News anchor suspended after chaotic, ‘dishevelled and slurred’ broadcast

Anchor Heather Kovar says performance was result of lack of sleep and exhaustion

A local TV channel has suspended its news anchor after a rambling “trainwreck” of a bulletin in which she appeared to be in a dishevelled state.

Heather Kovar, an anchor with CBS6 Albany, appeared on a live broadcast on Saturday at 6pm in which her speech was slurred and in which she seemed to go off-script in a number of places.

Kovar has since said the performance was a result of lack of sleep and exhaustion, after she had taken a leave of absence over her father’s death.

In one part of the bulletin, which was shared on Twitter by NBCUniversal executive Mike Sington, Kovar starts by giving an incoherent description of the heatwave in the US’s southern region and finishes at around the 50-second mark by saying that “this weekend, right here, is so amazing”.

“More than 50 million people across the country, southeast or under warnings for excessive heat and boy, don’t you know that, a 105 degrees in Texas today. I just spoke with my mother as for what she’s dealing with, it’s a major heatwave and it’s, it’s just hitting everywhere, we’re so lucky, its only 80 degrees here. We’re really lucky in the capital region.

“I mean, let me tell you about that, these areas are reaching such areas, I mean, its Houston, Austin, San Antonio. I mean, they’re not expected, it has happened. You don’t need us telling you that its bad, like people are being told to like stay inside and drink a lot of water and we’re just lucky. This weekend, right here, is so amazing,” Kovar continues until the super interrupts her.

At this point, Kovar gets the name of meteorologist Craig Gold wrong by calling him Craig Adams, another meteorologist.

“Meteorologist Craig Adams is right here, with here,” she can be heard saying as the super chimes in, adding, “I’m sorry, Craig Adams, why did I say that?”

Kovar, at one point in the bulletin, said: “And so, moving on tonight, is we have to tell you also, you know, like other news that’s happening in the area, and across the area, in the nation.

“Like, I was telling you this morning, if you watched us this morning starting at 6am, 7am, I told you, you know what? Today, what a beautiful day outside! It is just amazing. And so, a great time for outdoor music.”

Kovar was then cut off mid-sentence and did not return to the broadcast.

The anchor later tweeted that she would be back on Sunday but the station’s vice president and general manager Robert Croteau said she was suspended.

“Heather Kovar has been suspended pending our internal investigation. We have no further comment at this time,” he told the Times Union.

Reacting to the clip from the broadcast that was shared on Twitter, viewers expressed shock and concern that there was no other anchor who could take over the bulletin.

Some social media users came to her defence.

“This is not at all how Heather Kovar normally is. Cut her some slack and let her sleep it off,” wrote one user.

In a statement to the Times Union later on Sunday, Kovar stated that she had “returned early from family leave following my dad’s death. On Friday, I notified the station I would not be renewing my contract which expires 31 July.”

“Saturday I was scheduled to work the early morning 6am shift and the evening shift. I was sleep-deprived and exhausted.”