"I thought it was just water," Campos says, "that it would just flush out my body. code or county). A Nintendo Wii video game was the prize for winning the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest. Although he reviewedmovies only for a year, he did rate a blurb with his byline on the DVD boxof The Santa Clause 2, to the undying embarrassment of his kids. She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids.. IE 11 is not supported. However, the Federal Communications Commission has not acted in any way., Kevin Geary, a spokesman for KDNDs parent , Entercom Communications, said the events in 2007 were tragic. "It was a preventable thing," Billy Strange told "Good Morning America" today of his wife's 2007 death from water toxicity. Strange was found dead Friday, January 12, 2007, hours after the contest. [2] For most of this time, KXOA simulcast the AM station, which since its launch had been an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System. 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. 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. Before the song was finished, KDND's transmitter was shut down on February 8 at 12:01a.m., bringing a close to the nearly 70-year history of the station. I just can't stop thinking about it.". [48] On September 14, jury selection in the wrongful death case began at the Sacramento County Superior Court's main courthouse in the city of Sacramento. "We totally had a moment together," says Campos, 33. The station first signed on in 1947 as KXOA-FM, an FM simulcast of AM station KXOA, before separating itself with distinct programming, including most prominently soft rock, adult contemporary, and classic hits formats. "How can someone die from drinking too much water?" [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. Alex told police he acted in self-defense when he shot Charles, according to body cam footage released by the Chandler. Both stations were then sold to Producers, Inc., of Milwaukee for $500,000 in 1963. The Sacramento Media Group and the Media Action Center will file legal challenges with the US Federal Communications Commission before the Nov. 1 deadline to contest the stations pending eight-year broadcast license renewal. No family members were present at a news conference this week calling for the rejection of the stations licence renewal. 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. Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from suspected water intoxication after coming second. "At this time," it said, "we would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Jennifer Strange. Ten minutes later, they had to drink another. Strange apparently died from drinking too much water too quickly, resulting in a condition called water intoxication. The participant who . Ms Strange, a mother-of-three, had taken part in radio station KDND 107.9's "hold your wee for a Wii" contest, in a bid to win a Nintendo Wii video games system. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, died on January 12 after drinking almost two gallons of water while taking part in a giveaway contest sponsored by Sacramento's KDND-FM. display: none; Though the defense argued that Strange should have accepted some responsibility in knowing that drinking so much water was dangerous, Billy Strange's attorney Roger Dreyer told "GMA" that she acted as any normal person would have in those circumstances. Four members of the Chi Tau fraternity pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm, "Hyponatremia." [28], At noon on July 14, 1998, Entercom made a move that general manager John Geary admitted should have occurred a year prior and flipped KXOA to Top 40/CHR as 107.9 The End with new KDND call letters. If it's caught early, treatment with IV fluids containing electrolytes can lead to a complete recovery; but untreated, hyponatremia is fatal. The Sacramento County coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicated she died of water intoxication. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old from Northern California, died in 2007 after participating in a radio station's contest called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii," in which contestants drank large. "I asked her, 'How do you feel?' Strange was one of the original 20 contestants who were put in a room with one DJ separate from the studio where they could not hear on-air comments or callers. [14], After KXOA-FM was among several stations affected by the rapid rise of KZAP (98.5 FM) at the start of the 1980s,[15] the station pivoted to a soft adult contemporary format using the K108 moniker, remaining successful throughout the decade and leading the market in ratings and revenue in the mid-1980s. Told by another DJ that "We got a guy who's just about to die," one of the jocks had a quick response. It seemed a great wheeze at the time - a radio contest called Hold Your Wee for a Wii" . Sacramento sheriff's spokesman Sgt. In July 1998, two years after the sale of the station to Entercom (now Audacy, Inc . [2] In early 1971, the station flipped to oldies, and after a brief dalliance with progressive rock known as "Earth Rock", the oldies format returned in 1973. [37] On January 17, the Los Angeles Times reported that Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness had ordered homicide detectives to investigate whether a crime had been committed. Entercom stated that "it is in the company's best interests to voluntarily turn in the KDND license to facilitate the timely FCC approvals for the planned combination with CBS Radio". Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story [23] Not even two weeks later, ARS acquired EZ Communications, which owned two FM and one AM stations in the market. [28][29] In January 1999, the KXOA call letters, as well as the Arrow format and branding, were recycled by the former KRAK-FM at 93.7MHz, replacing an ailing classic country station. Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story, NYPD officer Troy Patterson dies 33 years after being shot in robbery, Supreme Court to hear case that could curb power of federal agencies, The weirdest items passengers leave behind in Ubers, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo found dead at 46, Arkansas woman indicted for selling stolen body parts to Pennsylvania man, DNA solves "decades-old mystery" after woman's remains found in 1995, $3 million fentanyl shipment to Maine restaurant prompts arrest. asked the female disc jockey. 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. Meanwhile, the lawsuits are likely to stretch from here to the top of the Sierra. October 30, 2009 / 9:58 AM Matthew Carrington of Pleasant Hill died after drinking huge amounts of water while pledging. 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. Not that anyone at the station seemed concerned. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { #inline-recirc-item--id-d4637c66-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Known as, "The End" 107.9, the station was hosting a "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest, asking people to drink as much water as they could to win the prize. The condition is quite rare in the general population, but in distance athletics, it's a known risk and is often avoided by drinking sports drinks instead of water during training and events. And, as the name implies, the players could not use the restroom. her family is suing the company that owns the. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Sodium is a positively charged ion, and its role in the body is to circulate the fluids outside of cells. 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. The game console sells for about $250. Entercom Sacramento LLC was found to be 100% at fault for Strange's death while Entercom Communications was found to be 0% at fault. Tim Curran said Wednesday that the department feels that it has enough information to begin an investigation. This is a carousel. [4] The experiment was undone the next year, and KCNW returned to being KXOA-FM. By the time she left the station she might as well have been drunk, a doctor testified in her trial earlier this week. Drinking fluids made to replace electrolytes can help prevent intoxication. Strange had showed fellow contestants photographs of her two sons and daughter, for whom she was hoping to win the Nintendo Wii. Symptoms of water intoxication actually look a lot like the symptoms of alcohol intoxication, including nausea, altered mental state, and vomiting. 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. 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. At the time of the incident, Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento said Strange "said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.". In fact, Carrington's case came up on Friday. When a person dies from hyponatremia as a result of water intoxication, the initiating factor is a severe sodium imbalance that causes massive cell damage. "Sports drinks fight water intoxication." Most Relevant is selected, so some comments may have been filtered out. 18 January 2007. Strange, a mother of three, took part in the contest hoping to win the system for her children, according to reports. a Nintendo Wii video . Ran on: 02-08-2005 display: block; "She must have been there for an hour with her teeth chattering. "The biggest thing that got most of us was all of the phone calls that came in," she said. 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. Cal State Chico student Matthew Carrington, 21, of Pleasant Hill, collapsed and died of heart failure after members of a fraternity forced him to drink excessive amounts of water while he performed calisthenics during a hazing ritual on Feb. 2, 2005. 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. Now the Sacramento radio station could lose its licence. A preliminary autopsy indicated that Jennifer Strange, 28, died from water intoxication after participating in KDND-FM 107.9's on-air "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest Friday. The then-chief of enforcement for the FCC stated to the Sacramento Bee that the motive was financial and that Entercom would likely have fought had a merger not been planned. 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. [49] On October 29, 2009, after a week of deliberations, the jury awarded the survivors of Jennifer Strange the sum of $16,577,118 in monetary damages. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. [37], The Associated Press reported that the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman said no officers were investigating the death and that, "It was a contest and people are saying there was no coercion. Carnyx Group Ltd 2022 | The Drum is a Registered Trademark and property of Carnyx Group Limited. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old Rancho Cordova, Calif. mother of three, died of acute water intoxication in January, 2007 after the challenge to see which contestant could drink the most water without using the restroom. The results of a preliminary . I just assumed that because it was a contest, everything would be checked out.". After drinking two gallons and becoming one of two final participants, according to witness reports, Strange began to feel ill and had to quit. This page is not available in other languages. (provided by Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger). "Maybe we should have researched this before," the female disc jockey added. ", "Oh, it hurts," Strange said, while one male disc jockey remarked that she looked pregnant and another, a woman, said "That is so funny.". KDND (107.9MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's studios. John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station's. After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink. [8] The sale became effective at the start of 1971; the FM retained the call sign,[2] while the AM became known as KNDE. . 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. None of the contestants had any idea what they had gotten themselves into. John Geary, vice president and general manager of Entercom/Sacramento, the parent company of KDND, sent an e-mail to reporters Tuesday stating that "effective immediately, the 'Morning Rave' program is canceled and 10 employees are no longer with the station.". It was, in short, typical dumbbell morning radio, featuring the kind of stupid stunts and heckling that have raised ratings on stations across the nation. [3], In 1961, Cal-Val experimented with splitting the AM and FM stations, changing the FM to a country format as KCNW. They told us if you dont feel like you can do this, dont put your health at risk.. about FindLaws newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. On September 25, 1945, Lincoln Dellar, who had signed on KXOA (1470 AM) on May 20 of that year,[1] applied to the FCC to build a new FM radio station in Sacramento, originally specifying 95.9MHz as the frequency. JANUARY 25--The family of the California woman who died from water intoxication after trying to win a video game console in a radio . Well, here's another good one. You would be surprised by the amount of people who die yearly from . 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. Chronic dehydration is linked to higher incidences of some . [62] As the station's final program, a farewell special aired at 11:30p.m. on the 7th, hosted by former afternoon DJ Chris K, playing music from the End's 18-year history. Employer Liability for Employee's Bad Acts. 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. A mother of three died from water intoxication after a radio station drinking competition, a California coroner said on Saturday. [35] At one point, a nurse contacted the station and informed the DJs that the contest could be dangerous and potentially fatal. [33][34] Some later remarked on the physical discomfort they suffered during and following the event. CNN.com. A rather strange bit of news has leaked out today about a radio station in California. They tried to drink as much water as they could without urinating in a bid to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console. "Those people that are drinking all that water can get sick and possibly die from water intoxication," Brooks said, to which disc jockeys replied they "were aware of that" and that contestants had signed a release "so we're not responsible.". At the time of the incident, Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of . They were heckling her. Water intoxication is basically one form of hyponatremia -- the condition can also be caused by excessive sweating, severe burns, prolonged dehydration and certain liver and kidney problems, among other diseases and conditions. Jennifer Strange had taken part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" game run by KDND 107.9 radio in Sacramento, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii. Once the contest was narrowed down to two, Strange and the eventual winner, Lucy Davidson, were brought into the studio. Cause of Death Confirmed as "Water Intoxication" A 28-year-old woman has died after taking part in [radio station] The End 107.9's "water drinking contest". $3 million fentanyl shipment to Maine restaurant prompts arrest A 28-year-old contestant, Jennifer Strange, died of water intoxication hours after taking part in the contest.[31][32]. During the contest, participants were given two minutes to drink an 8-ounce bottle of water and then given another bottle to drink after a 10-minute break. [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". 82K views 13 years ago Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly discuss the "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" contest from 2007, in which Jennifer Strange died. 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. In that contest, a woman died, Wilson said. 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The prize was a Wii video game, worth $250, going to the person who drank most water without peeing. Trending News All rights reserved. Because, as many of us in the Bay Area learned two years ago, an excess of water creates a physical shutdown. 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. Contestants had to drink as much water as they could without going to the bathroom. [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 complaint, which does not specify monetary damages, include a number of on-air statements made by radio station personnel, including one DJ who noted that they should have 'researched' water intoxication before conducting the contest. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include thirst, dizziness, fainting, headaches, low blood-pressure, fatigue, low to no urine output, and, in extreme cases, loss of consciousness and death. If the injury caused by the employee is simply one of the risks of the business, the employer will have to bear the responsibility. A Sacramento radio stunt gone gone bad will cost the radio station and its parent company $16.57 million. "We believe that people are constantly told we should drink water. ", But the DJs at KDND-FM apparently figured that was her problem, wasn't it? Another joke. (Andthe strangest place of all, Los Angeles.). 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. Water intoxication: When a person drinks large quantities of water rapidly, the normal balance of electrolytes in the body can be diluted to the point that brain function is disturbed, leading to. 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. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Julia Layton 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. On January 12, 2007, several contestants gathered, including Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three. Also, when a caller who identified herself as a nurse warned that contestants could face illness or death, an on-air personality replied, 'Yeah, they signed releases so we're not responsible so it's okay.' What was the cause of Jennifer Strange Death? reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [9] Drake-Chenault moved the station to Loma Vista Drive off Fulton Avenue. 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. The same day, the station announced that it had fired 10 staff members, including the five hosts of the "Morning Rave," which was canceled. The result is that cells desperately try to increase the sodium concentration in body fluids by taking in tremendous amounts of water. The contest began around 6:45a.m. as contestants were each handed 240 mL (8oz) water bottles to drink at 15-minute intervals. Strange, who told Campos she was feeling "terrible," died from water intoxication. }, First published on October 30, 2009 / 9:58 AM. 4 min. The participant who drank the most water without using the bathroom was promised a game console valued at $250. The FCC ruled that Stolz's arguments had no merit and that he was not a party of interest in the dispute between Media Action Center and Entercom that led to the license revocation hearing. It was not immediately know how much water Strange consumed. The jury also found that Strange was 0% at fault (that is, there was no contributory negligence) for her own death. According to preliminary autopsy reports, Ms. Strange suffered hyponatremia, or acute water intoxication. [26] The combination of rock stations proved a problem for differentiating them and even resulted in changes in airstaff at stablemate KSEG. The FCC auctioned the frequency in 2021; iHeartMedia won the bidding, and KSTE-FM (now KZIS) began broadcasting on May 4, 2022. Wilson said a jury had held the radio station liable for Stranges death, but the FCC has shown "no inclination" to go after its broadcast license despite calls from the victims family for sanctions against the station. 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. [63] This special also culminated with "Bye Bye Bye" by N'Sync. A Californian woman who took part in a water-drinking contest to win a video game system has died of water intoxication, tests have shown. The station's "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" challenge awarded the game system to the contestant who could drink the most water without having to take a trip to the bathroom. But the contest went ahead with a host laughing and asking, Is anyone dying in there?. Strange (pictured above in a family portrait) was awarded two tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert as a consolation prize. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle weakness and convulsions. Jennifer Lea Strange, 28, entered and she and other contestants vomited. "Like, a nurse called.". Delivered Wednesdays. All references to the Morning Rave program and associated DJs were removed from the KDND website. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle weakness and convulsions. 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. You've probably heard the term electrolyte before, whether in reference to sports drinks (which provide electrolytes in addition to fluids) or to certain conditions, such as bulimia or diarrhea, that cause dangerous "electrolyte imbalances" in the body. And if you found their antics mean and offensive, maybe you just weren't cool enough to get the joke. 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. (10 pages), Drunk Floridian killed bird with Glock pistol, police charge. The hosts can be heard joking on an audiotape of Friday's show about how Strange's stomach was distended from drinking nearly 2 gallons of water, and they teased her and other contestants because they did not "look so good.". Are those guys zany and irreverent or what? She consumed massive amounts of water, developed severe headaches, seizures, coma and died within 24 hours. C.W. A preliminary investigation found evidence consistent with a water intoxication death, said assistant Coroner Ed Smith. DNA solves "decades-old mystery" after woman's remains found in 1995 During its existence, the Browns bought back KNDE and returned it to the fold as KXOA, to air a harder AOR mix. ", No, actually, he wasn't. By early 1975, the station had shifted to a soft AOR format, which would be successful throughout the remaining half of the 1970s. The hosts of KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" were fired Tuesday, a day after the station said it was suspending the show and investigating the death of Jennifer Lea Strange. [2] Brown responded by hiring a new operations manager, Don Daniels, from WOMC in Detroit. "We were so out of it, so disoriented. Jan. 16, 2007. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/212558 ,3_1_EL16_A7WATER_S1.article, Miner, Josh. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. 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.