Turner's 2M 'sorry' to Boston for stunt
BY JEGO ARMSTRONG and DAVE GOLDINER
DAILY NEWS WRITERS


Turner Broadcasting wrote a $2 million check yesterday in hopes of ending the controversy over a cartoon publicity stunt that nearly brought Boston to a standstill.
But experts say lasting damage was already done by the Greenwich Village guerrilla marketing firm that installed the blinking devices - and its long-haired employees who scoffed at the panic.

"These guys had a smirk on their face - they were way too cool for school," said Michael Robinson of Levick Strategic Communications. "If you're going to try to be contrite, you better look contrite. They didn't."

At the loftlike headquarters of Interference marketing, employees slammed the door in a Daily News reporter's face, and CEO Sam Ewen refused to talk.

Corporate crisis guru Henry de La Garza gave Turner execs points for putting their money where their mouth is.

But he also said the media giant violated a key tenet of corporate policy by failing to keep tabs on the edgy firm whose workers became the face of the stunt when they were arrested and held a bizarro press conference.

"One needed to be a little cleaner-shaved, and the other one needed to go to the Gap for some new clothes," de La Garza said.

The settlement deal effectively ends all claims that authorities have against Turner and Interference stemming from the stunt.

Officials said the golden handshake - half of the cash will reimburse agencies for costs and half will fund Homeland Security programs - was a win-win deal.

"They agreed to pay more than we would have been able ... to recover through criminal or civil action," said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Boston cops and other emergency personnel shut down major highways and rail lines after authorities found blinking electronic devices wired to battery packs beneath bridges and in transit hubs.

The 12-inch devices featured blinking lights depicting a character from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," an animated show on Turner's Cartoon Network.

Turner quickly apologized.

But the damage was compounded when two Interference workers arrested for installing the devices seemed to mock the widespread concern caused by the security scare.

"Turner needs to be more careful with who they hire," said Timothy Coombs, crisis communications expert at Eastern Illinois University. "It doesn't reflect well on them."


NY Daily News