After F-Bomb, Sue Simmons ‘Went Numb,’ Viewers Say ‘Ho-Hum’

WNBC/Ch. 4 anchor Sue Simmons says she “went numb” Monday night after using the F-word during a live news tease.

“I thought we were taping a promo,” Simmons said in an e-mail to The News.

She said she saw co-anchor Chuck Scarborough out of the corner of her eye scribbling on his notes and “playfully and crudely” tried to get his attention.

As viewers heard, she said, “What the f- are you doing?”

She then realized they were live on the air. “I went numb,” she said. She later apologized on that night’s 11 o’clock news, saying it was a “mistake” and she was truly sorry.

“NBC has been very supportive,” she added.

Daily News readers have been supportive, too. In a poll at the Daily News’ Web site, 70% of respondents said Simmons should not lose her job or be suspended.

“How many years has she been on TV? Fifty?” wrote mgarcia13 at www.nydailynews.com. “And it’s the first time she’s had a slip of the tongue when she thought she was off-air. What should we do, prosecute her? Ban her from TV? Get a life, people; I’ve heard worse and no one has ever complained. Leave the woman alone.”

The incident started chatter about Simmons’ future at WNBC/Ch. 4 and whether she’d be suspended or worse. It also comes at a time when new management is planning on reconfiguring the anchor lineup.

“Breaking up Chuck and Sue would be a huge mistake,” wrote pammy61. “I hope the new management are not a bunch of Ivy League yuppies who don’t have a clue what the public wants.”

Ch. 4 management is limiting comments to a prepared statement.

“Sue Simmons is a highly valued 30-year veteran of WNBC,” the station said in the statement. “Sue, along with WNBC, remains deeply sorry for her offensive remark on Monday night for which she quickly apologized. It was an unfortunate mistake that she truly regrets.”

And that seems to be okay with readers, who for years have watched Simmons and Scarborough deliver the good news, the bad news, and share a laugh or two along the way.

“I am disappointed Sue Simmons used that word of all the curse words there are. She did apologize and I’m over it. I hope Ch. 4 gets over it and doesn’t hold this over her head. She has been around New York TV a long time and it would be lousy for her to leave because of this,” wrote Citizenkane.

Simmons and Scarborough are the longest-running anchor team in town, and at one point the most dominant in the Nielsen department. They’ve often described their on-air partnership as a TV marriage, he being the serious one and she the prankster. Though their ratings have declined in recent years, they’re still beloved by many viewers.

“I think her past performance, which has been excellent, should be taken into account. Let it go, already, it’s no big deal,” wrote treester. “Technically, she was off the air, the screen was blank. I saw it myself. No need for suspension or anything else, they should just drop it. It’s done, yesterday’s news.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hundreds of thousands dead in Asia, the global economy in the tank, food shortages, foreclosures, melting polar ice caps, ad nauseam. And somebody somewhere is having a freak-out because some newscaster said “fuck?”

What the fuck?

more blather. At least she doesn’t pontificate like Russert or regurgitate like Matthews. I’d rather have an honest, plain speaking straight shooter like Sue on the air than those bobble heads.

That’s what America is all about; is it really necessary to use this type of word to get a point over? Next time, Sue and others will obviously pay attention to what, when, and where, also how and whom; it’s disgusting!!!