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People like these DJ's & their staff should be treated to a dose of thumb screws 
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The radio station disc jockeys who hosted an on-air water-drinking contest knew drinking too much water quickly could be fatal but dismissed the concerns with juvenile jokes, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday by the family of a contestant.
Jennifer Lea Strange, a mother of three, died Jan. 12 hours after drinking as much as two gallons of water in the on-air promotion to win a video game console.
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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 disc jockeys on KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" program called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii."
The Sacramento-area station fired 10 employees after Strange's death.
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At one point, a listener who identified herself as a nurse called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt could be fatal, according to an audio tape of the broadcast.
"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 lawsuit claims that Strange never signed a liability waiver. Instead, the form merely granted the station permission to use the contest in its promotional materials, said the family's attorney, Roger Dreyer.
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Like most California radio stations, KDND's broadcasting license expired Dec. 1, 2005. The station's renewal application is still pending, according to FCC records. The FCC could fine the station or deny its application for renewal if it finds wrongdoing.
Jennifer Lea Strange, a mother of three, died Jan. 12 hours after drinking as much as two gallons of water in the on-air promotion to win a video game console.
>
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 disc jockeys on KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" program called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii."
The Sacramento-area station fired 10 employees after Strange's death.
>
At one point, a listener who identified herself as a nurse called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt could be fatal, according to an audio tape of the broadcast.
"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 lawsuit claims that Strange never signed a liability waiver. Instead, the form merely granted the station permission to use the contest in its promotional materials, said the family's attorney, Roger Dreyer.
>
Like most California radio stations, KDND's broadcasting license expired Dec. 1, 2005. The station's renewal application is still pending, according to FCC records. The FCC could fine the station or deny its application for renewal if it finds wrongdoing.