NORTH ATTLEBORO -- A Boston television station has apologized to Superintendent Rick Smith for erroneously identifying him as the subject of a school department scandal that actually involved North Andover's superintendent.

Smith said his phone began ringing early Tuesday after WCBV-TV morning news anchor Ed Harding erroneously said that North Attleboro's superintendent was disciplined after allegations surfaced that he gave a 29 percent pay raise to a secretary with whom he had an affair.

That scandal actually occurred on the opposite side of the state, and involves North Andover Superintendent Harry Harutunian.

`` Ed Harding misspoke North Andover as North Attleboro,'' said Erin Duggan, publicist for WCBV-TV. `` We regret the error and have apologized to the North Attleboro official. We also agreed to run corrections on nine newscasts.''

Smith said he learned about the error after an early morning phone call from a friend. Smith said he called WCBV-TV, which acknowledged the error, apologized and agreed to run corrections during its news broadcasts throughout Tuesday and Wednesday morning. However, Smith said he was concerned some residents might have seen the early morning broadcast, but not the corrections that began running later.

`` Obviously, it wasn't me and it wasn't my secretary,'' Smith said. `` As soon as I was advised about this, I called my family -- my wife, my mother, my children, my nieces and nephews -- to let them know what happened.

`` I didn't want them to be surprised if someone who saw the erroneous news broadcast were to ask them about it,'' he said.

Smith said his phone rang throughout the day as people saw the correction running on Channel 5.

`` I had people calling me from all over who knew it was a mistake and wanted to know what happened,'' he said. `` I'm grateful for all those people who have expressed concern for me.''

In addition, Smith used the school districts reverse telephone system to contact parents to let them know that the news broadcast was erroneous.