KTVU-TV, San Francisco, producers fired over Asiana pilots' fake names

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25 (UPI) -- Three KTVU-TV, San Francisco, producers involved in an on-air joke involving fake names of Asiana Airlines pilots have been fired, the station confirmed.

Station sources said Wednesday Roland DeWolk, Cristina Gastelu and Brad Belstock were fired after an in-house investigation into the July 12 news broadcast in which erroneous names of pilots involved in the July 6 Asiana Airlines crash landing at San Francisco Airport were broadcast, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday.

During its noon newscast July 12, anchor Tori Campbell identified the four Asiana Airlines pilots with the incorrect and racially offensive names Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow, as the names were displayed on-screen. Campbell later offered an apology, adding the names were provided by the National Transportation Safety Board.

By the end of July 12 the NTSB issued its own apology to KTVU-TV for "inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed."