Satirical ‘Reagan’ Salute to Hess Riles German TV Viewers
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BONN — A faked interview with President Reagan, in which an impersonator said he would salute jailed Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hess, has caused embarrassment for a West German television broadcaster.
Many people thought the interview was genuine.
Hundreds of irate viewers complained after the Cologne station WDR broadcast the phony interview Wednesday shortly after Reagan’s arrival here at the start of a six-day visit.
While WDR broadcast a photograph of Reagan, an American actor did a voice-over and said he would fly to West Berlin to go to Spandau Prison “to salute Rudolf Hess.”
WDR said in a statement that the interview had been part of a satire program and that it regretted that some viewers thought it was real.
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