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Los Angeles - An Alaska TV reporter has left her colleagues red-faced after quitting live on air using an expletive, while vowing to spend more time fighting to legalise marijuana in the US state.
Charlo Greene took a fellow presenter by surprise by announcing her departure on KTVA 11 News, while revealing that she was the owner of a marijuana business she had just been reporting on.
"Now everything you've heard is why I, the actual owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, will be dedicating all of my energy toward fighting for freedom and fairness, which begins with legalising marijuana here in Alaska," she said, ending her piece to camera.
"And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, fuck it, I quit," she added, before walking off set.
The camera cut to a clearly flustered fellow presenter who immediately apologised, said "we will be right back" but then continued with another news item.
Greene later told the Alaska Dispatch News that she wanted to highlight a proposal to legalise marijuana, due to be voted on in a ballot initiative in November.
"I wanted to draw attention to this issue," she said. "The issue is medical marijuana. Ballot Measure 2 is a way to make medical marijuana real... Most patients didn't know the state didn't set up the framework to get patients their medicine."
She continued: "If I offended anyone, I apologise, but I'm not sorry for the choice that I made."
The TV station said Greene had been fired.
"We sincerely apologize for the inappropriate language used by a KTVA reporter during her live presentation," said News Director Bert Rudman.
"The employee is terminated," he added.
