Texas TV Reporter Apologizes For Smoking On-Air...While Covering Oil Fire

Where there's smoke there's fire, the saying goes. But in the case of one Texas reporter, where there's fire there's smoke. Cigarette smoke.

When KHOU-TV (Houston) reporter Brad Woodard was sent to cover an oil tank fire last Friday, he decided to light up while waiting for his live shot. How do we know? Because the station cut to him early and caught him puffing:

Smoking is not a crime. And in this great country of ours, people have the right to puff on a cigarette. But when it makes it on-air, and while covering a fire and the cigarette is dropped on the ground, that doesn't come across the greatest. Woodard understands that, and issued an apology.

According to him, the incident was "embarrassing." Still, he did take time to clear up some misconceptions about what he did and the circumstances surrounding the on-air light-up, including the extreme drought conditions facing Texas. His apology is below, courtesy of TVSpy:

Dear Viewers,

Some of you have raised concerns about my live report from Chambers County on Friday, June 24th. Due to a technical glitch, I was observed on camera smoking and extinguishing a cigarette, something I find both professionally and personally embarrassing. I was reporting from the scene of… a fire at an abandoned “tank farm” formerly used to store petroleum products. The fire was well under control at the time of my report, and I was standing on concrete when I discarded my cigarette. I also made sure it was extinguished following my brief report.

Apparently, some of you are under the impression I was reporting from the scene of a wild fire. That was not the case. My bad habit aside, I’m very cognizant of the extreme drought conditions facing this state. I report on those conditions daily and care very deeply about those affected. That said, I sincerely apologize to those of you who were offended. We appreciate…I appreciate…your viewership and your concerns.

Regards,

Brad Woodard