News anchor Matt Pieper goes on sweary anti-benefits rant without realising he's still on air

"Just check that box, girl."

(News 12 The Bronx/YouTube)

News 12 The Bronx anchor Matt Pieper briefly ranted to a colleague about "people relying on government assistance" during a news bulletin without realising they were still going out to the masses.

Pieper thought his segment had been cut short but his voice was still being broadcast, telling reporter Amy Yensi:

"And Dave wants you to also mention that parents do their f*cking jobs and walk their little kids to school on their own and not rely on everyone else. Kind of like people rely on government assistance for their entire lives. And bye Felicia. I actually added the part about government assistance but it’s true. I mean, how old are these kids?"

Digging a hole further, he went on to add when Yensi suggested she might qualify for government assistance, "Just check that box, girl."

"Hashtag EBT," Yensi responded, referencing the acronym for Electronic Benefit Transfers.

News 12's Facebook page was flooded with angry complaints, leading it to make a statement about the "technical error" and distance itself from Pieper's words.

"As a result of a technical error during a program break this morning, a personal conversation between an anchor and a reporter was unintentionally placed on air," it posted. "News 12 the Bronx deeply regrets that this incident took place. The remarks of these individuals in no way reflect the views of News 12 management or other News 12 personnel."

Pieper has yet to comment, and has deleted one of his Twitter accounts, with the other being protected.