The head of Pbs has defended the decision to sack 'Anchorman' star Fred Willard as narrator of its 'Market Warriors' series following his arrest for alleged lewd conduct. Speaking at the Television Critics Association's summer season press tour in Los Angeles, Pbs President Paula Kerger said, "We actually needed to move fast because we're taping now. It's a new series, and our concern really is that [Willard's] circumstance would become a distraction to the series, which we're hoping will have an on-going presence on public television".
The network quickly tapped Antiques Roadshow host Mark Wahlberg (not the Hollywood star ) to re-narrate the Market Warriors episodes that Willard had already lent his voice to. On Friday (July 20, 2012), the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced that Willard would not be facing jail time for the lewd conduct charges, linked to an incident last Wednesday at the Tiki Theater in Los Angeles. The office also revealed that he had been arrested in 1990 on similar charges, though did not provide details about the case or the manner in which it was resolved.
Willard's attorney insisted that his client did nothing wrong at the adult theater, where it was reported that he exposed his penis and was caught by uncover offices doing a routine check on the venue.