Top 3 End-of-Summer Fake News Events   

Season yields a bumper crop of not-quite-true news stories

3. New Times L.A. runs a story about NBC's latest reality show, to be called "Survive This!" that would feature the two California teenagers who were abducted and raped this summer. According to the "satire," the show would plop the teens and recently paroled sex offenders into a remote area and let reality ensue. The only thing close to ensuing was NBC, which had to announce there is no such show after reporters called asking about it.

2. Sports Illustrated introduced readers to an Uzbekistan tennis ace who threatens to knock the crown for reigning tennis hottie from Anna Kournikova's head. After reporters from major news outlets took the bait, and the Women's Tennis Association went apoplectic, the magazine admitted that Simonya Popova is as real as Sidd Finch, the famously fake Mets recruit the magazine scammed readers with in 1985.

1. Tony Perkins, the weatherman on ABC's "Good Morning America" broadcasts the temperature live from Push, Nevada, standing among members of Push's high-school hockey team. "I love Push, Nevada," Perkins brightly intoned. Alas, Push doesn't exist. Unless you count as real ABC's upcoming drama series by that name debuting this fall.