CBS used fake footage for July 4 fireworks

BOSTON, July 9 (UPI) -- The CBS broadcast of Boston's Fourth of July fireworks showed rockets bursting over Boston landmarks that viewers say were clearly faked.

The fireworks were set off from a barge in the Charles River after the traditional Boston Pops outdoor concert. One viewer e-mailed The Boston Globe, pointing out that footage of fireworks with the Quincy Market in the foreground would be impossible in real life since Beacon Hill is in the way.

Other shots used the State House and Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

David Mugar, the businessman who has been the show's executive producer for almost a decade, told the Globe this was the first time altered footage was used for the broadcast. He argued the fireworks show is entertainment, not news.

Mugar compared the show to "Boston Legal," produced by native Bostonian David Kelley, which is shot, for the most part, on a Hollywood set.

"Absolutely, we're proud to show scenes from our city," Mugar said. "It's often only shown in film or in sporting matches. We were able to highlight great places in Boston, historical places with direct ties to the Fourth. So we think it was a good thing.''