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Seattle’s local public television affiliate, KCTS-9, accidentally played a short film Thursday night during prime-time that might have offended some viewers, said KCTS spokeswoman Hilda Cullen.

“It was a mistake,” she said. “It shouldn’t have been aired at that time.”

The film is part of the KCTS series of short local films called the Reel Northwest Series. The film, Forced Entry, is a dark comedy directed by local filmmaker Joe Jacobs. It was part of the Seattle International Film Festival this year. Cullen said it’s shorter than 10 minutes long, but was supposed to have profanity bleeped out and was intended “for a late-night audience.” Instead, it came on just before 8 p.m. after Agatha Christie’s Poirot mystery show.

Randy Brinson, the executive director of programming, wrote in an e-mail to a viewer who complained that the short film “is clearly intended for mature audiences. He said the station has implemented a new process to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We are also removing the objectionable language, which was inadvertently missed, and for which I also apologize,” he wrote.

Cullen said Federal Communications Commission rules prohibit profanity between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and KCTS seeks to adhere to FCC policies.

The station has removed the film from its web site, as well.