A southern Minnesota television news anchor is getting a lot of unwanted attention thanks to a YouTube video that suggested she might have been drunk while on the air.

During the Sunday night newscast, Annie Stensrud of KEYC-TV in Mankato appeared a little sleepy-eyed and was fumbling her lines.

A video of that telecast was posted on YouTube on Tuesday, and it's topped 500,000 views as of early Friday afternoon.

Stensrud, who was pulled off the air during the first commercial break, issued a statement Thursday about the incident, saying: "I've been sick for some time and taking medication and have missed a lot of work lately. I'm on my way to feeling better and hope to be back at full strength soon. I appreciate everyone's understanding and even more so, their support."

Stensrud's plight caught the attention of David Letterman, who Thursday night showed his national television viewers a segment from the newscast and then rolled out the "Top 10 signs your local news team is drunk." The list included, "Can barely hear the news over the sound of the blender."

KEYC general manager Dennis Wahlstrom, in an interview Friday with WCCO Radio, lamented social media's "knee-jerk" reaction to the video. Wahlstrom added that Stensrud probably should have called in sick that day.

Neither Stensrud nor Wahlstrom have revealed any specifics about her ailment.

Before coming to Mankato, Stensrud also has worked at stations in Sioux Falls, Grand Forks and Austin, Minn. She is a native of Plymouth and graduated from St. Cloud State University.


Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482