The Sacramento County coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicated she died of water intoxication. 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. Strange suffered hyponatremia, or acute water intoxication. The radio station, he said, "had the information months in advance that this could cause harm.". 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. } She dropped out of the contest, went home and died about six hours later. The participant who drank the most water without using the bathroom was promised a game console valued at $250. A preliminary autopsy indicated that Jennifer Strange died from water intoxication. No family members were present at a news conference this week calling for the rejection of the stations licence renewal. They told us if you dont feel like you can do this, dont put your health at risk.. The clips above are highlights of the best-of-the . [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. In July 1998, two years after the sale of the station to Entercom (now Audacy, Inc . [17], In the early 1990s, KXOA-FM's popularity began to wane following the launch of competitors in KYMX and KGBY; ratings fell by roughly half from 1990 to 1993. [19] It also dropped its local news coverage. It was not immediately know how much water Strange consumed. Photo: Courtesy of Elidia Campos, This family photo shows Matthew Carrington on his way to his 21st birthday celebration Monday, Nov. 22, 2004. After drinking two gallons and becoming one of two final participants, according to witness reports, Strange began to feel ill and had to quit. In other words, the employer will generally be liable if the employee was doing his or her job, carrying out company business, or otherwise acting on the employer's behalf when the incident took place. 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. However, this rule only applies if the employee is acting within the course and scope of employment. However, because Ms. This page is not available in other languages. "She acted based upon the information she had," Dreyer said, calling the ruling "vindication for Jennifer." On Thursday, Sacramento County jurors 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 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. 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. The game console sells for about $250. After downing some six liters of water in three hours in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" (Nintendo game console) contest, Jennifer Strange vomited, went home with a splitting headache, and died from . 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. [37], After the contest, Strange spoke to a co-worker by telephone, indicating she was on her way home and in extreme pain, suffering from what appeared to be an intense headache. KDND (107.9 MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States.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. She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids.. They were heckling her. The Sacramento Bee released audio clips from the morning show indicating that the disc jockeys were aware of the death of Matthew Carrington by water intoxication. Ran on: 06-04-2005 "The biggest thing that got most of us was all of the phone calls that came in," she said. 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. The co-worker contacted Strange's mother, who went to her home an hour later to find her daughter dead. C.W. There was no way I could make a rational decision, especially with people egging you on.". Two media watchdog groups are challenging the license renewal of the station held financially responsible for the water intoxication death of the young mother . 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. She was found dead at her home about five hours later. [4] The experiment was undone the next year, and KCNW returned to being KXOA-FM. Strange had showed fellow. This 10-year journey to the loss of a valuable broadcasting license in such a prominent market is not surprising, given the facts. A wrongful death lawsuit was announced on January 18 on behalf of Strange's husband and three children against Entercom and KDND's operating subsidiary Entercom Sacramento LLC. Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Well, here's another good one. 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. The Strange family was represented by prominent Sacramento attorney Roger A. Dreyer of the firm of Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham, LLP. about FindLaws newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. [13] Art Schroeder, the KXOA-FM program director during this period, credited the "safe" approach with attracting many listeners not wishing to hear punk rock. 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. [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. According to the AP, Jennifer Strange, a mother of three children, died of acute water intoxication. Initially, contestants were handed eight-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes. The DJs also joked about Strange's distended belly, joking that she looked three months pregnant. 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. [30], On January 12, 2007, KDND's morning show, the Morning Rave, held an on-air contest entitled Hold Your Wee for a Wii, in which contestants were asked to drink as much water as they could without urinating. Meanwhile, the lawsuits are likely to stretch from here to the top of the Sierra. And if you found their antics mean and offensive, maybe you just weren't cool enough to get the joke. Strange, who told Campos she was feeling "terrible," died from water intoxication. [60], KDND's format and The End branding were re-located to sister station KUDL at 9:00a.m. on February 6 (the last song before the move was "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara). FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. 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. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, was among 18 people who entered the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition. 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. [21] The Arrow format challenged KSEG (96.9 FM) and KHYL (101.1 FM). The disc jokeys themselves had raised that possibility during the show. [58][59] The next day, Entercom announced that KDND would cease operations effective February 8 and that its license would be terminated and returned to the FCC. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Strange finished second among 18 contestants, and complained that her head hurt and she felt lightheaded when dropping out of the contest. Delivered Wednesdays. A Nintendo Wii video game was the prize for winning the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest. Station Vice President and General Manager John Geary issued a statement of sympathy on Tuesday. [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. All references to the Morning Rave program and associated DJs were removed from the KDND website. [2] The construction permit was granted on December 19, 1945, but changes in program planning and technical adjustments in the early days of the present 88108MHz band meant that the station debuted at 102.9MHz in June 1947 before being moved to 107.9MHz within months. As the contestants dropped out, it became clear that some of them were having serious health problems. 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. "I thought it was just water," Campos says, "that it would just flush out my body. [10][11], In 1974, the Browns bought DrakeChenault's half of KXOA-FM. Over the next month, the jury heard testimony from over 41 witnesses as 192 exhibits were entered into evidence. Contestants also said that as the contest progressed, they were given increasingly larger quantities of water to drink. [12] The station re-branded as Super Stereo K108, featuring Top 40 music and album-oriented rock (AOR) at night. The show's DJs called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii.". "[42] However, Deborah Hoffman of KXTV reported that former prosecutor Bill Portanova commented that "the radio station has some serious liability exposure", due in part to widespread news coverage of the Matthew Carrington case two years earlier. 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. Jan. 16, 2007. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/212558 ,3_1_EL16_A7WATER_S1.article, Miner, Josh. The exact amount of water intake that can lead to water intoxication is unknown and varies with each individual. 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. Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit denied, U.S. to let Afghan evacuees renew temporary legal status, Tornado hits Virginia Beach, likely damaging hundreds of homes. The prize was a Wii video game, worth $250, going to the person who drank most water without peeing. As part of KDND's "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest, Jennifer drank bottle after bottle of water for hours without urinating. 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. He is currently a metro columnist, appearing on Tuesdays, Thursdays andSaturdays. A Sacramento radio stunt gone gone bad will cost the radio station and its parent company $16.57 million. Strange, 28, was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by seeing how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. The same day, the station announced that it had fired 10 staff members, including the five hosts of the "Morning Rave," which was canceled. "We totally had a moment together," says Campos, 33. A Nintendo Wii video game was the prize for winning the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest. [2] Brown responded by hiring a new operations manager, Don Daniels, from WOMC in Detroit. [46] In August, two of the KDND DJs, Adam "Lukas" Cox and Steve Maney, sued Entercom over a wrongful termination of their contract. 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. Midway through the contest, he said, the amount of water given to the participants was doubled. 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. [63] This special also culminated with "Bye Bye Bye" by N'Sync. ", But the DJs at KDND-FM apparently figured that was her problem, wasn't it? [33][34] Some later remarked on the physical discomfort they suffered during and following the event. display: block; Contact us. "I had cold sweats, my head hurt, and I can't even guess how many times I threw up on the way home," Campos says. 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. [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. Initially, Jennifer seemed to be having fun, joking lightheartedly with the radio hosts and obligingly downing an 8-ounce bottle of water every 15 minutes. [20] The format did not improve KXOA's ratings; on March 25, 1994, the station flipped to a classic hits format branded as Arrow 108, adapted from Los Angeles' KCBS-FM. That triggered two others to throw up, although it didn't help when one of the DJs made retching sounds to encourage heaving. The contest, which was held in January 2007, was to see which contestant could drink the most water without going to the bathroom. What happens to First Republic Bank's stock and deposits now? As a result, sodium helps regulate blood pressure and maintain the signals that let muscles operate properly, among other things. 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. She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.. Strange's death was held to have been caused by the negligence of contest operators who wereacting within the scope of their employment, the corporation must answer to the victim's family. My bladder couldnt handle it anymore, he added. All rights reserved. [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. Campos wonders if she somehow could have intervened when Strange became very ill. As a sports columnist, he climbed the ski jump at the Norway Olympics,ate bee larvae in Japan and skied in the French Alps. Nevius has been a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 20 years, covering sports, reviewing movies and spotting trends. MedlinePlus Encyclopedia. KDND (107.9MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. I feel so awful, I'm about to pass out.' 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. "We believe that people are constantly told we should drink water. $3 million fentanyl shipment to Maine restaurant prompts arrest Once the contest was narrowed down to two, Strange and the eventual winner, Lucy Davidson, were brought into the studio. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Jennifer Strange, 28, died after drinking over two gallons of water in Sacramento radio station 107.9 The End's "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest. NOV. 22, 2004 FAMILY PHOTO, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, Klay Thompson calls Warriors-Lakers series 'a dream come true', Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, 11 gadgets to boost your WFH productivity, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). "Like, a nurse called.". The FCC auctioned the frequency in 2021; iHeartMedia won the bidding, and KSTE-FM (now KZIS) began broadcasting on May 4, 2022. After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink. NYPD officer Troy Patterson dies 33 years after being shot in robbery [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". (AP Photo/California Department of Motor Vehicles via the Sacramento Bee) ** ** UNDATED PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, Elidia Campos, shown with her son, Israel, sat next to Jennifer Strange during the water-drinking contest on Sacramento radio station KDND. JANUARY 25--The family of the California woman who died from water intoxication after trying to win a video game console in a radio . Electrolytes are simply salt ions (atoms with an overall positive or negative charge) that cells use to move fluids and nerve messages into and out of cells and throughout the body. 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. [27] Management ultimately decided that the format was simply too similar to that station. [24] KXOA was sold to Entercom, which simultaneously acquired KSEG and KRXQ (93.7 FM) from Jacor Communications;[25] the two purchases, totaling $65million, gave Entercom a trio of rock-oriented radio stations. Alex told police he acted in self-defense when he shot Charles, according to body cam footage released by the Chandler. 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. Strange had showed fellow contestants photographs of her two sons and daughter, for whom she was hoping to win the Nintendo Wii. In January 2007, hours after competing in a radio station contest to win a Nintendo Wii, 28-year-old Jennifer Strange was found dead in her California home. A work colleague said Ms Strange had reported her head . You would be surprised by the amount of people who die yearly from . Strange may have drunk nearly two gallons, witnesses said. } 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". "She must have been there for an hour with her teeth chattering. They talked about their kids, watched a video on Campos' DVD player, and commiserated about how terrible they felt. Carnyx Group Ltd 2022 | The Drum is a Registered Trademark and property of Carnyx Group Limited. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "We were so out of it, so disoriented. To listen to conversations between the DJs and Jennifer Strange. Jennifer Lea Strange, 28, entered and she and other contestants vomited. [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. / CBS News. (provided by Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger). 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. Strange, a mother of three, took part in the contest hoping to win the system for her children, according to reports. ZIP Matthew Carrington was finishing a monthslong process to rush Chi Tau fraternity when he died. Brain cells are constrained by the skull and can end up bursting with the pressure of the water they are taking in. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. What was the cause of Jennifer Strange Death? 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. Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story Not that anyone at the station seemed concerned. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. He also wrote about riding the Straight Talk Express with JohnMcCain during his first presidential bid, parachuting out of anairplane and running the Boston Marathon. A coroner ruled that her death was due to water intoxication. The prize was a Wii video game, worth $250, going to the person who drank most water without peeing. 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, "She was in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition trying to win a Nintendo Wii video game system." Question: CHALLENGE #5: HOLD YOUR WEE FOR A WII A California woman died over the weekend after participating in a "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" radio promotion. Arkansas woman indicted for selling stolen body parts to Pennsylvania man Because, as many of us in the Bay Area learned two years ago, an excess of water creates a physical shutdown.

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