Cary, N.C. – from www,wral.com – — Time Warner Cable officials apologized Tuesday after they mistakenly showed Playboy preview programming on two kids’ channels.

Melissa Buscher, director of media relations for Time Warner in the Carolinas, said “equipment failure” caused Playboy programming to show up on Channel 552 Kids on Demand and Channel 555 Kids Preschool on Demand.

While the menu of available children’s programming was listed on the left side of the screen, previews showing nude women engaged in explicit conversations played in the upper right corner where previews of children’s shows normally would appear.

Buscher initially said the explicit content aired from 5 to 7 a.m., but spokesman Keith Poston later said the problem occurred between 6:15 and 8:15 a.m.

It was unclear how many people saw the programming, which Poston said aired in parts of Cary, Garner, Morrisville, Wilson, Goldsboro, Willow Spring and Johnston County.

“We’re very very sorry it happened. We know parents are concerned. I have a 9-year-old. I’m a dad. I’d be concerned too,” Poston said. “It was a technical malfunction that caused the wrong previews to be shown on our kids on-demand channels.”

Time Warner reported receiving “not an overwhelming amount of calls” about the mix-up, Buscher said. Once the company was alerted to the problem, it took workers about two hours to get it fixed.