Did New First Take Host Cari Champion Drop an 'MF' on Atlanta TV, or Did She Say "Mothasucka?"

* Cari Champion said something on TV that was bad enough to get fired. Audio/video doesn’t appear to be anywhere online. The station thought she dropped an MF. Here’s what she told the Maynard Institute in Nov. 2008 (scroll down):

"“My co-anchor and I were talking about a mechanical screenwriter. It is difficult to use at times. The last part of our conversation was silly banter and barely audible, but it was picked up. I called the screenwriter a ‘mothersucka’ not the f-bomb. I emphatically deny any attempted cover up of the mishap. In fact I was the one who brought it to the attention of the news directors. And, the beta tape, wherever it is, has conversation that clearly supports my position.”"

* Cari Champion was eventually able to get her job back, but not as an anchor. She rejoined the station as a reporter. There’s no way to look at this other than it being absolutely bizarre. Who fires someone for saying something, then brings them back a few months later, basically admitting, ‘oh, wait, I guess she didn’t say that.’

At any rate, Newsblues.com published this today (it’s behind a paywall, but we were emailed the entire item, and here’s the relevant info):

"When last we heard from Cari “Mothasucka” Champion, in Oct. 2008, via email, she wrote to politely ask that we no longer refer to her as Cari “Mothasucka” Champion. She wanted the unfortunate incident of a year earlier to go away, and she didn’t want us reminding our readers of the “MF bomb” she dropped while anchoring a Saturday newscast on Meredith’s last-place WGCL-46-CBS in Atlanta (Market #9). To make sure we complied, she copied the email to her litigious lawyer. The same lawyer who saved her bacon a year earlier, when WGCL fired her for allegedly erasing tapes of the weekend show in an effort to make the “MF bomb” go away. Two months after her firing, Champion was mysteriously reinstated as a reporter. Billable hours ensued. Champion landed in Atlanta after taking an “early out” from her previous job at WPTV-5-NBC in Palm Beach (Market #38), where she had accused cops of “racial profiling and acting unprofessionally,” after they pulled her over (several times) for speeding. An investigation (there was a dashboard cam) later proved the matter was handled properly."

So there’s that. (Based on this link, Champion was at one time in Palm Beach; the rest we have been unable to confirm.)

We’ve spent far too much bandwidth on a show we would refuse to watch at gunpoint.

Previously: Cari Champion is Your New First Take Host
Previously: Bill Simmons Could Be Joining NBA Countdown
Previously: Q & A With ESPN Sideline Reporter Heather Cox