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...

[newzjunkey]

That kind of editorializing through photo selective happens all the time. They deny it, but sometimes it's just too noticeable.

[hummingbird]

Possible, rabidralph. It doesn't excuse CNN's lame and unbelievable response, but it is possible, I guess, that it could have happened as you say.

I was in master control once on a live program. All of the master control operators and the engineers could not stand the on-air talent...she was always snobby and "diva-ish" with the crew. She was also an avid tennis player and had the wrinkled skin to prove it!

MC and the engineers tweaked something and when she was on air, you could see every line and crease in her face. Her skin looked like beef jerky.

Everything was changed back after the show and quick prep for the next show set "levels" (or sumtin') back and the talent on the next show looked just fine.

Moral of the story: never send anything back to the kitchen and never piss off a television crew.

[NRA1995]

Yes they did; I was watching it in a restaurant when it happened. It was CNN Headline News.

[maica]

when CNN issued their statement last night didn't they say "See, we use that gigantic X for, blah blah blah.. but the machine malfunction and randomly put it up" or "someone hit the button by mistake"...

They also did not show or allude to any other occasion in the past 20+ years of TV where a random X has ever appeared.

[newzjunkey]

Bye Macintosh?

[SlowBoat407]

The only time I've seen an X superimposed on the screen is when a transition has not been rendered yet. Has anyone contacted Chyron, or whomever it is that makes CNN's character generators, to find out if they have any pre-programmed screens that look like that?

[hummingbird]

LOL..."I don't care who you are, that's funny!"

[NonLinear]

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

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.

[rwfromkansas]

If there was this white X that appeared as well, I am inclined to believe it was an actual technical glitch.

I could see putting a black X being deliberate, but putting up a white one too in a way that looks like a malfunctioning CG machine where a button was accidentally pressed or something seems unlikely to be on purpose.

[hummingbird]

Maybe it's my fault! :)

It always catches up with ya'....LOL!

[cubreporter]

We watched the entire speech on FNC. It was long enough in my opinion that someone should have checked it during that time OR just pulled it off the air rahter than have that X on there. Someone should pay for this.

[cubreporter]

We were waiting for Cheney to appear and flipping around and came to CNN and I said: "Change it. That station is so bias I can't stand looking at them." We changed it and aren't we glad we did? We would have anyway cause whenever Bush is on we watch FNC.

[hummingbird]

They say that the truth is the first casualty in every war.

Thank goodness Algore invented the Internet and that bloggers and forums are growing like wildfire. The MSM is digging a hole for itself...they're looking more and more like dinosaurs...very sick dinosaurs.

[TheSpottedOwl]

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.

Hahaha, and so true!

[hummingbird]

Heh, heh, heh.....Cheney X: we'll need caps and t-shirts printed up. And, none of that cheap stuff either.

[Eagle of Liberty]

It looks like frames to me. Maybe they mean the transition from black to white?

[Spiff]

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

Hey, maybe it was a stunt by FO_X NEWS and CNN got pwn3d!

[hummingbird]

Heh, heh, heh....you know they'd do something like that if they could!

Very good for quick and dirty.

[beachn4fun]

Does anyone know what the added text says?

[Toskrin]

Here's an Internet "oops" by CNN where they link to a picture of Bush. The file was named "a$$hole.jpg". They pulled it quickly:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1269931/posts