Posted on 10/29/2009 10:24:55 PM PDT by Steelfish
Jury Awards $16 Million To Family In Fatal Radio Prank
October 29, 2009
A Sacramento jury today awarded $16 million to the family of a woman who died during a 2007 radio station contest gone awry.
The Sacramento County Superior Court jury concluded that Entercom Sacramento, which operates KDND-FM (107.9) "The End," was negligent after ignoring several warnings that a morning show contest could have fatal consequences, according to KTXL-TV (Channel 40) in Sacramento.
Jennifer Strange, a mother of three from suburban Rancho Cordova, died of apparent water intoxication hours after a failed attempt to win a Nintendo Wii video game system for her children in a promotion dubbed "Hold Your Wee for a Wii."
A tape of the program, known as the "Morning Rave" on KDND, revealed that the potential fatal effects of drinking too much water were raised during the course of the contest, with one on-air host mentioning the 2005 death of a college student during a hazing ritual in Chico. A listener also called in to advise against the stunt.
Strange — one of 20 contestants — initially joked lightheartedly with the show hosts as she and the others chugged bottled water. But as the hours wore on, it came down to Strange and one other woman contending for the grand prize, and she admitted to having a splitting headache and feeling wobbly. Strange quipped on the air that "it looks like I'm pregnant again."
After finishing in second place, Strange rushed with contest winner Lucy Davidson to the station's bathroom to vomit. Strange called her employer to say she was too sick to come in and headed home. Her mother discovered her body that afternoon.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
These kinds of awards are almost always whittled down by a factor of 10 or so in appeals.
Death by drinking water. Strange, but true.
I think I’ll stick with may usual couple of glasses of pinot noir every night. I’m not dead yet, so must be doing something right.
Looks like the kids will be able to buy a lot of Wii games now.
“Looks like the kids will be able to buy a lot of Wii games now.”
Oh!! That’s so cruel. I would bet anything those kids, if given the chance, would want their mom back, far more than they would want any of those games.
This entire debacle is a chilling parable of a the dark crass-commercial madness that pervades our society.
My blood curdles thinking of it. We all wanted Wiis for our kids back then. They were impossible to find. My wife and I called at least 50 stores and had at least a dozen failed attempts after those calls before we got one. I may have held my ‘wee’ for a wii. Guilty as anyone, I am and that’s what’s makes this story so disheartening.
The holiday season is coming and who’s next to die under the feet of Wal-Mart shoppers?
Always wondered what happened in this case. Last I heard, the radio station went out of business.
Pronunciation: \sär-ˈdä-nik\
Function: adjective
Etymology: French sardonique, from Greek sardonios Date: 1638
: disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking
synonyms see sarcastic
— sar·don·i·cal·ly \-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
“Always wondered what happened in this case. Last I heard, the radio station went out of business.”
The station is still on the air here in Sacramento. The on-air people involved were canned though.
Entercom had revenue last year of $439 million. Are you still sure it’ll be whittled down that far.
This is about spot on for what I figured what happen in this case.
More like direct illustration than parable.
What will this year’s Wii or Cabbage Patch Kid be?
And whatever it is, wanna bet huge quantities of it will be put on clearance sale within a year?
The way the station is talking, it might not challenge the verdict. But never underestimate the ability of lawyers to stab in the back.
The idiot woman who basically poisoned herself with too much water has no blame in this. Righhttt.
They forced it down her throat.
If I incite you to walk off the edge of a cliff, do I bear no blame in your ensuing demise? God our creator would beg to disagree.
mmm, mmm, mmmm
You don’t believe in God so you can mmm, mmm, mmm your way to the other guy.
I wouldn’t be so stupid and walk off a cliff. Thank you very much.
That’s really not empty space out there Reddy, that’s a bridge.
I know what you’re saying. As a college educated woman I know the meaning and usage of ‘sardonic’.
Frankly, I don’t think those kids care about words and their sources. All they would prefer to have is mom walk through the door rather than all the games in world at their command.
So, you know that I understand; we’re saying the same thing, sort of.
Prank? No.
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