Asiana to sue San Francisco TV station over names

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: SFGate

Asiana announced Monday that it will sue a San Francisco TV station that it said damaged the airline's reputation by using bogus and racially offensive names for four pilots on a plane that crashed earlier this month in San Francisco.

An anchor for KTVU-TV read the names on the air Friday and then apologized after a break. The report was accompanied by a graphic with the phony names listed alongside a photo of the burned-out plane that had crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, killing three and injuring dozens.

Video of the report has spread widely across the Internet since it was broadcast.

The National Transportation Safety Board has also apologized, saying a summer intern erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Asiana-to-sue-San-Francisco-TV-station-over-names-4664375.php

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Crashing a 777 probably damaged the airline's reputation a lot more.

Even so, reading those names on the air had to be one of the dumbest moves ever.

[warrant46]

39. Landing 750 feet short of the threshold, is not going to be overlooked when they try to say

That their corporate image has been damaged by "A Bad Joke"

Especially when one looks at how the "Average" jury sets damages and looks at a so called diminution of corporate value and good will.

And recently, unfortunately America has been treated to that outpouring of collective wisdom.

[XemaSab]

43. +1

n/t

[Renew Deal]

2. An inexperienced pilot crashing the plane might be more of a concern

I doubt they'll win anything. What if Letterman did that joke? Would they sue him?

[Renew Deal]

22. I agree, and it's not actionable for that reason

Especially considering they apologized right away.

[Seedersandleechers]

24. Reminds me of this Colbert gem

[valerief]

25. There's no such thing as news in the US anymore. nt

[hedgehog]

3. That's a good way to ensure that anyone who hasn't heard the joke yet, will!

[cbdo2007]

4. LOL, those fake names were great. One of the funniest

things I had seen in a long time.

[BeyondGeography]

5. I guess this is a priority

[bayareaboy]

6. Please Folks

KTVU is an Oakland Station, it is owned by FAUX Broadcasting. It is not a SF station.

[alp227]

10. Cox Media actually owns that station.

Not the fox network.

[Brother Buzz]

12. Please, KTVU is owned by Cox, not Faux

KTVU is a Fox-affiliated television station and airs Fox entertainment, not FAUX news.

Oh, their studios, their offices, are in Oakland, but they transmit from Sutro tower, San Francisco.

[Agschmid]

48. We are debating this? For real?

[Faygo Kid]

7. They did get the info from NTSB, so they could be said to rely on it

Of course, since they are a Faux affiliate, they are also blithering idiots, which they proved unequivocally in reading it.

Pretty funny, I must admit, coming out of a tragedy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

40. They didn't get the names from the NTSB; they contacted the NTSB for verification

and some idiot summer intern (who almost certainly isn't there any more) "verified" them, either because he/she thought it was funny or because he/she was stupid and/or lazy and didn't bother to check whether they were real. Where the joke names first originated isn't clear, but they were given to the TV station and did not come originally from the NTSB.

[NV Whino]

8. Te best thing Asiana could do is ignore this

The crash alone will distroy them. Perpetuating the life of a prank with a lawsuit will make them a laughing stock.

[wtmusic]

36. Too late

but you're right. There are at least two people at the airline who don't have their thinking caps on.

[thenooch]

9. OK, I had never heard of this...

but I must admit, it's pretty damn funny that a news caster (think Ron Burgundy) could just read off those names without busting out laughing.

Sum Ting Wong

Wi Tu Lo

Ho Lee Fuk

Bing Ding Ow

Thanks Asiana for making me google the joke!

[Amimnoch]

16. These "jokes" are racist and offensive, and not "funny" at all imo. nt.

nt.

[thenooch]

18. and you probably never laughed...

at the movie "Airplane" because it was racist.

The joke itself is middle school humor, but the fact that an evening news reader read it out loud, on the air, is the stuff weekend update writers dream of.

[Amimnoch]

27. Yes, it was, as was blazing saddles, and every other movie that used racial based humor back in the

80's and before.

Just like blackface comedy that was used in the 30's to the 50's is no longer acceptable. "Jokes" that are made at the expense of any ethnic group or race shouldn't be acceptable. Especially on a site that is supposed to be progressive.

What next? Are you going to resurrect "Sambo" cartoons? How about "speedy Gonzales"? Yes, they were made for humor, however racism in the form of humor is still racism and deserves to be called out.

[wtmusic]

31. If I was shown this video by an Asian-American who is laughing her ass off

am I allowed to laugh, or must I also adopt a mock-serious tone?

[Amimnoch]

37. Really? That's the litmus test for racism? You can find a person of the race who finds it funny,

and it's okay to use racist humor? Please alert Ann Coulter, I'm sure she would agree whole heartedly. All she has to do is find one minority of whatever group she's insulting, can say whatever she wants, and as long as that person is okay with it, then it's okay?

Racism is not defined by a majority of approval. It's certainly not defined by finding one person of the race who says it isn't racism to prove that it's not.

How about Sexism? All I have to do is find one woman who agrees that a woman's place is in the house, and it's not misogyny?

You can laugh at whatever you want, but frankly ethnic/sexist/orientation jokes should be something that progressives strive to get society to move away from.

[wtmusic]

42. Instead I should look for one person who gets their panties in a twist and define it that way

or maybe you can define what's racist about this.

Have at it.

[Amimnoch]

46. Ooo, racist and Mysogynist.

Are you sure you are on the right site? I believe Glen Beck or Ann Coulter would be more to your flavor.

How about I show you how it seems everyone who is civilized knows what you don't.. that the use of these names ARE racist:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/07/no-these-racist-asian-names-arent-really-pilots-asiana-flight-214/67140/

If someone came up and told you the name of the pilot flying Asiana Flight 214, which crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, was "Captain Sum Ting Wong" you'd call him out on an offensive joke, right? Unfortunately, that didn't happen during a KTVU-TV San Francisco broadcast this afternoon. KTVU, a local station serving Oakland and San Francisco, has been turning in some of the best coverage work of the crash—until one of its anchors began reading a list of pilots' "names" supposedly "confirmed" by the NTSB today

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-anchorwoman-who-read-racist-pilot-names-serious-mistakes-made-20130713,0,4022772.story

The TV anchor who unwittingly broadcast fake, racist names of the pilots flying the ill-fated Asiana Airlines Flight 214 issued an apology Saturday as debate over the incident continued.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/ktvu.apologizes.video.wrongly.named.racist.captain.sum.ting.wong.wi.tu.lo.asian.names.pilots.asiana.plane.crash/33173.htm

KTVU has apologized for wrongly naming the names of four pilots responsible for the Asiana plane crash last week.
The news station released a series of racist names during a news report on Friday afternoon.

When even the station that made the mistake acknowledges that what they said was racist, it kind of makes your continued argument rather pathetic.

Really sad thing is, after you refuse to acknowledge racism, you then turn to comments like "person who gets their panties in a twist". You probably are too dense to realize how misogynistic that comment is.

You'll find a better crowd who appreciates your depreciation of minorities, and women at more conservative sites mate.

[wtmusic]

50. Are you so closed-minded you can't accept men who wear panties?

How primitive, and sad you have to rely on mainstream media for your definition of "racist". Hint: they're clueless. Buy a good dictionary and use your brain.

[Iggo]

26. So then "Heywood Jablomie" is racist? If not, why not?

[Amimnoch]

29. As far as I know that has no racial connection what so ever. So, no I wouldn't say it's racist.

Still very juvenile, but not actually racist.

Every one of the "joke" names that is referenced was obviouly aimed at making fun of Asian names.

[Iggo]

32. I don't see it.

To me, those two are exactly the same.

[wtmusic]

34. Inference

The joke uses the similarity of Korean, one-syllable names to American words to create puns.

There is nothing which denigrates the names, the people, or the language.

About the best you could do would be to say that the grammar is similar to Chinese Pidgin English, which was often used as an offensive stereotype.

[cbdo2007]

35. I agree, this isn't a racial joke cause it would still be offensive

(and funny) using names like:

Steve Flylow
Holly Fucke
Robert Crashing

and the funny part isn't the names, it's that an idiot newscaster read them on the air.

[Rstrstx]

45. Agree, the funniest part

was how the TV station totally fell for it, the reporter didn't seem to have a clue. Yes it was middle school humor and yes plays on names have long been used even in "serious" comedies (think Dr Strangelove), are used today and will be for years to come. If the names had been pejoratives for people of Asian descent (like something about their looks appearance culture etc) that would have different. Personally I laughed but then again it takes little to amuse my Airplanesque sense of humor (watch that movie again and tell me you don't find the skewering they gave to Reagan not to be amusing. Wait, that might have been Airplane II, in fact I think it was). There's plenty of depressing news out there lately - Zimmerman, the NSA, our lousy reputation with Latin America, the possibility of the D's losing the Senate in '14, Abortion bills out the wazoo, etc etc - this incident at least made me giggle a little, and I've needed it lately.

[lunasun]

38. esp at a time of tragedy . What if a relative or friend was on that flight

and your trying to make sense of what happened and how but are listening to racial slurs provided by the news station( and you are of Asian descent) instead
But it seems to get a pass here on DU because it is not them, or their kind ( you know - real American names)
Many people here think it is very funny so.................

[Amimnoch]

47. Thank you! It's refreshing that at least someone on here gets it.

Hell, even the station apologizing and acknowledging that it was insensitive and racist, along with dozens of news broadcasts acknowledging it's racist.. and people HERE of all places, on a Liberal/Progressive site refuses to, and continues to not only call it funny and repeat it, but ADD to the insults.. and to do so freely!

If this was a site that was political open debate, or a conservative Ann Coulter, or Glen Beck site, at least I'd be able to shake my head and understand that this was just the normal kind of racist BS they spew.. for it to be so acceptable here is disgusting.

[lunasun]

49. I do not think of this as a Liberal/Progressive site but it is disgusting -anywhere- you are correct

I am not Asian, but I do not see how any decent person could not be offended by this played out on the news during a serious disaster.
We don't need to be PC in all things.
Yes maybe some shock jock show or off beat comedy but you would think folks would find just the fact it was done on what should be a valid news source outrageous let alone the racial aspect.

This ho hum attitude means the news can misread the name of an injured African American pilot as Stephan Fetchit or something and the viewer's only thought response process is to think of the jive jokes in the Airplane movie, so that makes it OK......

Oh and yes some one will now mention he was the first black actor to become a millionaire, and get screen credit
This all true - he broke through but as (some) people be came more enlightened though the years it was seen as a very degrading term (I am referring to Step 'n Fetchit)

[kestrel91316]

11. News flash: the crash damaged their reputation way more than the silly

name kerfuffle.

But I do place most of the blame for that with the TV station - only a moron could read those names and not see they were fake. SERIOUSLY.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. "summer intern erroneously?" really??

yeah, sure.

[melm00se]

15. nothing new with foreign sounding names

[heaven05]

17. ya think???!!!!!!

[Nye Bevan]

19. Apparently the suit is being handled by the law firm of Wi Su Yu & Ka Ching (nt)

[Jesus Malverde]

21. Pretty sure the "official" law firm for these situations is Dewey, Cheatem & Howe

As a respected firm they even are in wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey,_Cheatem_%26_Howe

[Enrique]

20. they confirmed the names with the NTSB

or so I heard. If so, how could they be liable?

[Jesus Malverde]

23. Asiana has decided to sue KTVU-TV

Asiana has decided to sue KTVU-TV to "strongly respond to its racially discriminatory report" that disparaged Asians, Asiana spokeswoman Lee Hyomin said. She said the airline will likely file suit in U.S. courts.

She said the report seriously damaged Asiana's reputation. Asiana decided not to sue the NTSB because it said it was the TV station report, not the U.S. federal agency that damaged the airline's reputation. Lee did not elaborate.

[TeeYiYi]

28. Ho Lee Kau

TYY

[wtmusic]

30. What was funny was the diligent, serious tone the anchor read them with

"The FAA has CONFIRMED the names of the four pilots..."

No it hasn't, you idiot. Back to square one.

[SCVDem]

33. Just shows that no thinking is used in reading a prompter. nt

[Divernan]

41. The station would join NTSB an an additional defendant - if the case was not thrown out

by a motion for summary judgement before that. And suing the National Transportation Safety Board does not sound like a very wise move for any airline to make, especially one counting on increasing its flights to North America.

And from another angle, the airline would have to be able to demonstrate quantifiable damage (loss of business) resulting from the onetime broadcast of fake names. Asiana's prime competitor is another Korean airline - both of them nationally subsidized by the Korean government.

Established in February 1988, Asiana Airlines was created with the support of the government. The initiative was to operate a second national carrier in order to diversify the airline industry, which had been monopolized by Korean Air.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2013/05/342_85739.html

Asiana counts on Japanese, Chinese and Korean tourists - none of whom would have heard the station's one time regional broadcast.

While the causes of the crash remain under investigation, Asiana's reputation has likely taken a hit in China, its second-biggest market in the region outside of Korea, say analysts.

Asiana is counting on burgeoning demand for travel linking North America with China, as well as to Southeast Asia, to underpin its longhaul network expansion. It has standing orders for dozens of widebody jets for delivery over the next few years, including six of the Airbus A380 superjumbos.
"Chinese transit passengers have other alternative ways to fly to the U.S.,"

KTB Securities analyst Shin Ji-yoon said in a report. "It is hard to say for sure that the impact on the firm at a time when it is expanding its services linking to the U.S. will just be short term."

Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Park Sung-bong said he expects Asiana's second-quarter revenue to have dropped 2.5% from a year earlier to 1.396 trillion won ($1.21 billion), which means the airline notched an operating loss of 24.3 billion won and missed market expectations.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323823004578592952631706138.html