its own presenters of rape. The unfortunate juxtaposition was caught on camera. The advertisement, for WPMI-TV in Alabama, showed the station's anchors, Greg Peterson and Kym Thurman, with their top weatherman Derek Beasley, alongside the latest headline and the words “Right now on Twitter”.

Unfortunately for the station, at one stage the top headline on Twitter read “Three accused of gang rape in Monroeville”, and the misleading juxtaposition was caught on camera by a passing motorist as he drove through Mobile, Alabama.

[raccoonradio]

The use of the word "presenters" is proof this write-up came from across the pond.

This falls into the "unfortunate placement" category. Sometimes these type of things pop up on Jay Leno's "Headlines" segment and they used to show up in the True Facts section of National Lampoon. (Example: one billboard reading "If You're Here, Who's Watching Your Home?" loomed over...a cemetery...)

[rwfromkansas]

This is absurd. The photos are clearly separate from the Twitter feed that just is a series of basic headlines.

Wow.

[wiggen]

it said twitter feed. it scrolls. anything could pop up there. they can’t possibly be suspended over this. heck,its doubtful they have any control over the feed.

[Young Werther]

There is a downside...

[stormer]

Someone needs a nap. I can think of about a million headlines that only a knuckleheaded dumbass would think applied to the station ad. How about “Football squad makes change to backfield”, “Construction boom means jobs”, or “Love triangle leads to murder”.

[jiggyboy]

advertisement auto-placement fail

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

One time I was googling some statistic about slavery and the sidebar ad came up with SLAVES!
Bid on Slaves now!
www.ebay.com

[steve-b]

Sometimes these type of things pop up on Jay Leno's "Headlines" segment and they used to show up in the True Facts section of National Lampoon. (Example: one billboard reading "If You're Here, Who's Watching Your Home?" loomed over...a cemetery...)

Another one was a case where adjacent signs for a church and an auto repair shop led to the theologically problematic announcement: "MUFFLER MAN -- HE IS RISEN"

[raccoonradio]

ha!

Drug Store sign:
DRUGS
COKE IS IT

True Facts had some funny stuff; one showed a Dairy Queen sign that said SCREAM UNTIL DADDY STOPS THE CAR (that’s
right, kiddos, help us out!)

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