The CBS News producer who cut into “CSI: N.Y.” to announce Yasser Arafat’s death has been fired, presumably for the offense.

Viewers were outraged because they missed the end of the pulp drama, and they let CBS hear about it. CBS apologized for the interruption, calling the staffer “overly aggressive,” according to Broadcast and Cable, an industry publication.

A good argument can be made either way about breaking into a program to announce Arafat’s death. A better question, however, is how can a mid-level producer make that decision? And, if so empowered, why should there be punishment? Entertainment trumps news, silly. We should have known.

This is the second gaffe in just a few weeks for CBS, counting the big mistake by “60 Minutes” and news anchor and managing editor Dan Rather to go on the air with fake documents about President Bush.

Too bad network executives didn’t stand beside a lower-level employee as firmly as they did the anchor, who was clearly more in the wrong. The network needs to get its house in order.