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News Anchor Fired for Cursing On-Air Has TV Offers Pouring In

Apr 24, 2013  •  Post A Comment

The Bismarck, N.D., news anchor who was fired after an on-air incident in his first day on the job has become a hot property in the media, booking late-night talk shows and getting an assignment from a popular daytime show.

A.J. Clemente has been making the rounds of TV talk shows, including booking an appearance on tonight’s “Late Show with David Letterman.” He already has appearances under his belt on NBC’s “Today” and the syndicated “Live with Kelly and Michael,” and agreed to take a temporary job with the latter.

“Live” is sending the rookie newsman to serve as the show’s celebrity correspondent at the red carpet premiere of the Pierce Brosnan movie “Love Is All You Need.”

As we reported previously, Clemente became an Internet sensation over the cursing incident in his first few seconds on-air at Bismarck station KFYR-TV. Support for Clemente has been building since he was fired by the station.

Video of the original incident, in which Clemente was heard unleashing expletives moments before he was to be introduced to viewers, can be seen by clicking here.

“The clip, which has become a viral sensation online, shows Clemente and his co-anchor Van Tieu beginning the weekend news, but Clemente begins by saying two words we can’t publish here,” the L.A. Times reports. “Though he attempts to continue with the broadcast, he and Tieu are visibly flustered by the gaffe.”

Clemente talked about the incident during a “Today” appearance with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie. “As a contrite and semi-embarassed Clemente explained to the amused ‘Today’ hosts, he wasn’t aware that the broadcast had begun 30 seconds early,” the Times reports. “He was reading over his script and suddenly the ‘fireball shot came right out of my mouth.’

“Clemente still seemed uncomfortable with watching the clip, which he told Lauer and Guthrie was ‘gut-wrenching.’"

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A.J. Clemente

4 Comments

  1. Not excusing his very poor choice of words, but why weren’t the director and producer of the newscast also supended, or fired.
    If what he claims is true, going to air 30 seconds early without alerting him, is their fault.
    I have worked a lot of local tv news, and I have personally witnessed obscenity-laden tempter tantrums during commercial breaks on the set.
    This guy should just geta chance to start over in another market.
    Making him a clebrity is a bit disturbing…

  2. Not excusing his very poor choice of words, but why weren’t the director and producer of the newscast also supended, or fired.
    If what he claims is true, going to air 30 seconds early without alerting him, is their fault.
    I have worked a lot of local tv news, and I have personally witnessed obscenity-laden tempter tantrums during commercial breaks on the set.
    This guy should just get a chance to start over in another market.
    Making him a celebrity is a bit disturbing…

  3. He’s a clown, a novelty. He has a great career ahead of him in minor market, weekend anchor jobs. Beside the cursing, he introduced himself incoherently. Congratulations West Virginia University; one of your alums is famous!

  4. He probably would have survived the cursing – it was the rest of the broadcast that was so horrible. I hope he gets a little more practice before going out again.

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