After local TV news anchor Heather Kovar appeared confused on an evening broadcast and was slurring her words, videos of the segment went viral, leading to speculation about her mental state and whether she was under the influence of alcohol.

But in a column published Thursday by the Times Union, the Emmy-winning reporter and anchor at Albany's CBS affiliate WRGB told writer Chris Churchill that her behavior was the result of a "perfect storm" of factors, including exhaustion, grief over her father's death, her decision to leave the station when her contract was up at the end of the month, and technical issues.