- Two white TV reporters were suspended after wearing Afro-like wigs in a '70s-themed segments.
- The KATV employees wore the wigs in a gag that the city's temperatures were cooling down to the '70s.
- An executive of the parent company of the
news station apologized for the incident.
Two white TV reporters were suspended after wearing Afro-like wigs on-air for a 1970s-themed segment last month, $4 reported.
KATV local news anchor Chris May and meteorologist Barry Brandt wore the wigs during a segment announcing that a cold front was approaching
May and Brandt engaged in a play-on-words, referencing the temperature's "return to the '70s," by wearing looks popular in the 1970s, which led to sporting the Afro-like wigs. The gag prompted swift backlash from local activists.
John Seabers, vice president and group manager of the station's parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting, told $4 "it was just bad judgment."
"It was a spoof on the '70s that just went wrong."
The KATV reporters were suspended, and the station's longtime news director, Nick Genty, was fired in light of the incident, The Post reported.
In a statement to the Arkansas Times, Seabers said: "KATV-7 apologies (sic) for the poor judgement (sic) of some members of our news team. Understanding the severity of the situation, we have taken swift action to address it."
"We apologize to all viewers who were rightfully offended by the segment and we promise to enact and enforce new measures to prevent future incidents from occurring," Seabers continued. "We remain committed to serving the dynamic and diverse community of Little Rock."
-Ken Lemon (@kennabjvpbcast) $4