By Associated Press
Huntsville, AL – Viewers who tuned in a north Alabama TV channel to watch a ''60 Minutes'' report on the prosecution of former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman instead saw a dark screen. The station blamed the blackout on technical problems.
After promoting the segment for days, WHNT-TV of Huntsville went black just as the report was to air last night. The screen was dark for a few moments before the station flashed a message blaming a technical glitch for the problem.
WHNT general manager Stan Pylant said the problem was caused by a malfunctioning CBS receiver located at the station.
The station aired the tail end of the segment after the signal was restored, and it showed the story again in its entirety later Sunday during a newscast. It also included a link to the ''60 Minutes'' report on its Web site.
The story suggested a Republican conspiracy was behind Siegelman's prosecution and imprisonment in a bribery conspiracy, a claim prosecutors deny.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)