[Cringing Negativism Network]

So the government is involved, in confirming this?

Uh oh.

[ConservativeStatement]

During the first day of news coverage, one news channel had a conversation on what to call the NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman. One said “Chairwoman” and then a reporter said “I know her, she prefers to be called a Chairman...” Another channel called her a Chairwoman and a third “Chairperson...” That was the only comic relief regarding this crash....until this latest entry.

[ClaytonP]

This prank looks like it had two independent actors.

The first person was the one who gave the names to the reporters originally.

Then the station tried to confirm the names with the NTSB and the intern understood the joke and played along with it.

Makes the person at the station look incredibly stupid.

[Conspiracy Guy]

So it was just a Former Rogue Low Level NTSB Summer Intern that gave the confirmation?

[Charles Henrickson]

The summer intern’s name is Autumn Ladoff.

[Blue Devil Reaganite]

Brilliant.

You who engineered this, the King of Trolls, deserve all possible accolades.

Probably faxed the station a press release that included a phone number for confirmation. Instead of actually looking up number, intern probably just called the number provided. Public relations person simply confirmed.

Reminds me of great pranks at Heathrow calling for “Mai Kolleeg Jusvarted and Lefdaroom Dabastard, please come to the information desk.”

[Darteaus94025]

As I tell my kids, “I don’t care what anyone tells you, use you head.”

Elitist fools attempting to deflect attention off of their total lack of common sense.

[duckworth]

I think we should focus this on NTSB chair Deborah Hersman. Anyone else notice her love for media facetime during the past week? Set up a news camera and watch her appear!

[Charles Henrickson]

And so they remain UFOs, Unidentified Flying Orientals.

[fella]

Our government loves interns (just ask Klintoon) they are free labor but remember you get what you pay for.

[cicero2k]

Here’s the difference. If I say “Chink in the armor” I lose my career.

If a station allows “Wi Tu Lo” broadcast, what is the recourse?

There isn’t any. What controversy would ever get a station off the air?

[WKB]

No one has mentioned Seymore Butts, the famous writer on board who hid under seats..

[Travis McGee]

[Mr. Jeeves]

Anyone with the slightest familiarity with Asian names (and in the San Francisco Bay Area, that should be just about 100% of the population) would have seen right through this prank immediately - certainly long before they got read on the air. I don't blame the NTSB intern - the individual probably thought the TV station was pulling a prank on him so he or she went along with it.

Either KTVU hires monumental idiots, or the staff got the joke but thought management had approved telling it on air.

[Ancesthntr]

You folks are all forgetting the illustrious Frank N. Stein and his friend Chuck Wagon. Then there this guy Jim Bag, who works at a place called “The Locker Room.”

[citizen]

Wat De Fuk?

[tweakDU]

Program director Richard Head could not be reached for comment.

[Revolting cat!]

Jeez, somebody in the gummint with a sense of humor? Alas, it’s only an intern, now forever blacklisted from gummint jobs.