A female weather reporter was forced to cover up her "revealing" party dress live on air following a number of viewer complaints.
Meteorologist Liberté Chan was dressed in a beaded black frock, which was cut just above the knee and had spaghetti straps, while carrying out a broadcast on Californian station KTLA Channel 5.
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However, halfway through the early-morning transmission she was interrupted by a member of the production crew who was brandishing a baggy grey cardigan at her.
Puzzled, Chan walked across the studio, grabbed the knit and asked: "Why? Because it's cold? I look like a librarian now."
An anonymous male from behind the scenes at the station then explained: "We've been getting a lot of emails."
Viewers wrote in with complaints such as: "Looks like she stayed out late at a party and came to work in the same dress", and "Not appropriate for the morning weather report".
Despite being unimpressed by the embarrassing situation, Chan remained professional.
But the rude scene didn't go unnoticed by some viewers of the Los Angeles-based program.
One commented on Facebook: "It's beyond unprofessional that they would interrupt you as you do your job and speak to you in such a patronising way because they immediately and unquestioningly prioritise the complaints of sexist viewers over their trust of your (and your producers') judgement. Ludicrous."
Another female reporter tweeted her support, saying: "The double standard in our industry is sad. #wearwhatyouwant".
Before the show, Liberté tweeted her 15,100 followers saying she was excited to wear the glitzy gown: "Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress."
KTLA has not commented on the incident.