KNBC weathercaster apologizes after calling NBC’s Al Roker ‘a kook’ on the air
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KNBC-TV Channel 4 morning weathercaster Elita Loresca apologized to viewers after making an off-the-cuff remark Friday morning about NBC ‘Today’ weather anchor Al Roker when she thought her mike was off.
The comment came after Roker, who was in Rockefeller Center in New York City, called out from a high platform to a massive crowd awaiting a live performance from Bruno Mars, proclaiming, ‘My people.’
The camera switched to a shot of KNBC’s chart of the seven-day forecast. Loresca, who was off-camera, could be heard saying, ‘Oh, my God, Al Roker is a kook.’ She then started singing a lyric from one of Mars’ hits, saying that she was going to have that song ‘in her head’ all day. Seconds later, she appeared on-camera, which quickly switched back to the ‘Today’ crowd.
Loresca later appeared and told viewers that there had been a ‘audio mishap’ earlier in which she made a ‘playful comment about my good friend Al Roker. She said if anyone was offended, ‘I truly apologize.’
[Updated at 12:28 p.m.: Roker apparently regarded the remark with good humor. He tweeted: ‘So Elita Loresca of KNBC called me a kook during a cut in. I know Elita. She was joking. And some mornings I am kooky. No big whoop.’
Loresca responded with her own tweet to Roker: ‘You know I love ya ... Can’t wait to see you the next time you’re in L.A.!’]
-- Greg Braxton
