Channel Seven forced to apologize after Anzac blunder

Richmond and Melbourne players line up as The Last Post is played at the MCG on Sunday night. Photo / Getty Images

Australian television network Channel Seven have been forced to make an on-air apology as a result of accidentally cutting to an advertisement while The Last Post was being played before the Richmond-Melbourne AFL match on Sunday night.

According to The Age, a bugler was playing The Last Post at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as part of the night's Anzac commemoration, before Channel Seven abruptly cut to an advertisement for My Kitchen Rules.

Angry viewers immediately took to social media to blast the network for their insensitivity.

Unbelievably disrespectful. @7AFL interrupted The Last Post to go to a commercial. pic.twitter.com/RcP2wQR4DX

— Rhett Bartlett (@rhettrospective) April 24, 2016

At the conclusion of the match, presenter Hamish McLachlin made a "full apology, an unreserved apology from everyone at Seven" live on-air.

"Tonight there was a ceremony at the MCG that started before we came on air. It started at 6.41 and finished at 7. We came on at 7 and showed an edited package of that ceremony and did a poor job of it," McLachlin stated.

"We didn't show The Last Post in full. It is not something we are proud of. We are very disappointed with the way it went to air.

"I understand that you will look at us of doing a poor job tonight, and we hope it doesn't happen again.

"To reiterate, the edited package that went to air wasn't up-to-date. Again, a full apology, an unreserved apology from everyone at Seven."

A Channel Seven spokeswoman issued an apology on Sunday night after a flurry of furious responses from viewers.

"It was an error and Channel Seven unreservedly apologises," she said.

Melbourne ended up defeating Richmond by 129 points to 96.