PBS was busted by fans after surreptitiously airing some fireworks footage from previous years during its "A Capitol Fourth" live Independence Day broadcast from Washington D.C. on Monday.
McClatchy DC reported that overcast skies in the nation's capital made for partially obstructed fireworks viewing for those attending the annual pyrotechnic display, as well as millions of at-home viewers around the country.
Many viewers soon noticed, however, that the broadcast video of fireworks over clear skies did not match the cloudy skies of the city. Several took to social media sites like Twitter to point out the inconsistency.
PBS would later admit that it was splicing in old fireworks video from previous years to supplement the live telecast.
Amid the initial hubbub, many pointed out that some shots of the Capitol did not show the current scaffolding, which has been put up this year for renovations.
Criticism of Monday's program prompted PBS to issue a statement early Tuesday on Twitter, which included an apology.
The Washington Post noted that some on social media said they would have been okay with seeing some old footage, as long as PBS was upfront about it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/07/04/pbs-used-some-stock-footage-for-its-fireworks-show-and-people-were-not-happy/