KTVU Fires Producers for Racist Asian Joke Fiasco

Jul 25, 2013
7:20 PM

You know it would be coming. How could someone NOT get fired for what happened on July 12 during the now infamous KTVU broadcast? Yesterday Rich Lieberman’s 415 Media blog reported the following exclusive:

asian

OUT! at KTVU  BREAKING NEWS from 415 Media

Roland De Wolk: Investigate Producer

Cristina Gastelu: Special Projects Producer

Brad Belstock: Producer

**Three independent sources confirmed the firings to me. All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the story.

UPDATE: 10:07: Statement from Tom Raponi: GM, KTVU

Consistent with our apology, we are carrying through with our responsibility to minimize the thoughtless repetition of the video by others.”

Other San Francisco media outlets reported Liberman’s story:

KTVU-TV has dismissed at least three veteran producers over the on-air gaffe involving the fake names of those Asiana airline pilots that became an instant YouTube hit — and major embarrassment to the station.

Station sources confirmed late Wednesday that investigative producer Roland DeWolk, special projects producer Cristina Gastelu and producer Brad Belstock were all sent packing following an in-house investigation into the July 12 broadcast of four fake names of the pilots involved in the Asiana Flight 214 crash at San Francisco International Airport on July 6.

A fourth — noon news producer Elvin Sledge — told colleagues he was leaving for health reasons.

So do we now know who created the joke? Maybe yes, maybe no.