'60 Minutes' Siegelman Story Black Out

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Viewers who tuned in a Huntsville TV
channel to watch a "60 Minutes" report on the prosecution of
former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman instead saw a dark screen.
The station today blamed the blackout on technical problems.
After promoting the segment for days, WHNT-TV went
black just as the report was to air last night. The screen was dark
for a few moments before the station flashed a message blaming a
technical glitch for the problem.
WHNT general manager Stan Pylant said the problem was caused by
a malfunctioning CBS receiver located at the station.
The station aired the tail end of the segment after the signal
was restored, and it showed the story again in its entirety later
yesterday during a newscast. It also included a link to the "60
Minutes" report on its Web site.
The story suggested a Republican conspiracy was behind
Siegelman's prosecution and imprisonment in a bribery conspiracy, a
claim prosecutors deny.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)