Update on the KPPX Porn Story

It has been announced than an employee at the ION (formerly Pax TV affiliate) here in Phoenix, Channel 51 KPPX, has been fired for inserting (no pun intended) into a Tom Brokaw show. There was approximately :30 secs of hard core porn in the news special and it caused major havoc when it aired.

Now, as a professional broadcaster and somewhat an 'agent provocateur' myself, I had to snicker at this. Every TV employee at some point has thought about doing something like this when they are dissatisfied with their place of employment, though this is a bit extreme. I have stories going back quite a few years of people who have done various things like this, though not as severe as this, just silly stuff. I am guilty myself though it was never noticed and rather benign and not at Fort KPNX. So, anyway, here is the story from the Al-AP;



TV station fires worker suspected of inserting porn
Associated Press Mar. 20, 11:33 AM

A Phoenix television station fired an employee suspected of inserting pornography into a broadcast of a news show featuring former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw.

The unnamed worker for ION Media Networks' KPPX-TV "was immediately terminated and faces further legal action" after an investigation determined who was responsible for the March 12 incident, spokeswoman Leslie Monreal said in a statement.

Palm Beach, Fla.-based ION Media Networks, which offers family-friendly programs, called the incident "an intolerable act of human sabotage" and apologized to viewers. About 30 seconds of porn was inserted into the broadcast.

Monreal said in a statement released late last week that the images of sex acts only appeared in the Phoenix market.

The images prompted a flood of calls to local news media outlets and the cable television provider.