Turner Broadcasting "regrets" Boston security scare

**voivod** · 01.31.07, 04:07 PM

Turner Broadcasting apologized on Wednesday for a marketing campaign that sparked Boston's biggest security scare since the September 11, 2001, attacks -- closing bridges, shutting major roads and putting hundreds of police on alert.

The day-long scare began when a suspicious package was found on a steel beam under a bridge in the morning. Police stopped traffic on a major interstate highway north of Boston, cordoned off the area, deployed a bomb squad and blew it up.

By afternoon, at least eight other similar suspicious packages were discovered, each triggering a security alert involving emergency crews, federal agents, bomb squads, police and the U.S. Coast Guard.

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner Broadcasting System Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc., said in statement.

It said the devices were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 American cities for an animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" produced by its Adult Swim brand.

They had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," said Turner, adding that it had contacted law enforcement officials to give them the precise locations of the packages.

The discoveries in Boston triggered the biggest city-wide security alert since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

It forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close the Charles River that feeds from the Atlantic Ocean into the city and caused authorities to shut down major bridges linking Boston with neighboring Cambridge along with several roads.

"This has taken a significant toll on our resources," Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis told reporters.

The packages looked roughly similar, he said.

"We feel there is not a reason for anyone to panic," Gov. Deval Patrick told a news conference before Turner released its statement widely to the media.

Four of the packages were discovered near the New England Medical Center, the Longfellow Bridge that connects Boston with Cambridge, the Boston University Bridge and at an intersection in central Boston.

"All were found not to be explosive devices," said Boston Police Department spokesman Eddy Chrispin.

**LLFHS** · 01.31.07, 06:31 PM

It said the devices were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 American cities for an animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" produced by its Adult Swim brand.

I knew this fuckin show would eventually lead to no good.

**Double Down** · 01.31.07, 07:10 PM

Bastards. I was stuck in that traffic this morning.

**LLFHS** · 01.31.07, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Double Down

Bastards. I was stuck in that traffic this morning.

It's this guy's fault.

**smithjc** · 01.31.07, 11:02 PM

Idiots. I hope they get fined up the butt.

**sisca** · 02.01.07, 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by LowLifeFlatHeadScum

It said the devices were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 American cities for an animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" produced by its Adult Swim brand.

I knew this fuckin show would eventually lead to no good.

come on! a talking meatball and floating french fries? how can ya go wrong, man?!

**ZeoBandit** · 02.01.07, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by smithjc

Idiots. I hope they get fined up the butt.

Fined?

I hope a lot more then that happens to them.

**Menlow** · 02.01.07, 06:19 AM

Meanwhile they've gotten more publicity for that show then they ever could have dreamed of.....

**smithjc** · 02.01.07, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by ZeoHalen

Fined?

I hope a lot more then that happens to them.

I know. How stupid. A bit of prison justice p'raps? J/K!

**Hurricane Halen** · 02.01.07, 08:15 AM

Ted Turner or someone is getting ready to get their, "Salad Tossed".

Can't be fucking around in this day and age, with shit like this.

GET A ROPE!!!!!!!!!!!!

HH <---------RENT THIS........aww screw it, no one ever does----------

**sbrum** · 02.01.07, 09:55 AM

That is a great show, but what a bunch of wads to try and pull that off.

**cokemach1** · 02.01.07, 01:58 PM

Weren't those guys Spicoli's friends in Fast Times?

**Rick S** · 02.01.07, 02:08 PM

the moonanites rule.

F.U. earth.

**willyum** · 02.01.07, 03:47 PM

Fine? Prison?

WTF?

These were up for 3 weeks and scattered across a bunch of other cities.

The reaction has been retarded. Outside of Die Hard, what terrorist would want a bomb to have a neon Lite Brite on the face?

**Axxman300** · 02.01.07, 10:11 PM

The reaction has been retarded. Outside of Die Hard, what terrorist would want a bomb to have a neon Lite Brite on the face?

The same kind of person that would make an IED out of a rag doll.

People who plant bombs are sick in the head by their very nature.

I'm not sure who I'm more disgusted by, Boston not knowing that these things had been up a few days, the idiots who placed them under bridges and freeway overpasses or the people who think Boston over reacted even though they don't know jack shit about explosives.

What gets me is that the Marketing company called these guys in the morning once it was on TV and told them to keep their mouths shut and not call Boston PD to clue them in. Turner Networks waited until 5:00pm before they called Boston and let them know what the story was.

I hope all the key people in this event get monkey-stomped.