CNN SENIOR MANAGEMENT LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO CHENEY "X" - Control Room Staffer Laughed

The Drudge Report ^ | 11-22-05 | Matt Drudge

[rabair]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE NOV 22, 2005 08:25:48 ET XXXXX

**Exclusive**

CNN SENIOR MANAGEMENT LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION OF CHENEY 'X'; CONTROL ROOM STAFFER 'LAUGHED' WHEN X FLASHED

CNN management has launched an internal investigation into how a giant black 'X' mark appeared over Vice President Dick Cheney's face -- as he delivered a speech from Washington on Monday!

"We are taking this matter very, very seriously, and I can assure you no one at this network would ever deliberately place an 'X' over the vice president's face," a top CNN source, who asked not to be named at this time, said from New York.

A well-placed CNN insider claims a control room staffer "laughed" when the image appeared shortly after 11 am.

A careful review of the tape now shows a white colored 'X' was also transposed over Cheney's face during the speech, it appeared for less than 1/15 of a second, creating a startling flash effect.

CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg emails: "We concluded this was a technological malfunction not an issue of operator error. A portion of the switcher experienced a momentary glitch. We obviously regret that it happened and are working on the equipment to ensure it is not repeated."

A rival network news director asks: "When has an 'X' ever aired on CNN before? Who had the graphic sitting in the key signal? Who generated the 'X'?"

The vice president himself is said to have brushed off the incident, a White House source said early Tuesday morning.

Developing...

[rabair]

As I suspected all along... The blogosphere has all bought the "technical malfunction" (no word if Janet Jackson or Justin Timberlake were involved), not "operator error line. While everyone may be buying it, I ain't. Do I think CNN meant to actually send it to air... Not sure, but I don't think they'd be that stupid. What I think happened was in the midst of bordem and rage, the CNN control room libs were screwing around and put that X up on a monitor and all were going to have a good laugh, but someone screwed up and briefly put it on the live broadcast... Or maybe just some lib that was so angry he came unhinged and deliberately did it. Wouldn't be actually that surprising that some whacked out CNN lib just lost it for a minute and couldn't resist.

That said, why are people believing the excuse from CNN? Has anyone ever seen a random gigantic X appear on their screen before? I know I haven't, and I've watched my share of television. I might have given them a slight chance had they said "somebody leaned on the wrong button, but we quickly fixed it." But even then, why would there be a need for a giant X? As the folks on Fox & Friends pointed out this morning, this ain't Hollywood Squares, and Cheney ain't Whoopi Goldberg. Even their control room people said that this "malfunction" excuse made no sense. They spent most of the show putting the X on Brian and changing it's size and following his head with it. Pretty funny.

Anyway, make up your own minds... I don't work with this equipment, and I know a lot of "experts" have agreed that it was probably a malfunction... But common sense to me tells me that excuse is bogus.

[Peach]

I thought it was a black X, not a white X?

[nuconvert]

"I can assure you no one at this network would ever deliberately place an 'X' over the vice president's face,""

ummm......someone did

[battlegearboat]

Family Feud

[roses of sharon]

CXN is a political organization made up of political operatives.

Simple.

Destroy them now.

[rabair]

follow drudge link.. he has pictures... it was black, but that white one made the effect he mentions in this update.

[Coop]

They spent most of the show putting the X on Brian and changing it's size and following his head with it. Pretty funny.

That is funny! And I'm not buying CNN's excuse either. I'm glad to hear that they are supposedly taking this matter seriously and investigating. If that's true, then I imagine someone will be looking for work very shortly.

[Lazamataz]

We have a new savior:

Cheney X

Like Malcolm X, only for older white guys with heart disease

[Rummyfan]

Well, at least CNN is being open about where they stand finally.

[mosquitobite]

LOL, without FOX, with the VP brushing it aside, so would everyone else. I'm glad FOX is holding their feet to the fire. Even Colmes!

[rabair]

by the way, here's the black and white "X"s via Drudge:

[PBRSTREETGANG]

[AngryJawa]

LOL!!!

[Peach]

Okay -- I looked at the pictures. Why did the first picture show a black X and the second picture shows a white X?

Has CNN manipulated the evidence?

[reagan_fanatic]

"We are taking this matter very, very seriously, and I can assure you no one at this network would ever deliberately place an 'X' over the vice president's face," a top CNN source

Bullsh*t.

[KeyLargo]

I xd out CNN from my tv remote a long time ago.

[johnny7]

It ain't no mistake.

Somebody flashed the graphic directly over Cheney's face... with additional text below it. Take a GOOD look.

[SE Mom]

My, how the mighty have fallen, ping!

[conservativecorner]

But...but...but it was just a mistake. The message at the bottom of the screen was generated by HAL9000, and there is no one to be held accountable. END SARCASM!!

[Patriot from Philly]

OK...here's my theory and I read many Nancy Drew books in my youth so this comes with some background.

Put yourself in the perp's shoes. All the left has thought about for months was Fitzmas. The evil elf of Fitzmas was to be Cheney.

Now Fitzmas is starting to fizzle. The left refers to the Woodward/Novak leaker as Mr. X (clever, huh). So what better way for CNN to plant the suspicions that Cheney is the evil neo-con leaker than with a big X.

I know if I this subtle message I would think...hmm. Cheney...X.. Mr X!!! evil neocon leaker!!

[RasterMaster]

Typical leftist tactics...um, I mean "glitches".

NO SPINE ZONE?

[mewzilla]

CNN should tell us what was printed under the big x, over the "IT'S WRONG TO CRITICIZE" text. Bet that would explain a lot.

[shiva]

Maybe they thought this would boost up their ratings with the Left? Idiots!!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

It's a White House ploy to garner Black Muslim support......

Cheney X

[Lazamataz]

I already made that joke.

[Doogle]

so it was just an electronic snafu, but we managed to insert a white one for our story,but it was originally black and we don't know how we did it...
we'll investigate and promote, I mean we'll find a scapegoat.

Doogle

[Red Badger]

I heard it on the X..........

[BlueYonder]

I thought it was a black X, not a white X?

John Kerry was quoted as saying, "It was a black X before it was a white X." /sarcasm

[dfwgator]

Here's another "glitch":

[Triple]

My take is that it was deliberate - and the Lefty that did it thought nobody would catch him, and that it would be his own private little joke/protest.

[i_dont_chat]

Is anyone familiar with the phrase:

Transition begins after 6 frames of black

Is it frames? or games?

From the "white" version, the word black is not so obvious.

[in hoc signo vinces]

We may all be missing the boat here.... Bill Gates hacked into the digital feed and added the "X" as a media stunt to launch Micro-soft's X-BOX 360...how about that for a tin foil hat conspiracy?

[The_Victor]

I have a two word solution to the entire problem...

Fox News

[Baynative]

"Bullsh*t."

Correct-o-MUNDO. Saying is not doing. CNN is at best DU-lite. If anything, they are high fiving each other over the fun they've had with this. They will posture a bit about getting to the bottom of it all, but merely wait for another news story to make it fade.

If one doesn't appear, they will fabricate one. I'd expect them to go all Woodward, all day to drown this out.

[finnman69]

technical malfunction my ass

CNN has proved itself once again to be an amateurish organization.

[rabair]

actually, that text on the bottom of the screen has already been figured out as nothing really that important by the blogosphere: "Transition begins after 5 frames of black" is what it says. But that isn't even that important, read my theory (start of thread) on why the CNN excuse is so bogus... Also, I didn't think of, what I've seen others mention about the "Mr. X" thing.. I'm sure that was part of their little joke.

[McGruff]

I can assure you no one at this network would ever deliberately place an 'X' over the vice president's face

Would you testify to that under oath? I think not.

[papertyger]

Anyway, make up your own minds... I don't work with this equipment, and I know a lot of "experts" have agreed that it was probably a malfunction... But common sense to me tells me that excuse is bogus.

FRiend, if you think the on-air help are a bunch of insufferably arrogant pricks, you should check out the ones that don't have the personality or looks to get in front of the camera.

You're right, they are lying.

[savedbygrace]

I've been in the video business for 20 years. I never worked in news, but I've worked in control rooms, and I can see how this could be an unintentional error . . . IF it only appeared a few times.

There should be lots of eagle eyes watching the Air monitor closely. It's inconceivable that nobody would have seen this as it happened, certainly by the third or fourth appearance, probably on the first blip.

Then the mad dash to find the source on the master switcher. That might take a few seconds, or even a minute or so, depending on the repeat frequency.

How long before the X flashes stopped appearing, and how frequent were they?

[LIConFem]

"I thought it was a black X, not a white X?"

Trying to play the race card, are we??

;o)

[HereInTheHeartland]

New theme :
X CNN

get those bumperstickers printed.

[TomGuy]

I thought it was a black X, not a white X?

Seems it was both. The black X showed up several times. That leads to the conclusion that it was more than just an error/malfunction.

[TexasCajun]

Later today:

CNN suspends technician for 2 months with pay and bonus.

[mewzilla]

Thanks! Wonder if CNN's advertisers are laughing?

[mainepatsfan]

The question is why didn't this "mistake" happen before or after Cheney's speech?

[i_dont_chat]

Maybe the last word is "play", not black.

[thoughtomator]

So I guess this is the perfect opportunity to watch a cover-up in real time.

[cake_crumb]

Before fiddling with the image in Photoshop I was sure it was probably an honest mistake by a media which has been caught DIShonestly altering images before.

Explain why there is text belkow the "X" which looks suspiciously like news crawler text. In fact the text below the "X" on the screen capture says "...the {poa....can't make that out] has proposed restrictions on his best selling as...]"

Convince me some wit didn't use the same equipment for the news crawler to make that "X".

[wita]

At one time CNN was the only 24 hour news station. In cable land, they were king news, the only news so they were able to have their way with the american people. Their coffers were full and their owner and founder was king of his kingdom. Times change and competition is good no?

[Thombo2]

"Technical malfunction"?Suuure.I recall another incident(prior to GW's re-election?)where the caption under a pic of the pres said"It's the economy,again"or something to that effect.This was also attributed to as a prank.