"She talked about her kids the whole time. [8] The sale became effective at the start of 1971; the FM retained the call sign,[2] while the AM became known as KNDE. At the time of the incident, Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of . Become a home entertainment expert with our handpicked tips, reviews and deals. [56][57], On February 2, 2017, Entercom announced its intent to acquire CBS Radio. This site is protected by The jury also found that Strange was 0% at fault (that is, there was no contributory negligence) for her own death. Ran on: 02-08-2005 And, as the name implies, the players could not use the restroom. According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's studios. [4] The experiment was undone the next year, and KCNW returned to being KXOA-FM. The London Free Press. [5] Upon the 1965 enactment of the FM Non-Duplication Rule, which curtailed simulcasts of AM and FM stations in large markets, KXOA-FM partially separated from its AM counterpart and broadcast adult contemporary music from 7:00a.m. to 3:00pm, and then simulcasting KXOA's Top 40 programming until it signed off at midnight. All references to the Morning Rave program and associated DJs were removed from the KDND website. At the time of the station's closing, KDND's studios were located in North Highlands (though with a Sacramento address), while its transmitter was located just north of the Sacramento city limits near Elverta. There was no way I could make a rational decision, especially with people egging you on.". [66], The FCC returned the 107.9 frequency on which KDND was licensed to operate to the agency's inventory of unused channels, to be put up for auction to the highest bidder. The co-worker contacted Strange's mother, who went to her home an hour later to find her daughter dead. Ms. Strange's death led to a civil action for wrongful death, which settled after a jury entered a $16.5 million judgment against KDND. [52] Maney hosts mornings on WNKS in Charlotte, and Sweet hosted mornings on WPLJ in New York City under the name Jayde Donovan until the station's sale in 2019; she now hosts a show on Apple Music 1 and a show syndicated through Westwood One. Are those guys zany and irreverent or what? The jurors found that the Entercom Communications Corporation based in Philadeliphia, along with its Sacramento subsidiary liable for the actions of its employees at the Sacramento radio station KDND-FM. Matthew Carrington was finishing a monthslong process to rush Chi Tau fraternity when he died. The prize was a Wii video game, worth $250, going to the person who drank most water without peeing. It has certainly worked for KDND's "The Morning Rave," which has become one of Sacramento's top-rated drive-time shows. Campos wonders if she somehow could have intervened when Strange became very ill. The wrongful death lawsuit, a copy of which you'll find below, names the radio station's owner and eight individuals as defendants. Matthew Carrington of Pleasant Hill died after drinking huge amounts of water while pledging. According to the AP, Jennifer Strange, a mother of three children, died of acute water intoxication. (Andthe strangest place of all, Los Angeles.). As the contestants dropped out, it became clear that some of them were having serious health problems. In January 2007, KDND's morning show controversially held an on-air contest in which contestants were challenged to drink as much water as they could without urinating, in order to win a Nintendo Wii video game console. ", "Your body is 98 percent water," one of the hosts remarked to his on-air audience. Tim Curran said Wednesday that the department feels that it has enough information to begin an investigation. Hours later, she died of water intoxication, according to the Sacramento County coroner. Cells actively maintain a precise sodium concentration in the body. Who's at risk: Anyone who drinks too much water too fast can be affected, but infants, marathon runners and people working in extreme heat are particularly vulnerable. [64], Entercom also paid the Media Action Center $35,000 for attorney fees involved in their petition to deny renewal; in return, the Media Action Center would not challenge other Entercom licenses or the CBS Radio acquisition. The corporation tried to argue that Strange should have known the contest was dangerous. [26] The combination of rock stations proved a problem for differentiating them and even resulted in changes in airstaff at stablemate KSEG. Drink a lot of water and hold your pee as long as possible; the person who holds out the longest wins the Nintendo Wii console. A jury awarded $16,577,188 damages against KDND . Ybarra said he quit after drinking five bottles. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}384236N 1212859W / 38.710N 121.483W / 38.710; -121.483. Delivered Wednesdays. Without electrolytes, the body can't function (see What are electrolytes? "I asked her, 'How do you feel?' } The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also investigated the incident; in 2016, it designated the renewal of KDND's license for hearing, questioning whether the station had operated in the public interest. [2] Brown responded by hiring a new operations manager, Don Daniels, from WOMC in Detroit. Nevius has been a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 20 years, covering sports, reviewing movies and spotting trends. C.W. As part of KDND's "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest, Jennifer drank bottle after bottle of water for hours without urinating. "We were so out of it, so disoriented. CNN.com: Woman drinks so much water she dies - Jan. 13, 2007, Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Can You Drink Too Much Water?" "I passed out in bed at 11 (a.m.) and didn't wake up until my husband shook me awake at 6 that night.". Nov. 2, 2009 -- The husband of a California woman who died after participating in a radio station's water drinking contest said he hopes a jury's $16.5 million compensation award following a wrongful death lawsuit will send a message to other corporations dealing with the public. The participant who . a Nintendo Wii video . CNN.com. Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, hyperhydration, overhydration, or water toxemia, is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside safe limits by excessive water intake. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { "At this time," it said, "we would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Jennifer Strange. All rights reserved. Speaking after the verdict, juror LaTeshia Paggett said the contest had never gone to the legal department "and it was supposed to go to legal. Strange had showed fellow. The same day, the station announced that it had fired 10 staff members, including the five hosts of the "Morning Rave," which was canceled. her family is suing the company that owns the. Jan. 16, 2007. http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2007/01/16/3387786-sun.html, "Woman drinks so much water she dies." A Sacramento, Calif., radio station has fired 10 employees after a woman died in a water-drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii, the Associated Press and other media sources are reporting. The KDNDs on-site station management and crew of the Morning Rave show were fired after Stranges death. [68] The allocation was again put up for auction as part of FCC Auction 109 beginning July 27, 2021, and was auctioned off to iHeartMedia for $6,146,000.[69][70]. Chronic dehydration is linked to higher incidences of some . The Courier News. [18] Daniels moved to drop 1960s songs from the station's repertoire, and in May 1993, the station flipped to a more uptempo adult contemporary format branded as Xtra 107.9, advertising itself as featuring "no rap, metal, or Madonna". His latest book is Crouching Father, HiddenToddler: A Zen Guide for New Dads., A stupid radio stunt's tragic finale / Sacramento DJs joked as contestant guzzled fatal quantity of water, In this undated photo provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Jennifer Strange, of Rancho Cordova, Calif., is shown. During the match, contestants were given two minutes to drink an 8-ounce bottle of water, then given another bottle to drink after a 10-minute break. Now the Sacramento radio station could lose its licence. They were heckling her. Employer Liability for Employee's Bad Acts. [19] It also dropped its local news coverage. Strange, 28, 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, Jan. 14, 2007. This is a carousel. You would be surprised by the amount of people who die yearly from . She called in sick to work after the contest, complaining of a bad headache, and about five hours later, her mother found her dead in her Rancho Cordova, Calif., home. A preliminary autopsy indicated that Jennifer Strange died from water intoxication. Meanwhile, the lawsuits are likely to stretch from here to the top of the Sierra. display: block; After the contest, Strange called in sick to work. The survivors of a woman who died almost three years ago after her participation in radio. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. 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 Stranges co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. "Maybe we should have researched this before," the female disc jockey added. A 28-year-old participant in the contest died of water intoxication, resulting in Entercom being sued for wrongful death by the participant's family. [6][7] However, the Rhodes group did not materialize, and three months later, Fuqua filed to sell the station to a consortium consisting of Drake-Chenault, a national program syndicator, and Brown Broadcasting, which owned KGB-AM-FM in San Diego. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.. A California jury came back witha huge verdict for the family of a 28 year old woman who died as a result of a radio contest gone bad. It seemed a great wheeze at the time - a radio contest called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" . [67] The FCC included the 107.9 frequency in its auction scheduled to begin April 28, 2020, but the auction was indefinitely postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was found dead that afternoon in her Rancho Cordova home. A radio station fired 10 employees, including its three morning disc jockeys, after a woman died following an on-air water-drinking contest last week. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/hold-your-wee-wii-lawsuit, JANUARY 25--The family of the California woman who died from water intoxication after trying to win a video game console in a radio station stunt has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the architects of the 'Hold Your Wee for a Wii' contest. Symptoms of water intoxication actually look a lot like the symptoms of alcohol intoxication, including nausea, altered mental state, and vomiting. } Under a legal doctrine sometimes referred to as "respondeat superior" (Latin for "Let the superior answer"), an employer is legally responsible for the actions of its employees. After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink. A Nintendo Wii video game was the prize for winning the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest. A California jury decided that Entercom Sacramento, operator of KDNDFM radio, was liable for the 28-year-old's death after ignoring warnings, given during the contest by a show host and a. KDND (107.9MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm, "Hyponatremia." Brain cells are constrained by the skull and can end up bursting with the pressure of the water they are taking in. Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story Ran on: 06-04-2005 She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids.. Shortly prior to the start of jury selection in the trial, KDND began to tease that it would be "saying goodbye" on September 8, 2009, leading to speculation that the station was planning to drop The End in favor of a different format or shut down entirely; however, it was later revealed that the campaign was actually for a new commercial-free Tuesdays promotion. The FCC stipulated that use of the frequency must retain its short-spaced protections to KSAN (107.7 FM) in San Mateo, California; any new station would be limited to 50kW ERP and an average height above average terrain of 123 meters in the direction of KSAN. " said Elidia Campos, one of 20 contestants. The contest, which was held in January 2007, was to see which contestant could drink the most water without going to the bathroom. Hardly. After two weeks of deliberations, jurors last week found Entercom Sacramento LLC, a subsidiary of Philadelphia-based Entercom Communications Corp., liable for the actions of its employees at Sacramento radio station KDND-FM, the Associated Press reported. NEW YORK (CBS/AP) The family of Jennifer Strange, a California woman who died after participating in a radio station's water-drinking contest, has been awarded $16.5 million by a California jury. Each contestant had to drink an 8-ounce (226.8-gram) bottle of water within two minutes. Strange suffered hyponatremia, or acute water intoxication. (AP Photo/Courtsey of the Carrington family via the San Francisco Chronicle) Ran on: 02-04-2005 We will respond to any petition filed with the FCC at the appropriate time.. Drinking large quantities of water rapidly can throw off the body's balance of electrolytes, causing brain swelling and leading to seizures, coma or even death. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. When the Wii . [3], In 1961, Cal-Val experimented with splitting the AM and FM stations, changing the FM to a country format as KCNW. The first song on The End was Everybody by Backstreet Boys. I just can't stop thinking about it.". During its existence, the Browns bought back KNDE and returned it to the fold as KXOA, to air a harder AOR mix. "Woman dies from water intoxication." [46] In August, two of the KDND DJs, Adam "Lukas" Cox and Steve Maney, sued Entercom over a wrongful termination of their contract. "Hold your Wee for a Wii." Contestants were given water at . Criminal charges will probably be filed in the death of Carrington, a California State University student who died while undergoing hazing at a rogue fraternity, a police spokesman said Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005. Strange, who told Campos she was feeling "terrible," died from water intoxication. The game console sells for about $250. The purpose of this rule is fairly simple: To hold employers responsible for the costs of doing business, including the costs of employee carelessness or misconduct. The family of a California woman who died trying to win a Wii in a radio contest has been awarded $16.5 million in its suit against the station, according to the Associated Press. Drinking large quantities of water rapidly can throw off the body's balance of electrolytes, causing brain swelling and leading to seizures, coma or even death. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, was among 18 people who entered the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition. In the 2007 contest on KDNDs Morning Rave show, contestants were urged to drink as much water as they could without urinating to win the $250 video game system. Twenty-eight years old, married and the mother of three, Strange had entered the "Hold your Wee for a Wii" contest to try to win a Nintendo Wii video game player for her kids. As a result, ARS needed to sell three Sacramento stations. Matthew Carrington of Pleasant Hill died after drinking huge amounts of water while pledging. Because, as many of us in the Bay Area learned two years ago, an excess of water creates a physical shutdown. Listen to article It was her choice to enter Friday morning's contest. The contestant able to hold the most water would win a Wii video game console; at the time, the Nintendo console was a very popular and sought-after item, but was nearly impossible to find in stores in North America. Jan. 16, 2007. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/212558 ,3_1_EL16_A7WATER_S1.article, Miner, Josh. [47] Subsequently, both DJs settled with Entercom for an undisclosed amount. In July 1998, two years after the sale of the station to Entercom (now Audacy, Inc . The next day, Geary dismissed ten station employeesincluding the three morning disc jockeys, Adam "Lukas" Cox, Steve Maney and Patricia "Trish" Sweetfrom their positions in connection with the tragedy[41] and cancelled the Morning Rave. A work colleague said Ms Strange had reported her head . In this case, the radio station and its head corporation must be held responsible for the acts of its employees because they were carrying out company business by conducting this contest. [55] In October 2016, the FCC designated Entercom's license renewal for KDND for hearing, disputing whether the station had operated in the public interest over its previous license term, spanning from 2005 to 2013. (provided by Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger). "She said, 'Oh, my God. If the injury caused by the employee is simply one of the risks of the business, the employer will have to bear the responsibility. Trending News [38][39][40], On January 15, 2007, the front page of KDND's website was replaced with a message from John Geary, the station's vice-president and general manager, expressing sympathies to Strange's family and announcing that the Morning Rave program would be taken off the air indefinitely. [45] The Stranges urged the FCC to shut down the station and punish Entercom. "Not with water," a male disc jockey replied. In a statement, Entercom called Strange's death "a tragedy" and said it respected the jury's decision. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As part of KDND's "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest, Jennifer drank bottle after bottle of water for hours without urinating. 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. She was reported to have drunk about seven quarts (6-1/2 liters) of water in a bid to win the Wii for her children. In fact, Carrington's case came up on Friday. "Sports drinks fight water intoxication." According to witness reports, Strange, who placed second in the contest, may have drunk nearly 2 U.S. gallons (7.6L). TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Please enter a legal issue and/or a location, (city, Billy Strange said she is truly her mother's daughter, a comfort to the entire family. Why can't you take in as much water as you want?". In July 1998, two years after the sale of the station to Entercom (now Audacy, Inc.), the station switched to its final KDND call letters and Top 40/CHR format branded as 107.9 The End. She consumed massive amounts of water, developed severe headaches, seizures, coma and died within 24 hours. Because as tragic as Strange's death was, other contestants on Friday were nearly as ill. "No one was more sick than anyone else," Campos says. A 28-year-old contestant, Jennifer Strange, died of water intoxication hours after taking part in the contest.[31][32]. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.