Cartoon Network promo tied to Boston bomb scare

[digitalkieran]

Cartoon Network promo tied to Boston bomb scare

By Val Brickates Kennedy, MarketWatch
Last Update: 7:06 PM ET Jan 31, 2007

BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- A marketing campaign gone awry was apparently behind the shutdown of Boston's major roadways and subway lines on Wednesday after promotional devices installed around the city triggered a day-long bomb scare.
In an e-mailed statement circulated to the media, the Cartoon Network, owned by Time Warner (TWX : time warner inc com
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4:01pm 01/31/2007

acknowledged placing devices containing magnetic lights throughout Boston as part of a national promotional campaign for its Adult Swim animated show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."
The network added it has placed similar devices in 10 other cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore.; and Austin, Texas. The devices, which it called "billboards," have been in place for up to three weeks, it said.
"Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards," wrote Turner Broadcasting executive Shirley Powell, in her e-mail. Cartoon Network is a unit of Turner Broadcasting.
"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," Powell wrote.
By evening rush hour Wednesday, law enforcement officials had reportedly identified at least nine of the devices in the Boston area. The first, found early Wednesday morning, was detonated by a bomb squad at a subway station in Somerville, Mass., next to heavily-traveled Interstate 93.
The subsequent discovery of suspicious packages resulted in the temporary closure of three main bridges connecting Cambridge, Mass., to Boston, in addition to sections of Boston's Storrow Drive, I-93 and the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Another suspicious package was reportedly found near the Tufts-New England Medical Center, a major Boston medical facility.
Subway services on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority's Red and Orange lines were also suspended temporarily. The U.S. Coast Guard temporarily blocked passage on the Charles River and closed locks controlling water flow from the Charles to Boston Harbor, according to local reports.
"At this time, our office is involved with an investigation with other federal and state authorities to determine if any criminal charges should be filed and, if so, against whom," said Emily LaGrassa, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Gov. Deval Patrick issued a statement that thanked law enforcement while chastising Turner Broadcasting: "I am deeply dismayed to learn that many of the devices are a part of a marketing campaign by Turner Broadcasting. This stunt has caused considerable disruption and anxiety in our community. I understand that Turner Broadcasting has purported to apologize for this. I intend nonetheless to consult with the attorney general and other advisors about what recourse we may have."

Val Brickates Kennedy is a reporter for MarketWatch in Boston.

[Mr. Anobe]

AH HA!!! So Cartoon Network does have a "terrorist" link with bombers...oh wait, is this a joke?

[timelord]

Already heard about this earlier. You'd think someone would've realized this was a lousy idea? Guess the 10-headed network monster doesn't have a much of a brain.

[digitalkieran]

Already heard about this earlier. You'd think someone would've realized this was a lousy idea? Guess the 10-headed network monster doesn't have a much of a brain.

but its the city's own damn fault, they were told of the promo about two weeks ago, but now playing dumb

no matter how you slice it, Boston got owned by mooninites
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[drakecomander]

When i first heard about that off G4 i fell off my couch laughing.

the whole headline was "The Mooninites are Tarrorists"
it was the funniest thing i ever saw

[Gepetto]

Doesn't anyone else feel a great deception towards mankind after reading this?

[BasharOfTheAges]

Already heard about this earlier. You'd think someone would've realized this was a lousy idea? Guess the 10-headed network monster doesn't have a much of a brain.

but its the city's own damn fault, they were told of the promo about two weeks ago, but now playing dumb

no matter how you slice it, Boston got owned by mooninites

Or so they claim. City authorities see it differently. They say they were never given advertising permits and the places where these things did turn up were places that were off-limits to advertising. Since the police and other authorities have to take anything they see seriously, someone could have innocently saw something and jumped to conclusions about it, or (and i think this may be more possible than one could think) someone that knows the law and was offended by the ad in some way simply called in to start shit.

Also, this is more suited to the off topic forum as it has nothing that would directly put it in the anime section.

[MOD 403: agreed, locked for being non-anime]