Top > Entertainment > 2007 > February > 2007-02-19

Cartoon Network Executive Resigns over Bomb Scare

Jim Samples, head of the Cartoon Network resigned Friday after a marketing stunt resulted in a terrorism scare in Boston, which led police to shut down bridges and dispatch the bomb squad. His resignation was announced in an internal memo to Cartoon Network staff members. ``It`s my hope that my decision allows us to put this chapter behind us and get back to our mission of delivering unrivalled original animated entertainment for consumers of all ages,`` said Samples, who was the network`s general manager and executive vice president. Samples added that he regretted what had happened and felt ``compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch.``

The Cartoon Network initiated a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the cartoon ``Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The campaign included the planting of dozens of blinking electronic devices showing a crude cartoon character in 10 cities, but when Boston authorities got a series of calls about the devices on Jan. 31, they feared the circuit boards could be wired to explosives. A few hours after the scare the company`s corporate parent acknowledged that the boards were harmless and were in fact a part of a marketing move.

Boston police found 38 blinking signs in different high-profile spots across Boston. The magnetic lights depicted crudely drawn ``Aqua Teen`` characters giving the finger. Similar signs were put up in nine other U.S. cities, but have only caused a scare in Boston. The small signs had been up for two or three weeks in Boston before attracting the attention which lead to a bomb scare.