A guerilla marketing campaign by the channel deployed dozens of circuit boards with blinking LEDs showing a crude cartoon character making an offensive gesture.

Although the devices were planted in ten cities, the reaction in Boston was worst by far. Police closed bridges and sent in the bomb squad to defuse the perceived threat. One device was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

The small signs had apparently been up nearly three weeks in the town before calls to authorities last week caused the panicked response.

Two men paid to place the devices in Boston have pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct. Peter Berdovsky, 27, Sean Stevens, 28, are currently free on bail.

Cartoon Network owner Turner Broadcasting and the Interference advertising agency responsible for the campaign agreed to pay $2 million in fines to the various agencies inconvenienced.

"I hope that the entire guerilla marketing industry learned something from this event," Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said.