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“Colbert Report” lampoons KTVU Asiana gaffe

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mkeys@thedesk.net

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Stephen Colbert has called out San Francisco-area FOX affiliate KTVU-TV for the station’s gaffe last week in which it erroneously identified four pilots aboard an airliner that crashed earlier in the month.

The late night host of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” pointed out that the four names reported by KTVU — Captain Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow — were actually racist Chinese monikers, not Korean.

“If you’re going to do a racist joke, at least get the ethnicity right,” Colbert said Monday evening.

The station profusely apologized last Friday after erroneously identifying the four pilots aboard Flight 214, which crash landed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6. Despite the initial apology, the gaffe went viral, which prompted several more apologies by the station and a stern condemnation by the Asian American Journalists Association.

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Asiana Airlines expressed interest in suing KTVU over the report, claiming the station “badly damaged” the airliner’s reputation. The airliner announced early Wednesday morning that it would not pursue a lawsuit against the station.

MSN Now: Colbert mocks KTVU over Asiana error

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is the award-winning founder and editor of TheDesk.net, an authoritative voice on broadcast and streaming TV, media and tech. With over ten years of experience, he's a recognized expert in broadcast, streaming, and digital media, with work featured in publications such as StreamTV Insider and Digital Content Next, and past roles at Thomson Reuters and Disney-ABC Television Group.