Radio Stunt Death

[derek]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuAJPXmwAys

Very strange and sad. :(

[🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾]

It's incredibly sad. :(

They have been discussing this almost round the clock on the local news broadcasts. They marked this as breaking news when it first happened.

It disturbs me that this woman went through all this just to get some gaming console! Okay, not everyone has a large bank account, but still. This woman who died has like 3 kids that'll be motherless now.

I wonder what sort of a waiver the station had the woman sign. I wonder if death was listed in the waiver. That seriously needs to be looked at. One of our resident law experts here at Pulse could go into further detail on this subject.

[reception]

Jan 13, 9:47 PM EST
Woman in Water Drinking Contest Dies

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A woman who competed in a radio station's contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coroner's office said Saturday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead Friday in her suburban Rancho Cordova home hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winner.

"She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad," said Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. "She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

It was not immediately know how much water Strange consumed.

A preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death," said assistant Coroner Ed Smith.

John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station's owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Strange's death.

"We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred," he said.

Initially, contestants were handed eight-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes.

"They were small little half-pint bottles, so we thought it was going to be easy," said fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland. "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk."

Ybarra said he quit after drinking five bottles. "My bladder couldn't handle it anymore," he added.

After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink.

"I was talking to her and she was a nice lady," Ybarra said. "She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids."

[derek]

reception said:

I was talking to her and she was a nice lady," Ybarra said. "She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids."

I've been reading the comments on Youtube where people are calling her a stange phsyco Wii fan for being 28, a mom and doing this sorta thing (Disco's comment included). But that quote shows she was a mom who was doing this weird thing to get a Wii for her kids. She seems like she was a cool, caring mom who would do anything for her children. I hope the media opens that part of the story up. :)

[strong4PMB!]

Sad...this story is all too close to home (location-wise). I grew up near Rancho Cordova and all.

[beaston]

Very terrible idea. I hope the radio station recieves punishment for this.

[cartman2002]

does the video show the actual death in question?

[mst3k]

Maybe they should've had the contestants drink Gatorade or something like that instead of straight water.

[Edf85]

No charges will be filed.

[reception]

Jan 16, 3:49 PM EST
Radio Show Pulled After Woman's Death

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A Sacramento-area morning radio show has been pulled off the air after a woman died last week trying to win a Nintendo Wii during a water-drinking contest at the show's studios.

Executives of KDND-FM posted a note on the station's Web site on Monday saying the "Morning Rave" show would remain off the air while the station investigates the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Lea Strange.

"We are doing everything we can to deal with this difficult situation in a manner that is both respectful and responsible," wrote Vice President and General Manager John Geary on the station's Web site.

[mst3k]

Ten Dismissed At KDND Over Water-Drinking Contest Death

Following the unfortunate death of a KDND (107.9 THE END)/SACRAMENTO listener (NET NEWS 1/15) attributed apparently to drinking too much water during a "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" contest last FRIDAY (1/12), ENTERCOM/SACRAMENTO VP/Market Mgr. JOHN GEARY has released a statement: "Effective immediately, the Morning Rave program is cancelled and ten employees are no longer with the station."

ALL ACCESS has learned that among those exiting are nine-year Station Mgr./PD STEVE WEED; Morning Rave members LUKAS, MANEY, TRISH SWEET, FESTER and CARTER; morning show producer LIZ DIAZ; Promotion Dir. ROBIN PECHOTAl; and two others. For more on this from the SACRAMENTO BEE, just click here.

[reception]

Jan 18, 4:22 AM EST
Sheriff Looks Into Water-Drinking Death

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- As participants in KDND-FM's water-drinking contest chugged bottle after bottle, a listener called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt was dangerous - and could be fatal.

"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ said with a laugh: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

Those comments, and others made during the Jan. 12 "Morning Rave" radio show, appeared to give little regard to the risk of water intoxication - until a woman died just hours after imbibing nearly two gallons in the contest.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department launched a criminal investigation into the incident, and attorneys for the family of Jennifer Lea Strange said they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the radio station.

The county coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicate Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, died of water intoxication.

Authorities decided to pursue the investigation after listening to a tape of the show, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, during which DJs joked about the possible dangers of consuming too much water, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said. At one point, the DJs even alluded to a college student who died during a similar stunt in 2005.

Strange was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by determining how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. The show's DJs called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii."

Several hours into the contest, Strange was interviewed on the air and complained that her head hurt.

"They keep telling me that it's the water. That it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke," she said.

Eventually, Strange gave in and accepted the second-place prize: tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert. She commented that she looked pregnant, and a female DJ agreed.

"Oh, my gosh, look at that belly. That's full of water. ... Come on over, Jennifer, you OK?" a male DJ asked. "You going to pass out right now? Too much water?"

Several hours later, Strange was found dead in her home.

On Tuesday, KDND's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, fired 10 employees connected to the contest, including three morning disc jockeys. The company also took the morning show off the air.

Station spokesman Charles Sipkins said Wednesday the company had not yet heard from the sheriff's department but that it would cooperate with the investigation.

[MikeCheck12]

Unbelievable!

[Crushcrushchris]

reception said:

Jan 18, 4:22 AM EST"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ said with a laugh: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

If that quote doesn't imply at the very least criminal negligence then I don't know what does.

[reception]

www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/kdndslides/

[derek]

reception said:

www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/kdndslides/

That was SO SAD! :'(

[reception]

Family to sue radio station over water death
(01-18) 17:04 PST SACRAMENTO, (AP) --

Lawyers for the family of a woman who died after drinking nearly two gallons of water in an on-air radio contest said Thursday they will file a wrongful death lawsuit to make an example out of the station and attempt to curb the recklessness of shock jock radio.

"We believe we can get a judgment that people across the country will have to pay attention to," said Roger Dreyer, a personal injury lawyer who accused radio station KDND-FM of knowing of the dangers of the water-drinking contest but continuing anyway.

He charged that the contest that preceded the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Lea Strange, a mother of three from the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova, was nothing more than a ratings stunt designed to boost profits.

"Outrageousness at any cost has become the industry standard — the trashier and more humiliating the better," Dreyer said. "It's time to stop the recklessness."

Dreyer said the lawsuit would likely be filed within days, after a private memorial service for Strange this weekend, and following a determination by lawyers about which station employees — and perhaps which companies in addition to the station — should be named in the suit.

He would not specify how much in damages the suit would seek.

Charles Sipkins, spokesman for KDND's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, declined to comment on Dreyer's remarks since a lawsuit has not yet been filed.

Thursday's announcement followed revelations Wednesday that the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department had launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Strange's death.

Authorities decided to pursue the investigation after listening to a tape of the Jan. 12 "Morning Rave" show that was obtained by The Sacramento Bee. On the tape, disc jockeys can be heard joking about the possible dangers of consuming too much water. They even alluded to a Chico State University student who died during a hazing stunt in 2005 after drinking large amounts of water.

At one point a listener called in to warn the DJs that the stunt could be fatal.

"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ laughed: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

The object of the contest was to see how much water contestants could drink without going to the bathroom. The top prize was a Nintendo Wii gaming console. The DJs called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii."

Several hours into the program, Strange was interviewed and complained that her head hurt.

"They keep telling me that it's the water. That it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke," she said.

"This is what it feels like when you're drowning," responded one of the DJs. "There's a lot of water inside you."

Eventually, Strange gave up and accepted the second-place prize, tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert.

Dreyer, senior partner of the Sacramento law firm Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham, said he had requested a copy of the release DJs spoke of on the radio but had not yet received it from Entercom.

Sipkins declined to comment on the status of that request.

KDND on Tuesday fired 10 employees connected to the contest, including the three "Morning Rave" disc jockeys. The company also took the show off the air.

Dreyer said the family is devastated by the loss of Strange, whose children are ages 11 months, 3 years and 11 years old.

"They're without their mother," Dreyer said. "One of their motivations in coming to me is they don't want to see this happen again."

[reception]

Jan 19, 2007 10:29 pm US/Pacific

Mother Of Jennifer Strange Speaks Out On Air
Hulst Relives The Tragic Day She Found Her Daughter Dead

Serene Branson
Reporting

(CBS13) Jennifer Strange's mother found her 28-year-old daughter last Friday, a few hours after the radio contest.

Tonight Nina Hulst told CNN's Larry King: quote: "I saw her lying on the bathroom floor not moving, um, I ran in I called her name and shook her several times. She didn't respond. I pulled the hair from her face. She was purple and blue, she was cold, and she was gone."

"Her mom's frankly her closest friend,” said attorney Roger Dreyer.

Nina even recalled how she broke the news of her daughter's death to her son-in-law Billy Strange: "...as the police arrived, I was outside and Billy, her husband, pulled up and I ran to his car and I said, "Billy, she's gone." And he said "What do you mean?" And I said, "Jennifer's dead." And he sunk to the ground."

After the interview CBS13 caught up with attorney Roger Dreyer who plans to file a wrongful death suit on behalf of the family on Monday.

“The family has an understanding of the value of going forward, they have a strong belief they don't want this to happen to another family,” said Dryer.

One week ago today, the mother of three participated in the "Hold your wi for a Nintendo Wii" contest drinking nearly two gallons of water without using the restroom.

And now CBS13 has learned the radio station has retained attorney David Tyra, employment and labor attorney.

We've also learned Entercom has hired Sacramento based PR firm Runyon, Saltzman and Einhorn for crisis management, and there's also a security guard now stationed outside.

[reception]

Strange Family Attorney Urges FCC to Put an End to 107.9 "The End"

The attorney representing the family of Jennifer Strange is asking the Federal Communications Commission to terminate 107.9's radio license.

In a letter sent to the FCC late Sunday Roger Dryer wrote, "We believe the conduct of the radio management and on air staff mandates that your agency terminate the radio station's license and discipline its ownership for the wanton disregard of the safety of the participants in this contest."

Strange, 28, was found dead in her Rancho Cordova home on Friday, January 12. Several hours earlier, she had participated in a "Hold Your Wee for a Nintendo Wii" contest at 107.9 "The End."

The preliminary coroner's report indicated Strange's death was consistent with water intoxication.

Dreyer said strange drank nearly two gallons of water during the contest.

Along with asking the FCC to terminate KDND's license, Dreyer is urging the FCC to discipline its parent company Entercom. "We believe action of this nature is required by the FCC to send a very clear and unambiguous message to radio station ownership across this country that this type of irresponsible conduct that degrades, humiliates and endangers citizens will not be tolerated," said Dreyer.

Dryer said he is giving Entercom until the end of the day Wednesday to comply with his request for the station's contestant release form, tape recordings of the program, and the whereabouts of terminated staff otherwise; he will file a wrongful death suit on Thursday.

"Our goal is to shut down trash media that humiliates and endangers people just to boost ratings and sell more advertising," said Dryer.

By late morning, the radio station's management had not returned calls from News10 seeking comment on Dreyer's request to the FCC.

[reception]

Nintendo Statement
Nintendo released the following statement Monday through its public relations firm GolinHarris:

"Nintendo is saddened to hear the recent report about a consumer who allegedly died as a result of a radio promotion to win a Wii. While Nintendo was not a sponsor of the promotion, we extend our sincere condolences to the family."

[reception]

Letters Express Anger, Sympathy Towards 'The End'
CBS13 uncovers hundreds of e-mails written to radio station

(CBS13) SACRAMENTO Hundreds of letters and e-mails are pouring into radio station 107.9 after the death of Jennifer Strange. Strange died a week-and-a-half ago after taking part in a water drinking contest. Her mother found her dead in her bathroom a few hours after the contest.

Every television and radio station is required to have a public file. It contains company information and comments from the public. CBS13 went through the radio station's file and found hundreds of opinions.

After several visits, several phone calls and several denials, today we walked out of the radio station with what we were looking for, roughly 300 emails from listeners and others responding to The End's water drinking contest.

The comments came from all over. New York, Chicago, the United Kingdom. Even an emergency room doctor wrote in. Most emails blamed the station for Jennifer Strange's death.

"Unbelievable even after a nurse calls and warns you about consequences and now someone special is lost," read one letter.

"Every single person that had any idea of that contest happening last Friday should be charged with manslaughter and the radio station should be sued for every penny they own," read another.

"You all do this for ratings at any expense regardless of the risk involved."

"Do the right thing and take care of this woman's family - forever"

But the station also heard from supporters who don't fault KDND and say the show should still be on the air.

"I hope you guys can come back soon to help wake me up in the morning with all the laughers and good music,” read one letter.

"I feel sorry for the family who has lost their loved one. But I really feel sorry for the DJ's who have lost their job. How much control over the contest did they really have?"

"She entered the contest at her own free will and was not forced to drink any amount of water"

General Manager John Geary refused to talk about the emails and the case. Meanwhile, the strange family attorney will most likely file a wrongful death suit later this week.

Anyone can look through the public files. After we received the papers from the radio station, we were told to take our cameras off the property.

[reception]

Complaint Filed After Radio Station Water-Drinking Contest

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A civil complaint was filed Thursday against a Sacramento radio station after a woman who took part in an on-air water-drinking contest died later the same day, an attorney said.

Jennifer Strange died Jan. 12 after drinking nearly two gallons of water in a competition sponsored by 107.9 The End. Contestants were vying for a Nintendo Wii video game system.

Strange did not win the contest but was found dead hours later in her Rancho Cordova home. A preliminary coroner's report said Strange showed symptoms of water intoxication.

The wrongful death complaint filed in Sacramento County Superior Court seeks economic, emotional and punative damages from the radio station, the DJs of The Morning Rave show and Entercom, the parent company of the station.

Roger Dreyer, attorney for Strange's family, said he has been asking the station for information about the case, including a copy of a release that contest participants signed as well as documentation regarding promotion of the contest. He said he received a letter from a radio station attorney on Wednesday stating that such information should be obtained through the formal discovery process.

Dreyer said the station's response essentially forced him to file the complaint in order to move forward.

"Because of the response we've gotten from the attorneys for the radio station, we really feel like we have no other alternative but now (to) proceed forward with the case," Dreyer said.

During the contest, a woman claiming to be a nurse practitioner called in and warned DJs on the air about the dangers of drinking too much water. The DJs responded that they were aware of the danger but that contestants had signed a release of liability.

Dreyer said the response from the DJs suggests to him that the station was aware of the danger.

"It tells us that in a contest like this, the management knew and understood what they were putting these people into," Dreyer said. "The DJs were callous and irresponsible and certainly had plenty of opportunity to say, 'Hey, let's stop this,' or 'Let's get her out to a doctor.'"

The complaint calls the actions of the DJs "despicable" and "vile," adding that their conduct "would be looked down upon and despised by reasonable people."

Entercom did not immediately offer a statement in response to the complaint.

On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it will investigate the radio station's role in the event.

Dreyer earlier called for the FCC to revoke the radio station's license to operate.

[🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾]

Wrongful-Death Suit Filed Against KDND

Attorney ROGER DREYER of DREYER, BABICH, BUCCOLA & CALLAHAM this morning filed a wrongful-death civil suit in SACRAMENTO SUPERIOR COURT on behalf of the STRANGE family in relation to the death of JENNIFER STRANGE following ENTERCOM Top 40 KDND/SACRAMENTO's "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" water-drinking contest.

The defendants named include ENTERCOM/SACRAMENTO, ENTERCOM COMMUNICATIONS CORP., VP/Market Manager JOHN GEARY and since-dismissed PD/Station Mgr. STEVE WEED, Promotion Dir. ROBIN PECHOTA, morning show producer LIZ DIAZ and morning show members ADAM COX, STEVE MANEY, PATRICIA SWEET and MATT CARTER.

The suit alleges "negligence" and "intentional/reckless conduct" and seeks all expenses incurred plus undisclosed punitive damages and "such other and further relief as the court may deem just and proper." It contends that "at no time before the contest did the decedent sign a release of liability contractually relieving any defendants in their duty of care in organizing and running the contest" and charges that the defendants were aware that consuming excessive amounts of water "could result in physical injury or death," had knowledge "of similar contests at other radio stations in CALIFORNIA during which contestants required medical attention," but "took no reasonable steps to advise, warn, supervise or otherwise protect contest participants," even after they became ill.

"The negligence of defendants caused the death of JENNIFER STRANGE," states the suit. "Had the decedent been properly informed of the health risks associated with the contest, she would not have participated. Had medical professional or para-professional services been provided, the decedent would not have consumed the fatal doses of water, and would have had immediate access to life-saving medical care and treatment as she began to exhibit symptoms consistent with over-consumption of water."

The suit further says the defendants showed "a willful and knowing disregard of decedent's safety," noting that "instead of offering to provide medical assistance after decedent reported feeling ill, the talent verbally chastised and otherwise coerced her, exhorting her to remain in the contest by threatening that she would be disqualified if she 'puked.'"

The suit also states that the defendants dismissed warnings of water intoxication, joked about contestants dying, made mocking references "to the decedent’s distended abdomen from excess water consumption" and made "sardonic expressions of sympathy with the decedent, when she complained on-air that she was feeling ill."

Read the full complaint here.

[reception]

www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=26198

No Charges Filed in Radio Contest Death

The Sacramento County district attorney announced Monday that no criminal charges will be filed in the death of Jennifer Strange who died after drinking nearly two gallons of water during a contest conducted by 107.9 "The End."

Strange, 28, was one of 18 contestants who participated in KDND radio's "Hold Your Wii" contest on January 12. The contest had participants drink an eight-ounce bottle of water every 15 minutes in order to win a Nintendo Wii video game system. As the contest progressed, contestants were asked to drink a 16-ounce bottle of water every 10 minutes.

Strange was one of two people still in the contest when she voluntarily quit. The D.A.'s investigation found that although Strange complained about not feeling well, she was able to joke with 107.9 DJs and drive herself home. Her mother found her unresponsive later that day.

In its investigation, the district attorney's office determined "Jennifer Strange was an adult who was voluntarily participating in the radio contest. She knew what the contest involved when she entered it, and had the option to stop or discontinue her participation in the contest at any time. In addition, the location where the contest took place, while not in a public area, was in an area from which she was free to leave at any time; and she was constantly observed by other people including contestants, their supporters and radio employees. Ms. Strange also was interviewed twice on air by the DJs during the contest with no apparent difficulty. The facts and circumstances of this ill-fated event do not support the filing of criminal charges against the radio station or any of its employees."

Criminal defense attorney Bill Portanova says the District Attorney simply felt they did not have a criminal case. Portanova says the civil lawsuit may have a better chance of success since the burden of proof is lower. In his words, "They have managers and their managers have managers and ultimately, there are owners who are all making a lot of money...letting these guys run off the leash."

The Strange family filed a lawsuit against KDND, its parent company Entercom, the DJs, and other former KDND employees involved in the contest.

Reaction
"I am not surprised by the D.A.’s decision," said Strange family attorney Roger Dreyer. "We don’t believe the conduct of the individuals rose to criminal intent. It is consistent with our viewpoint from the beginning that the decision makers was the management of Entercom."

FCC
The Federal Communications Commission also launched an investigation into KDND two weeks after Strange's death, citing "troubling issues that have been raised in connection with the contest at KDND where Jennifer Strange lost her life." The FCC has not released any of its findings.

[iamnotmyhair]

As someone familiar with the inner workings of the industry, let me just say this:

A) I am not suprised that the DA is not pursuing criminal charges against the memebers of the Morning Rave. While this was certainly a HORRIBLE incident, no member of the show or member of Entercom/Sacramento management physically killed Ms. Strange. Therefore, you don't have a criminal case.

B) I would venture to say that the wrongful death suit may not go quite like the family is hoping it will. The standing question in a jury's mind SHOULD be, "Was Jennifer Strange a competent adult, capable of making her own decisions and capable of realizing when she needed to pursue medical attention?" The proper answer to that question is YES. It's the same thing as tobacco lawsuits, when the tobacco companies -- mind you, I hate them myself -- present the argument that the deceased made a conscious decision to use the product.

[stellarstar]

There have been deaths like this in hazing events where some guy dies because he drank too much water. What happened in those cases. I'm sure the outcome would be similiar to what happened in the past.