[PyeongChang 2018] Chicago news station under fire on ‘P.F. Chang’ Olympics

Chicago-based broadcaster ABC 7 has recently come under fire for “accidently” referring to the PyeongChang Olympics as the P.F. Chang Games on a graphic, referring to a national American-Chinese franchise restaurant in a live broadcast Saturday.

WLS-Ch. 7 anchor Mark Rivera was discussing the political backdrop of the Winter Games on Saturday when the controversial “P.F. Chang” graphic logo, with the term replacing “PyeongChang” appeared over his shoulder.

Viewers reported confusion and disbelief upon seeing the mistake, according to the Chicago Tribune on Monday. 

The Tribune explained, “PyeongChang is located some 180 kilometers east of Seoul in Gangwon Province. It is the host city of the 2018 Winter Games. P.F. Chang’s, on the other hand, is an Asian restaurant concept chain with more than 200 locations in the US.

“PyeongChang and P.F. Chang’s both start with P and end with the same ‘chang’ sound, but you can’t equate the two.”

With the mistake going viral over the weekend, a spokesperson for ABC‘s affiliate apologized and explained that the graphic had been intended for a different “satirical piece,” where viewers would be encouraged to come up with a unique Olympic sport.

Many angry commenters complained online, labeling it “unacceptable.”

On Friday, US broadcaster NBC similarly stirred up controversy among Koreans for commentator Joshua Ramo’s insensitive comment on Korea-Japan relations during the opening ceremony of the Winter Games. The network announced Monday that it had parted ways with Ramo.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)