Thursday, 4:30 PM
Adult Swim network posts apology for marketing scare
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
Adult Swim, the late-night programming that includes the animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," posted an apology on its website to the citizens of Boston, saying it "deeply regretted the hardships experienced" after its unorthodox advertising campaign incited alarm and sent police scrambling after a series of bomb scares.
Adult Swim, which is shown on the Cartoon Network after dark, posted the apology on a black screen on its homepage.
"We appreciate the gravity of the situation," the statement says. It continues, "As soon as we realized an element of the campaign was being taken as something potentially dangerous, appropriate law enforcement officials were notified."
The statement said it directed the "third party firm" who placed "advertisements" to take the battery-operated devices down. That firm is New York City-based Interference, Inc.
Police arrested two men Wednesday night who they accused of putting the lighted devices on bridges and other locales throughout the city.
The note from Adult Swim also added that the company does "appreciate the commitment demonstrated by the Boston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, as well as the Massachusetts Governor's Office."
The Cartoon Network's parent company, Turner Broadcasting Systems, has also apologized.
