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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Janet Jackson (news) masterminded the Super Bowl halftime stunt that left her right breast exposed and prompted a federal probe into television indecency, the head of MTV said on Tuesday. "Janet Jackson engineered it," MTV Chief Executive Tom Freston told Reuters in an interview. The blame on Jackson comes on a second day of fallout after pop idol Justin Timberlake (news) tore off half of Jackson's black leather bustier while the pair were singing a duet, exposing her right breast at the conclusion of Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show. Freston, whose company produced the...

<p>NEW YORK — Janet Jackson's red lace garment was supposed to remain over her breast when Justin Timberlake tore off part of her bustier during their Super Bowl halftime performance, the superstar said through a spokeswoman Tuesday.</p> <p>In a statement released Monday night, Jackson said the stunt that revealed a breast clad only in a sun-shaped "nipple shield" in front of some 89 million viewers went awry after being planned at the last minute.</p>

Despite its official apology, MTV did not hesitate to promote the "unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional" incident after the fact. A Web page headline trumpeted: "Janet Jackson Got Nasty at the MTV-Produced Super Bowl Halftime Show." Continuing, the Web page said, "Jaws across the country hit the carpet at exactly the same time. You know what we're talking about ... Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and a kinky finale that rocked the Super Bowl to its core."

The Federal Communications Commission will investigate CBS's sleazy halftime show, Chairman Michael Powell said today. "I am outraged at what I saw during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better," Powell stated. "I have instructed the commission to open an immediate investigation into last night's broadcast," he said. A spokesman had earlier merely said the agency was launching a routine investigation because it had received...

Statement by NFL Executive Vice President Joe Browne regarding the Super Bowl halftime show: "We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV-produced Halftime show. They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the show. It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

First I read this on Drudge:MTV Statement on Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Incident Sunday February 1, 11:03 pm ET HOUSTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The tearing of Janet Jackson's costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance. MTV regrets this incident occurred and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it. Then I went on MTV's website and I found this: Who's Kidding whom here? Janet Jackson Got Nasty at the MTV-Produced Super Bowl Halftime Show Jaws across the country hit the carpet at exactly the same time....

CBS is claiming it had no idea that a Super Bowl half-time dance routine between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake would feature the pop diva going partially topless. But four days before Ms. Jackson assaulted tens of millions TV viewers during the family hour with her R-rated moment, a press release by the company producing the show boasted that her dance would be "shocking." "I don't think the Super Bowl has ever seen a performance like this," Jackson choreographer Gil Duldulao said, in a press release posted to MTV's web site on Jan. 28. "The dancing is great. She's more...