Ten Fired After Radio Contest Turns Deadly; Was It Justified?
By wesderby
@wesderby (178)
United States
January 17, 2007 6:28pm CST
For anyone who hasn't seen this on the news, a radio station in Sacramento, California held a contest called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" this past Friday. Basically, the person who could drink I believe a gallon of water and not have to relieve him/herself for the longest period of time won the new Nintendo Wii. Unfortunately, one of the contestants, the lady who finished second, ended up dying shortly after the contest due to water intoxication. For more details, visit either the Sacramento Bee website, or www.fmqb.com to see the full story.
Yesterday, the station fired it's "Morning Rave" morning team, as well as several others connected to the contest. What I ask all of you is, should the station employees have been fired over this, or is it up to the contestant, as an adult, to know the risks they may be taking with their health when participating in a contest like this?
Before I give my opinion, let me say that I feel badly for this woman, her widowed husband, and her children...It sounds like an awful way to go.
Having said that, on its face, I think it was wrong to let the station's morning show go. As an adult, you should know the risks involved before participating in a contest that involves ingesting anything, water or otherwise, into your body in order to win a prize.
Having said that, I haw on my local news here in Seattle last night that many contestants were complaining of not feeling so well after consuming a gallon or so of water in three hours...They claimed the staff was unresponsive and seemed unconcerned, but at the same time told people that they could bail out any time they wanted; no one was making them stay. While I agree the station should have been more sympathetic, and probably should have had the risks of "water intoxication" posted in the studio or wherever the contest was being held, I don't think the morning show team should have been fired for this. I could maybe see firing whoever in management approved this contest if it turns out the research on the health risks wasn't done, but the DJ's should've been allowed to keep their job.
Any thoughts from anyone? Naturally, I'm interested in both viewpoints similar to mine as well as opposing views.
4 responses
@BunGirl (2638)
• United States
18 Jan 07
The bottom line for the station is this: those employees opened the station up for some serious lawsuits and some of the worst PR possible. Now the station is in damage control mode.
In my opinion the employees should have been fired because you can't start contests like that without knowing the risks and informing the participants of the risks. It was a foolish thing to do and they are being penalized for it.
I agree that the woman should have known the risks, but apparently she didn't. She trusted the djs of her favorite radio station instead. Foolish move IMHO, but true none the less.
1 person likes this
@wesderby (178)
• United States
18 Jan 07
Excellent points...I can sort of see firing the DJs for not making contestants aware of the risks. I notice, unlike some other stations who have had stunts and contests go wrong, these guys were smart enough to also let a few people in management, who apparently knew about and approved the contest, go as well. Having studied radio in college and known lots of broadcasters in my life, often, the on-air talent involved with the contest are let go, but the program director or GM who approved it, knowing the risks, usually keeps his/her job. Good to see a station take out some of its management as well and not just leave the on-air folks hanging out to dry.
1 person likes this
@firemansgirl001 (916)
• United States
18 Jan 07
i think the radio station is at fault. I think that they shouldnt have held something without knowing the real consiquences
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
5 Feb 07
They should have been sacked .... they were negligent and although the woman possibly should have known the risks it appears she didn't or she wouldn't have taken part in it in the first place. They should have organised to have a medical person present before, during and after "the contest" and then made sure they all emptied their bladders before they left the building .... they given the contestants a medical check .... at least with regard to blood pressure, lungs, breathing, chest etc before and after the contest because the problem probably would have shown up.
The station are just covering their backs because they are bound to be sued over this and all those who were involved ... regardless of their position at the radio station .... should have been sacked immediately the police had finished interviewing them.
