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FACT BRIEF

Are TV meteorologists wearing ankle monitors?

By Kaiyah Clarke
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NO

What IS that thing wrapped around that broadcaster's ankle? Apparently many people have wondered that, concluding it's an ankle monitor.

It's not. It's a hands-free headset's transceiver/battery/antenna pack.

As one meteorologist explained, "What you see is a Velcro band holding my IFB [interruptible foldback receiver] box: a receiver that my earpiece cord plugs into so producers can talk to me without being heard through my microphone.

"Anchors sitting at the desk ... plug into an IFB box attached to the desk."

But those who have to walk around, like weather people, need the portable version.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Facebook Cecily Tynan
B&H Photo Video Comtek PR-216 Beltpack IFB Receiver
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.