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KTVU Producers Fired Over Fake Asiana Pilots’ Names

Jul 25, 2013  •  Post A Comment

KTVU-TV has fired at least three producers over an embarrassing mistake in which the station aired fake names of Asiana airline pilots involved in a July 6 crash at San Francisco International Airport, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Investigative producer Roland DeWolk, special projects producer Cristina Gastelu and producer Brad Belstock were let go after an in-house investigation into the July 12 gaffe, the story says. A fourth producer, Elvin Sledge, said he is leaving for health reasons.

As previously reported, the station aired incorrect, prank names of the pilots on the jet that crashed earlier this month, such as "Captain Sum Ting Wong." The report led Asiana Airlines to say it would sue the TV station for damaging its reputation, although the airline later said it would not go through with the lawsuit.

The fake names, which had been posted on the Internet days before the TV broadcast, were sent to the station via email from an expert who had previously provided information to the station, the story says.

One Comment

  1. Of course this is going to happen when media companies and government, in the mania of indiscriminately slashing costs, decide to place their operations in the hands of low payed morons and summer interns instead of qualified, knowledgeable, fairly-payed professionals. Here’s a tip: If you’re not willing to invest the money and resources to ensure your company is run competently and responsibly, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BUSINESS

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