Posted on 01/31/2007 2:18:38 PM PST by maquiladora
(WBZ) BOSTON The suspicious devices which forced bomb units to scramble across Boston today were actually magnetic lights that are part of a marketing campaign for a television cartoon.
The reports forced the temporary shutdowns of Interstate 93 out of the city, a key inbound roadway, a bridge between Boston and Cambridge, and a portion of the Charles River but were quickly determined not to be explosive.
"It's a hoax -- and it's not funny," Gov. Deval Patrick said.
All of the devices are magnetic lights which resemble a character on the show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", on Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network.
WBZ has obtained a statement from Turner Broadcasting:
"The "packages" in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they mistakenly thought to pose any danger."
A total of nine devices were found in Boston and Somerville.
The first device was found at an MBTA subway and bus station located under Interstate 93 on Wednesday morning. The device was detonated and determined to be harmless, but as a precaution the station and the interstate shut down temporarily.
Then, around 1 p.m., four calls came into Boston Police reporting suspicious devices at the Boston University Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge, which both span the Charles River, and the corner of Stuart and Columbus Streets and at the Tufts-New England Medical Center.
Another device was found in Somerville under the McGrath Highway Bridge.
The FBI is assisting Boston police in the investigation. F-B-I spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz says the investigation remains "fluid." She stresses the devices are NOT related to terrorism.
CNN lied, why should Turner be any different?
If these were paid advertising, then there should be a paper trail. Would the subway accept such advertising? Sounds like the devices were left anonymously.
Sounds like it was illegal viral marketing. I don't recall any legal advertising on that bridge that is listed.
I was looking at post 9 which I thought had a picture of the "device" and then seeing where Turner was talking about billboards. Do you know if the billboards made reference to the "devices" scattered around the different cities? Or did they reference mooninite appearances but not let local authorities know where and when the mooninite's would pop up?
Yep, I agree with you. Also sounds as if Turner didn't explain to authorities the full details of their advertising scheme.
The collective IQ of these bumbling Keystone Kops has to be less than 100. We can all sleep well at night knowing that millions of dollars spent on Homeland Insecurity is keeping us safe.
Someone is a marketing genius ... remember "Old Shoe" in "Wag the Dog" ?
They weren't billboards.
sounds like the title of the show was created in North Korea
Au Contraire my Canadian FRiend -- Aqua Teen Hunger Force is now the lead story on every major news show and newspaper in the United States. You can't buy advertising like that.
They would have been if a dead bird was under one.
I think this is hilarious!
The billboards and the hanging devices and were in Austin at least a month ago. No one here blinked an eye, actually, the signs were pretty cool.
The Dead birds were just an excuse to take a day off of work.
Slings and Arrows
8^)
Er, no.
Just more proof positive of how utterly unhip a city Boston is!
I guess when their little farce went unnoticed they started calling in to the police.
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