CHICAGO (FoxKansas.com) -- A veteran news anchor caused a grinchy reaction when she made an off-hand reference to Santa Claus and whether the big guy exists or not during a live evening news broadcast.
Anchor Robin Robinson, who has been with WFLD-TV for several years, was engaging in chit chat with co-anchor Bob Sirott about a piece that appeared during the newscast's Tuesday night "Talker" segment. In the segment, Sirott examined how mall Santas are responding now to requests from young kids, many of whom ask for extravagant or expensive gifts.
The
news story was an attempt to link the country's struggling economy and realistic expectations that many "Santa schools" are teaching to mall Santas.
After the segment, Robinson inferred that kids should be told the truth about Santa Claus "as soon as kids can talk."
"Stop trying to convince your kids that Santa is Santa," Robinson said.
"Santa is a symbol of the generosity of the season," she said matter-of-factly. "You go sit on his lap and we'll take a picture, but he's not coming down the chimney. He's not eating those cookies. He's not bringing you anything!"
The segment aired around 9:45 pm and Robinson's response provoked quite a response. So much so, that she issued a mea culpa the next night for her remarks. The station also posted her apology on its
Website the next night.
"It was careless and callous to say what I said in what could have been mixed company," she said. "So many kids don't get to be children that for those who can live the wonder and magic of Christmas, I would never spoil it intentionally. I sincerely apologize!
Viewers lashed out at Robinson on the station's Facebook page.
Said Laura: "Robin, it's not your right to tell EVERYONE's kids this!"
Other views supported the anchor:
Said Jennifer Ramirez: "if your kids are mature enough to watch the nightly news - with reports of killings, child molestation investigations, corruption, etc. then they're mature enough to know that guy in the big red suit is fictitious."
FoxKansas.com Staff Writer Alfred Charles contributed to this report. He can be reached at acharles@nptvgroup.com.
