CNN gaffe places "X" over Cheney's face

NEW YORK — CNN has apologized for a "technical malfunction" that briefly flashed a black "X" mark over the face of Vice President Dick Cheney during the network's coverage of a speech Monday.

The "X" flashed twice, on the air for a total of one-seventh of a second, CNN said Wednesday.

The incident caused sensation among people suspicious that it was a political commentary. But CNN said that some of its machinery had a "momentary glitch" and that no human operator was involved.

The "X" is something used by a computer to mark a space where one visual element is to segue into another, and is normally not seen by viewers. The network likened its appearance to a computer that inexplicably freezes.

"We obviously regret that it happened and are working on the equipment to ensure it is not repeated," the network said in a statement.