Reuters: ten fired after radio contest death

[Ric Werme]

> According to Reuters, on-air DJs conducted the 
> contest even though they were aware of -- and made jokes about -- a 
> previous water-drinking fatality case.

I first heard about water intoxication only a few years ago in a child
abuse case in Utah that got a fair amount of attention,
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,630152910,00.html.  While looking
for that story, I found
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/103/6/1292
written by a San Francisco pediatrician and Stockton District Attorney.
It describes a fairly old case, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's
still locally well known.

On one hand, a "Hold your wee for a Wii" sounds little more than yet
another stupid stunt.  Continuing with it after being warned of the
dangers sounds like negligent homicide to me.  One news item I read
said they didn't expect a criminal investigation, I wouldn't be
surprised if that changed.

From: "Bill O'Neill" <me@billoneill.us>
> Join a cheesy radio contest and then die. The sad thing about the ten 
> staffers who were booted down the stairs?  There will be ten more Mensa 
> candidates taking their places.

Careful - there's at least one Mensan on this list :-), and I worked with
another who had a weekend folk show for quite a while, I think on WBUR.  He
was more focused on music than stupid stunts, but folk show hosts tend to be
like that.  Perhaps you meant members of Densa.

     -Ric Werme