F-Bombs Awat At WCVB -- Bans Cussing In Newsroom After On-Air Vulgarity

(From The Boston Herald -- By Jessica Heslam)

WCVB-TV executives have banned swearing in the newsroom after an F-bomb made it into one of their Friday newscasts.

The station broke in to carry a live press conference on University of Vermont student MICHELLE GARDNER-QUINN, whose body had been found 15 miles from campus.

After the press conference, the station replayed an edited portion of it during its 5 pm newscast. During that segment, as the Burlington, Vermont, police chief spoke, a WCVB producer could be heard shouting the word in the background.

THE BOSTON HERALD obtained and reviewed a copy of the segment.

Sources say news executives fired out a memo banning the use of obscenities in the newsroom after the on-air vulgarity. According to WCVB policy, swearing isn't acceptable in the workplace, station spokeswoman ERIN DUGGAN said.

I wouldn't be surprised if they took it as an opportunity to remind staff to be aware of appropriate language, she said.

According to sources, a producer and editor were cutting a breaking news voiceover and the track microphone was on when the producer swore. The microphone picked up the word and it made it onto the newscast.
[Hunh?]

Duggan said late yesterday the station hadn't received any complaints.