VIEWERS watching WIN Canberra's late night news broadcast may have thought presenter Kerryn Johnston had taken a refreshment before her news broadcast.
That's one explanation for her unusual greeting to ACT viewers during Wednesday night's late night news bulletin.
"Good evening. Tonight I'm going to sound like a drunk," Johnston announced on air after reading the headlines.
Oops, that wasn't a rehersal either.
After a cheeky smile, Johnston then said "Might go for another camera (angle). Ok thanks," before the screen went blank and the broadcast was cut.
But a spokesperson for WIN said Johnston hadn't had a drink or two but rather made a joke during a "technical rehearsal" for the live 6.30pm bulletin.
The comment was then inadvertently put to air during the midnight replay, to the amusement of Canberra viewers.
WIN Network's Director of News Stewart Richmond said Johnston made the throwaway line in self-deprecation after stumbling on her words.
"This is a newsreader who sets a very high standard for herself," he said in a statement. "To have it go to air when it was not intended to, has been more than embarrassing for her. Kerryn has been presenting news for over two decades and has never put a foot wrong. I'm sure our viewers will understand."
The nightly ACT bulletin has been filmed in WIN's Wollongong studio since July 1 as part of cost-cutting measures.
Tonight, the news in drunk...
Tonight, the news in drunk...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”