Reporter Is Forced to Put on Sweater Live on Air to Cover Up “Revealing” Dress

Screenshot/KTLA
The Saturday morning weather forecast was delivered with a big side of misogyny on KTLA as reporter Liberté Chan was essentially forced to put on a sweater while she was doing her job live on television. Right in the middle of her report, an arm suddenly appears on the right side of the screen dangling a sweater. Chan is evidently confused: “What’s going on? You want me to put this on? Why? ‘Cause it’s cold?” And then a male voice is heard off screen: “We’re getting a lot of emails.” A startled Chan then complains she “looks like a librarian.” But she goes along with it and continues.
On Twitter, Chan said she put on the dress because a previous outfit had “keyed out,” apparently meaning it didn’t quite work with the green screen. “Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress,” she also wrote on Twitter.
Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress @KTLAMorningNews @AidanMattox @PistolandStamen pic.twitter.com/HYy1KUMYH1
— Liberté Chan (@libertechan) May 14, 2016
Many were quick to express outrage at the way she was told to cover up on air.
In the history of news, has a man been asked to change clothes - ON AIR - because viewers were unhappy with what he was wearing? @KTLA
— Heather Poole (@Heather_Poole) May 14, 2016
"We've been getting a lot of emails." Did you respond to them with "It's not your business what she wears," @KTLA? https://t.co/QWGTSV43yq
— Mr. Sassafras Jeans (@Doctor_Teeth) May 15, 2016
@meg_mcgrath @KTLA Double standard much? pic.twitter.com/cCf5vreLZ7
— Max Power (@mrmaxpower19k) May 15, 2016
Chan herself posted the video to Facebook, explaining that “apparently, some viewers think my dress is too revealing.”
Later, Chan filmed another KTLA reporter reading some of the emails the station received about the dress. “Looks like she didn’t make it home from her cocktail party last night,” one viewer allegedly wrote. “I don’t know what to tell you, it’s a black dress,” Chan says at one point.