St. Louis news station KMOV is forced to issue groveling apology after anchor says 'colored' to describe minority homeowners - and blames the incident on a change on the teleprompter

A St Louis news anchor has apologized for using the word 'colored' to describe minority homeowners during a broadcast.

KMOV presenter Cory Stark said the 'word should have never come out of my mouth' as he addressed the blunder, which was blamed on a change to the teleprompter.

The anchor was previewing a segment on the impact of racial bias on home appraisals when he used the slur.

'Tonight, colored homeowners are sounding the alarm when it comes to undervalued home appraisals,' he said on Friday. KMOV said the phrase initially referred to 'homeowners of color' but this was later changed.

KMOV anchor Cory Stark apologized for using the word 'colored' to describe minority homeowners during a broadcast

Stark said the 'word should have never come out of my mouth' as he addressed the blunder, which was blamed on a change to the teleprompter

However the National Association of Black Journalists still said it was 'appalled' and disappointed' by its use.

'Colored' is an offensive term due to its usage during segregation in the US and the Jim Crow era. It has fallen out of use due to this negative connotation.

'It is upsetting that such a slur would make it to air,' the NABJ said. 'The term is outdated, offensive and racist. 

'We are concerned that no one in the KMOV newsroom caught this error, and we question KMOV's editorial process when it comes to cultural awareness.

'Given that St. Louis' population is 43 percent black, and the city is no stranger to racial strife, we would hope KMOV would be more sensitive in how it covers the Black community.'

In an on-air apology, Stark said KMOV is meeting with community members as 'we strive to do better, every day', the St Louis Post Dispatch reports.

'The word should have never come out of my mouth, and it does not reflect who I am or what First Alert 4 represents,' he added.

Stark is an award-winning journalist whose online bio notes he was 'one of the first reporters on the scene in Ferguson after the killing of Michael Brown Jr., which led to an international movement for police reform.'

KMOV said the phrase initially referred to 'homeowners of color' but this was later changed

The network also issued a statement to the outlet apologizing for the error. 

KMOV's vice president and general manager JD Sosnoff said the channel, a CBS affiliate, did not intend to include 'colored' in the broadcast.

'It was in an original script as 'homeowners of color' and was inadvertently changed and mistakenly read on air,' Sosnoff said. 'We regret the error and apologized to our viewers on air at 10 p.m. on Monday night and at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.'

St. Louis County NAACP President John Bowman told the St Louis Post Dispatch he contacted KMOV right after the broadcast because the word is triggering for the black community.

But he does not believe Stark used the word maliciously. 

'Trust me, I’ve had enough experience dealing with people who intentionally show discrimination or racist behaviors,' Bowman said.

 'But I’ve interacted with Cory Stark, and at no time have I ever felt that about him.'

DailyMail.com has contacted KMOV and Stark for comment.