Turner To Pay $2M For Boston Bomb Scare

Agreement With Several Agencies Resolves Any Potential Civil Or Criminal Claims

(CBS/AP)  Attorney General Martha Coakley said Monday that Turner Broadcasting Systems and Interference Inc. have agreed to pay $2 million for a Cartoon Network advertising campaign that caused a widespread bomb scare.

The agreement with several state and local agencies resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the companies, Coakley said.

More than three dozen blinking electronic signs with a boxy cartoon character giving an obscene hand gesture were found Wednesday in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. The signs, part of a publicity campaign for Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," also appeared in nine other big U.S. cities in recent weeks, with little interest.

But in Boston, bomb squads responded to reports of the devices in a subway station, on bridges and elsewhere.

As part of the settlement, $1 million will be used to reimburse the agencies and $1 million will be used to fund homeland security and other programs.

Mayor Thomas Menino said more than $484,590 of the total will go to the city of Boston, reported CBS Station WBZ-TV. Somerville will get $69,113 and Cambridge will be reimbursed $24,794. $691,126 will go to the State Police and $630,396 to the MBTA. The Coast Guard will be paid $46,136, reported WBZ.

Menino estimated last week that the costs in Boston alone would be more than $500,000. Costs incurred by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, state police and the cities of Cambridge and Somerville could amount to another $500,000, officials said.

"Last week's events caused a major disruption in the greater Boston area on many levels — crippling public transportation, causing serious traffic problems, negatively affecting local businesses and perhaps most significantly, costing Boston and surrounding communities thousands of dollars," Coakley said.

Turner released a statement again taking responsibility for the "unconventional marketing tactic" and apologizing for hardships caused to Boston area residents.

"We understand now that in today's post-Sept. 11 environment, it was reasonable and appropriate for citizens and law enforcement officials to take any perceived threat posed by our light boards very seriously and to respond as they did," the statement said.

The company said it was reviewing its policies concerning local marketing efforts and strategies to ensure that they are not disruptive or perceived as threatening.

Authorities say two men were paid to hang the signs around the city. Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, have pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.

Coakley said prosecutors were in discussions with the men's attorneys to resolve the charges before a trial.

Last Friday, Turner Broadcasting System apologized to Boston-area residents for the security scare.

Phil Kent, Turner's chairman and CEO, made the apology in full-page ads in Boston newspapers for "the confusion and inconvenience" caused as highways, bridges and river traffic were shut down in several areas while police checked out the signs, some of which had protruding wires.

"We never intended this outcome and certainly did not set out to perpetrate a hoax. What we did is inadvertently cause a great American city to deal with the unintended impact of this marketing campaign. For this, we are deeply sorry," Kent said.

[grackel]

just to clarify on the irony:

1) boston brought boston to its knees. when they found the first one and was identified as "not a bomb", why bring everything to a halt?

2) no one saw these guys hanging devices across town and question/report it at that time?

3) why are the 2 guys that hung the signs being charged? i would believe it would be up to the marketing department to know they cant hang fake bomb lite brite signs in a town scared to death of lite brites.

/wrist. more emo pls.

[grackel]

god boston QQ more pls.

[susanhelit]

Why are the cops in Boston so much dumber than those in Seattle and everywhere else?

And why do they think the terrorists will be even dumber than they are, to put lights and attract attention to their bombs?

[susanhelit]

If nothing is the same after 9/11, if placing a bunch of litebrites around a city can shut it down and panic people - the terrorists did win. Me, I'm not surrendering to them that easily.

We are a free people, and we should remain that way.

[dssans62]

Hey folks.... what concerns me is that these ads have been placed in other cities throughout the USA and no other Agency has said anything about it....I give kudoos to the Boston officials to being on the ball and looking out for its citizens...maybe all those people out there in the other cities should take notice. Ant yes... to reuse the phase "Nothing is the same after 9/11"..... and nothing will ever be the same...

[yo_marc]

In a bit of defence here...

Weren't there two pipe-bomb-looking objects -actual suspicious devices- (along with something about a suspicious acting person near a medical facility) reported within a short timespan of these signs? Can you blame the police officials for taking some precaution here and treating the signs more carefully than if just simply if someone called in on the signs alone? Like someone else said, how do we know what bombs look like?

If I recall correctly, the bomb-squad guys DID realize within an hour that the signs were harmless.

I still see a lot of misconceptions as to what happened out there. I think a major part of the uproar came from the media trying to spice up the story with scary/eye-catching words, combined with some city officials making some comments without possibly cooling off or thinking things through all the way. I thought it was pretty early in the afternoon that everyone realized the things were harmless... yet we kept hearing about bombs and hoax devices and what not.

It seems people can be quick to pass on something exciting news like this... but not to quick to pass on the news that it's not as exciting as it originally seemed.

[mikeljon-2009]

There's no winner here. Who could have predicted the absurd over-reaction of the Boston Police. And who could have predicted the pandering apology and payoff made by Turner Broadcasting that lent credence to the Law Enforcement patent stupidity.
Have we ALL lost our nerve?
Since the pundits are so in love with the phrase "in this post-9/11 world..." Maybe we should ask: What else do we have to give up to appease our over-zealous militant "protectors?"
Could we consider a return to sanity?

[smb221]

Agnim, shut the hell up already.

[agnim]

"All it really would have taken is for the idiots at Homeland Insecurity to guess that terrorists would probably not place lighted signs to indicate where they had planted explosives.

Posted by talkingham at 12:13 PM : Feb 05, 2007"

The catch phrase in your childish objection is "WOULD PROBABLY NOT PLACE ..."

Because you are such a simpleton, you can't realize that YOU YOURSELF CANNOT BE SURE 'THAT TERRORIST WILL NOT PLACE LIGHTED SIGNS WITH EXPLOSIVES'!

And when RESPONSIBLE authorities can't be sure, they have an OBLIGATION to ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION FOR THE WELL BEING OF MILLIONS!

[agnim]

"I like Ted...I wish he wouldn't bow down like this.

Posted by jh6379 at 03:52 PM : Feb 05, 2007"

Obviously Ted is LOT SMARTER THAN YOU; and he wants to be seen as an UPSTANDING CITIZEN!

Because he publicly stated why he was wrong
offered a public apology
and was proactive in making restitution
Ted Turner has shown himself to be a model citizen and wisely forestalled litigation.

CASE IS CLOSED!

[seanv137]

$2 million is cheap advertising.

My hat goes off to the Turner Broadcasting marketing department.

[zachhauri]

No, this is wrong. If a prankster reports a fire, the fire department's not gonna hose down the building room after room, tearing up the walls and ceilings and taking out adjacent buildings to put out the non-existent fire.
The police used their own, incorrect judgment in handling the situation, and they should be the ones held accountable.
I think the following quotes speak for themselves:
"To us, they're so obviously not suspicious ... We don't consider them dangerous." -- King County Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart (Seattle, WA)
"no one perceived them as a threat." -- LAPD Lieutenant Paul Vernon (Los Angeles, CA)
"At this point we wouldn't even begin an investigation, because there's no reason to believe a crime has occurred." -- Portland PD Sergeant Brian Schmautz (Portland, OR)

[odesey7-2009]

This is another case of public stupity fueled by government propaganda. We need to kick all the profesional politicians out and let the people take our country back.

[talkingham]

The only person who should be indicted for a terror hoax is the liar who got us into Iraqi by lying directly to the American people and distorting intelligence to fit his lies.

Turner is a self-made millionaire who was smart enough to see the future of news was satellite broadcasting and accordingly sunk in own money into it and made a fortune. If aardbear had his way we'd still be in Vietnam.

Turner wasn't born with his daddy's political silver spoon stuck up his u-no-what.

Impeach the liar!!!!!!!!!!!

[random_radar]

More government extortion.

[canaima]

Somwhere in those fines should be some extra cash to pay for a hair stylist for Berdovsky.

[thgdriver]

I am sure some extra money was paid out, because of stupidity.

[thgdriver]

dualdragons --- FYI only---

The devices were placed in nine other large cities, they did dot run around yelling "the sky is falling".

Boston should have to pay a Stupid tax!!

Besides, as a few others posted, the cops, emergency people, first responders, are being paid a salary anyway.

[thgdriver]

Websters Dictionary---Hoax---something intended to deceive and "defraud".

The charge of placing a "hoax" device does not fit.

At most, a charge of posting advertisement in a area zoned no advertising is the strongest charge I see.

I am sure that is a fine of some kind.

[bigwhtpony]

That's just lunch money to these folks....