CBS PROBES FAKE FOOTAGE REPORT

NEW YORK (AP) - ``60 Minutes'' is investigating a report that footage it
aired last year about a Colombian drug courier who carried heroin in his
stomach was fake.

The report, anchored by Steve Kroft, was based on a British documentary,
``The Connection.'' HBO acquired the U.S. rights to the documentary and
gave footage to ``60 Minutes'' for its report, which aired in June.

The Guardian newspaper in Britain published an investigation this week
alleging the documentary was a fake and that the courier was not carrying
drugs in his stomach.

Kroft will read a statement on Sunday's ``60 Minutes'' telling viewers
about the investigation, spokesman Kevin Tedesco said today. CBS is also
looking into whether the footage was a hoax, he said.

Before airing the documentary footage, CBS looked into it by interviewing
the producer and showing the documentary to a federal drug enforcement
official, who said that he thought it looked real, Tedesco said.

``We did as professional an investigation as we could,'' he said.

Copyright 1998 The Associated Press.

Checked-by: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)