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Radio Station May Lose License After Death In “Hold Your Wee For A Wii” Contest

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A rather strange bit of news has leaked out today about a radio station in California. In 2007, Jennifer Lea Strange died after participating in “Hold Your Wee For A Wii,” a contest held by the Morning Rave show on KDND in Sacramento that required contestants to drink as much water as possible without urinating, in order to win a Nintendo Wii console. The management and crew of Morning Rave were fired, and $16,577,188 in damages were eventually awarded against the station in a lawsuit, but no further ramifications took place. Now, KDND may lose their broadcast license, as media watchdog groups The Sacramento Media Group and Media Action Center are bringing legal action to the US Federal Communications Commission to block the renewal of the license.

Before the contest was held in 2007, a nurse phoned into the station to warn that contestants could die from water contamination, however, the station’s hosts responded with laughter and joked about the possibility. Several contestants vomited during the event, with Strange dropping out and going home, only to die several hours later. In 2009, Sue Wilson, founder of the Media Action Center and a vocal critic of KDND, produced a documentary about the entire incident called “Broadcast Blues”, and remains indignant, going on record as saying “In that contest, a woman died, [yet] the Federal Communications Commission has not acted in any way.”

The deadline to appeal KDND’s license is November 1st.

203 thoughts on “Radio Station May Lose License After Death In “Hold Your Wee For A Wii” Contest”

    1. I remember hearing that the woman who died was a mother who couldn’t afford a wii and her kids really wanted one so she jumped at the chance. If that’s true then I guess we cant really call her stupid or even ignorant, I mean she was doing something for her kids which is honorable. The majority of people don’t know about water intoxication and she was just one of those people.

        1. Imagine she won but she could not hold on her pee their kids go to school and start bragging about the wii kids that did had one would target them for the worst name calling and bullies making her sacrifice in vain.

      1. heroponluigi,I don’t think it was just about the money.I was the fact you couldn’t find wii’s any were for the first year and a half or more.I was in line for over 12 hours it was 20 degree’s and I was outside on black friday the week after launch.And that Gamestop only ended up having 3 wii’s there was almost a riot. But I was first in line and I’m BIG.When the dick head manager showed up he said we have 3 fight it out as he walked in. I could have killed the bastard for that.The other 100 plus people were shit out of luck.It was crazy then and only got worse in the week’s that followed before Xmas.Never again will I do something like that it’s not worth not at all.

    2. Did she at least win?I wonder how many day’s it took the kid’s to notice mom rotting in the corner.Being they were likely to busy playing wii sport’s.lol To soon? Sorry that was in bad taste I just couldn’t help myself.Shame on me!

  1. The stupid things people will do to save a couple of dollars. There are retards everywhere from this guys to the retards that would stab someone for a console.

    1. How are they retards? It seemed like a fun contest to partake in so they decided “Why not?”. Are you stupid for wanting to enter a contest? To save what was back then $250 – $800 since it was really hard to find in the first year.

      1. Anything that’s self degrading is stupid the only thing that’s could save someone from that is if it was something important like money to pay a mortgage and you have no other way to get it.

            1. Depends on what type of saving my life is in need for…

              I would only do anything to save myself if I it was 100% I’d die or be held captive…

              Thank darkness I’m…

              -Communication interupted-

          1. The problem is no one thought it was dangerous. Even after the nurse called in, no one “actually” believed her. The radio show should have done research before doing a contest that could involve bodily harm. If they did then they never would have held the contest, because clearly it is very dangerous.

        1. How is drinking as much water as you can without peeing degrading? In anyway? I wouldn’t partake cause I know about water intoxication, but I wouldn’t mind chugging like a half a gallon of water lets say or something faster than someone else, and I certainly wouldn’t feel degraded.

          1. The degrading part is that they make the competition expecting that people where goin to pee themselves and those that where competing new that was goin to happen.

    1. “Now, KDND may lose their broadcast license, as media watchdog groups The Sacramento Media Group and Media Action Center are bringing legal action to the US Federal Communications Commission to block the renewal of the license.”

      There, I did the reading for you.

    2. Raymond….the news site knows this happened 6 years ago. The article is about what will happen to the radio show in a couple of DAYS! After 6 long years the show may finally lose it’s license. Why don’t you read the article before criticizing it.

    3. Retard, its regarding that news station TODAY that would lose its license because of that incident.

      Learn how to read to a book or let alone, a freaking single paragraph story.

    1. Neither was a ps3 at launch and people got stabbed for buying one and walking to their cars. They are even worst cases.

            1. Easy, people do stupid things to get a wiiu like put their live at risk and other stupid people dared to kill people for a ps3. Both are retards and a disgrace to gaming.

                  1. Jews are not smart because they are Jews they are smart cuz from very little they are given a Strict education from the beginning.

                    1. Big 3 arent overrated

                      Jews always get everything for very little, look what happened to Mel Gibson after Passion of Christ. It was just his view and jews managed to tarnish Gibsons name, probably because they were jealous for the amount of money Gibson made with that movie.

                    2. @ big 3 everyone can have have anything if they or their family works hard for ir. If Mel Gibson did not had to do anything to have what he got then someone from his family did and worked hard so he did not have to. If you don’t have anything you should blame your family and yoursefl for it and nit having do better.

        1. no it was a good console to make fun off. also a pretty good one to shit on and light on fire……ma shity console indeed. (bites pipe) yes quite.

            1. it should be….. the saturn is also shit. also voice of reason is really that uneducated to not know what you ment by the wii was overall the worst console…… uuuhhh wow. as in the ps3 ended up being the best from the worst and wii was just a crappy gimmicked infested console with hardly any good games till the end. the wii was overall the worst console and ps3 ended up really good after a few years. there you go voice of reason. more like voice of the uneducated.

            2. Wii is my second favorite console. Second only to the glorious Game cube. Third favorite console is the N64, but after the Wii U’s lifespan I bet the Wii U will be my number 1!

                1. Well if I had an N64 clearly I started around 1996, but seeing as I was born in 94, I probably started in the year 2000 or 2001. So not quite 2008..

        2. I have a wii and a PS3 and I hardly ever use my PS3. I don’t think either system was special. And I won’t even mention that other system. Out of wii and PS3 though I honestly have far more use for my wii than my PS3. PS3 has become my blu ray player and thats about it. If only they did Twisted Metal properly……

          1. Ott,Twisted metal was great imo.And have you even tryed ps3’s The last of us it’s the best game to come around in years.The ps3 had so many great games.Maybe you just don’t like games anymore.Oh and the wii has a ton of fun games to.Your expectations are way to high if nether the wii or ps3 had games you like.Time you find another hobby me thinks.lol And there is no point in you buying ps4 or wii u.Don’t waste your $ you none a gamer!Why on earth are you even on a gaming site?Go watch a movie.Games are not your thing.

      1. Look, it’s just my opinion. I really dislike the Wii, Nintendo could have done better.

        And what do you mean don’t become the sites jew? Does is bother you or something?

            1. Because i dont like Jews and what they are trying to do for non jews? Ok then have fun in world which turns around jews.

              1. hey look its my biggest fan!! you are probably so sad that you cry every night in your pillow all over criticism over a plastic box by some guy with a made up name on the internet.

        1. I liked the Wii because it brought something fresh to gaming and I loved all the Nintendo games I bought…

          I agree however that the motion technology could have been better and maybe a bit better hardware too…

          I really hope that they mean serious business with the Wii U starting 2014…

            1. to late like you said…. the wii u will end up just like wii, a shit, no 3rd party, gimmick shovelware infested weak console with a crappy online service.

              also the account system….. is the wii u a last gen console?? it sure sounds like it from all the stuff i mentioned about it. the ps3 and 360 didnt have any of those problems, wait till the next gen ones come out.

                1. thats true……. nintendo really has become irrelevant. get that iwata clown and that pizza hut fag outaa heeyyaaa. also the rest of the upper management got to go. the wii u needs to fail because thats the only way nintendo will learn their lesson….. hopefully. we got x, every failed console has one really good game. thats the one. then again when does nintendo learn there lesson??

                  1. im aware of the grammar and spelling errors too. so there you go tough grammar fags. i dont care, another grammar problem uhh darn.

                2. I wish Nintendo allowed you to have profile pics on Miiverse. Not the stupid Miis -_-

                  It would be nice if they did, because really I like the one I have now :(

    2. First of all the Wii was a great system that lost support too early, second, no one knew the future of the Wii at the time of the contest, because this happened right around the launch period the Wii was “the next big thing.” and Third, the people who entered the contest had no idea it was dangerous.

    1. The funny part wasn’t in the “act” it was in the name of the contest. “Hold your Wee for a Wii.” How are Americans dumb for not knowing it was dangerous? Do all the people from wherever you are from know specifically that holding in your urine is dangerous?

        1. The contestants thought it was safe, the radio station did not take proper measures, the Wii was a trending piece of electronic hardware. The contestants were clearly the victims while the radio station is at fault.

    1. Oh MyGod…you didn’t read the article because it ISN’T ABOUT THE CONTEST! IT IS ABOUT THE LEGAL ACTION THAT IS TAKING PLACE 6 YEARS AFTER THE CONTEST!!!!

  2. They should have listened to those doctors. Even i didnt know that you can die for that, so i dont blame those who went on the contest. That station was informed but they ignored just like most american suitsmans.

                1. If U did Ur own research, all of those so-called historians w/so-called proof of Jesus’s existence have been disproven time&time again. Now get back to reading the adventures of a man getting swallowed by a whale&surviving. The Internet’s for the wicked.

  3. it’s called “water intoxication” not “water contamination”

    drink beer instead.. it won’t happen with beer
    and as a bonus you get drunk :)

      1. alcohol poisoning from beer which contains roughly 5% of alcohol? did you ever actually try that? good luck with your attempt ;)

        1. slight correction: alcohol poisoning obviously is the desired effect when drinking alcohol.. even being slightly tipsy qualifies as alcohol poisoning

          what i’m referring to is the state where you end up knocked out on the floor vomiting all over yourself and being generally in pretty bad shape
          try reaching that state with beer .. i know i never have

          1. If you drink 20 beers in an hour then you are at risk of dying of alcohol poisoning. Is it possible?-yes, likely?-no. Also, you can die of water intoxication from beer as well. Not to mention beer is more likely to cause death by asphyxiation due to vomiting while sleeping face up, and death by DWI, etc. So in general water is much safer.

            http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/man-dies-beer-drinking-contest-spain_n_3623496.html

            This man died after drinking 6 liters. It is a bit extreme, but definitely proves the possibility.

            1. cause of death not confirmed/not made public and he was obese on top of that

              not sure what that is supposed to prove

              and since beers are usually isotonic or hypertonic water intoxication is very unlikely to happen with beer

              also this example is absolutely extreme.. that amount in 20 minutes is preposterous.. even if you drink an isotonic non alcoholic beverage this might kill you.. a normal stomach can only hold about 2-3 liters tops.. that man must have had a grossly enlarged stomach

              even 20 beer in 1 hour.. did you ever try that? nigh impossible for any mortal man
              you’ll prolly just vomit before you ever get there

              all i was saying is that if this contest had been held with beer instead of water the contestants might have been pretty drunk.. but all alive
              there’s nothing else to read into my comment

    1. I also blame the radio for inventing a suicide contest even when they were warned of the possibilities and laughed in its face. They pretty much fucking deserve the hammer as such as the other idiots who participated in this.

      In English, both sides are at complete fault.

    1. “dyspepsia” is the accurate term. Water is poisonous to the body if ingested in great quantities over a short period of time (4 liters or more in less than 1 hour)
      Generally speaking, death is caused by electrolyte unbalance. It’s a grim way to buy the farm.

  4. Radio Station is mostly to blame. Nurse called the station, told the dj to stop the contest because the contestants could die. The dj just laughed and hung up. No sense of respect to someone that actually knows about health.

  5. I think that was a stupid idea for a contest to begin with, why not just tell contastants to drink a glass of water and who ever can hold in their wee the longest wins instead of drinking shit tons of Water. Moronic American Radio Hosts

    1. Even if the contest was stupid, it’s certainly not their fault…

      Or do you blame McDonalds like some retards do for getting fat even though they eat there almost everyday?…

      Do you blame the bridge for you falling down to your death?…

      No, only retards blame somebody else for the choices they make…

      1. It is the radio shows’ fault because they failed to mention that the contest was EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!

        It is more like telling a mentally challenged person to stick a knife through their throat to win some candy, the person may not know any better so he or she will do it and will die. Just because the mentally challenged person didn’t know any better doesn’t mean a murder wasn’t committed.

      2. No, it’s their fault for not taking medical advice. They were holding a potentially leathal contest and taking no safety/medical precautions.

        Those example are out of context.
        If McDonalds purposely conceald nutritial facts/values from their customers, then yes, they would be to blame. McD knowing they are eating an unhealthy diet and hiding info/facts of that is not right.
        If the bridge failed, yes, you blame the bridge and it’s owner(s). Or the bridge is hazardous in windy condition, people should be given warning to cross at their own risk or the bridge should be closed until favorable conditions.

        Yes, people make dumb choices. However, they should be given knowledge of the effects of their choices, especially if you are the one providing them of such choices.
        There is a reason why side-effects and warning labels are on medical drugs and even in drug commercials.

        1. Yup,& there’s also a reason why companies like McDs increase the chemicals that make consumers find their food more addictive once more nutritive info’s revealed. Also the reason why most of those warnings, like in cigarette ads, are posted in fine print.

          1. I probably should have left that last part out…Oh well.
            The reason is ‘cuz people found it wrong, thus forced the government to do something(sufficient or not) about it.
            I’m not saying people can’t be blamed, but it’s not OK when companies hide safety/health concerns. Like the radio show not warning the contestants or taking precaution.
            As for small prints and what not, greedy companies seem to always get around laws that get in thier way of max profit.

      3. The Radio Station ignored medical advice from a nurse who told them to stop the contest. They laughed at the nurse, hung up, and later mocked the contestant, saying she looked 3 months pregnant. It’s a good thing those disrespectful idiots got fired.

          1. Same rules apply for those same disrespecting motherfuckers that intentionally disregard medical warnings, laughed at and killed people for a $250 gaming console. As some “commander” who is suppose to be mentally fair in judgement and action, stop trying at defending those assholes in the station. They are mostly at fault for many reasons already forementioned and good for all of them getting their own dumbass selves ruined. I hope the worst is still yet to come into their doorstep after losing their licenses which should’ve been done in the same year.

            But that also doesn’t mean I’m defending the other side who are also idiotic and at fault as much as them for not realizing the potential danger.

            Sorry Commander but you really need to think more logically in situations like this. And bringing up McDonald’s as an example, which they do show nutritional facts on their menus, is completely invalid.

    1. It is sad, but it would be even more sad if the lady killed herself “knowingly.” Which she didn’t. She was an unfortunate victim.

        1. This wasn’t Water Boarding. When U drink too much water, Ur own body tells U when it’s had enough&U start feeling nauseous-the start of water intoxication. She was no victictim, she signed up well aware of consequences&always had the option of quitting.

          1. Just because your body tells you “No” doesn’t mean it is going to kill you! She is a victim, because she didn’t know drinking too much water is dangerous.

            Think of when people go work out. Your muscles get sore and sometimes you feel fatigued and you may vomit, does that mean it will kill you?-No, it is a natural reaction. Perhaps the contestants thought it was a similar reaction in that it hurts, it is a price to pay, but isn’t gonna kill you.

            It is actually a common misconception. A LOT of people don’t undertsand that too much water is lethal. People always use the excuse “but our bodies are made of 75% water so how could “too” much kill us?”

            1. • “Just because your body tells you ‘no’ doesn’t mean it’s going to kill you.”
              *Yeah, I could also silence that part of my brain if I took continuous beatings to the head…

              • Vomiting is indeed a normal reaction (in as much as dropping dead for ignoring signs your body was giving you to stop being an idiot is also)…to something your body considers UN NORMAL or unwelcomed. Shooting lasers from your eyes would NOT be a normal reaction.

              •Fatigue and stress to the point of where you’re vomiting is NOT normal, and it could kill you, which is why you seek professional help when obvious signs appear. Those who keep working through those signs are either doing it for sheer necessity, cheapness, or a mental instability.

              Only idiots think that adding more water to your system than your body can normally get rid of is a bright idea. Not only that, but I’m also sure she was well aware of the hazard of bursting her bladder, which could’ve killed her just as well (unless she had a learning disability). She is not a victim in this; just a participant and is as much to blame as the hosts of this contest.

              1. And again you’re still defending the station who disregard a medical advice on live radio and laughed at both that and the several contestants suffering plus one dead.

                You really should wake the fuck up commander.

            2. that unfortunately is not the case, drinking too much, eating too much, exercising too much, its all common knowledge to know when enough is enough, here is an example in the form of an experiment, take a balloon (average size or so) and make a small hole in it, though it must be deflated, and gradually fill it up with water and a small quantity of water should be leaking from the hole you made, however the amount of water entering the balloon in comparison to the amount leaking from it is very different, now in relation to this woman, she is drinking to much water and her bladder like the balloon cannot release enough water to balance the amount and so after a while the balloon will eventually… pop… and so this is what happened to her bladder, it couldn’t hold that much water, and therefore led to her demise, but as much as the company is to blame for sponsoring this moron fest, she is just as big if not bigger fool for associating herself with them, though she should have asked herself this… “is it worth risking to flood my kidneys and bladder just to win a gaming toy?”

              1. She died of water intoxication, not a burst bladder. She complained of a headache when she got off the show and later died, once in her home.

                1. whatever way it happened she died because of her stupidity, by signing a waver that she would not sue if she suffered in any way, so this means why would they make her sign a waver? they were obviously aware of the possible result, and they were right…

  6. i think they deserve to have it taken. my fist thoughts were “well maybe they didnt jnow” but then i read the part where the nurse called and warned them and they just laughed it off and didnt even consider changing or ending the contest

    1. That’s Sickr trying to demonstrate the comedian side of him. Even though a mother of three died in the process and left her children behind, he still tries to cheer us up. ;)


      LOL!

  7. How could you not fake this? Drink water and take a piss. They didnt have a guy following you around or anything. Just act like you have to pee even though you dont…

  8. The proper use of grammar and punctuation on this site is a perfect reflection of the level of intelligence of the same people who write these comments

      1. these stories always come from america, they take part in something obviously stupid & that could cause harm & then when things go wrong they sue, i wonder if they just do it hoping something goes wrong so they can sue ?

        1. I actually agree on your comment. They even walk in dangerous obviously places so they can fall on walkway or something. “Hey look a 2 feet hole in the middle of a 4 Metternich walkway “! They can easily evade the hole but they walk right into it so they can sue also reminds me of a thief that entered a house to steal and got stabbed and he suet the guy who stabbed him and he won!

    1. Stupidity is found all over the world on every continent in every country…. No need for the “American” insult. -_-

      1. these stories always come from america, they take part in something obviously stupid & that could cause harm & then when things go wrong they sue, i wonder if they just do it hoping something goes wrong so they can sue ?

      2. In fact, I feel most stupidity/hate reigns here mostly and spread in other nations because of the influence. And yes I’ve seen other nation’s share of stupidity but I feel America is one of the top tiers of that.

        1. Then clearly you’ve never heard of Africa or the Middle-East & have never met a single Muslim or Islamic person in your life.

  9. Pingback: Nintendo Everything » Blog Archive » Radio station involved with “hold your wee for a Wii” contest death could lose its license

    1. And to think she died for cheap plastic room heater… :(

      …And now they have an upgrade to it shaped like the Titanic with a portable heating tray that allows you transfer extra heat with you anywhere in your home, so you can keep warm on winter nights whilst playing the the latest edition of Sony Playstation.

      I wonder how much she would’ve been willing to degrade herself for it. -_*

      1. firstly: I don’t understand why you are talking about the Wii Us situation when this article isn’t even about it, youre trolling, its pathetic, get a life

        secondly: considering the fact that she met a fatal end for a Wii, im sure she has already degraded herself to a full extent, it was foolish of her and the radio station

        1. LOL, I never did write the Wii Us name in my post. You yourself are admitting it’s a cheap plastic upgrade without me doing a thing. LMFAO!

          1. I did not say anything, you obviously were referring to the Wii U considering that the “plastic crap” in question is your Sony Fanboy way of saying Wii, and the “upgraded piece of crap” is once again your troll way of saying the Wii’s successor, the Wii U, I am right aren’t I little Addy, can I call you Addy?

  10. …. that’s… a really strange way to die especially for something so trivial, I mean the Wii is awesome but a contest like that in which you have to drink a large quantity of water that risks you flooding your kidneys, and putting a large amount of urinal pressure of your vital organ just so you win a Wii, I would never do that especially for a prize like that… ive heard of death by a heart attack… but death by bladder/urine, never heard of it and frankly I don’t know whose the bigger fool, the radio station for making an event like this or the fools who agreed to it

  11. After skimming over some of these comments, many forget the entire principle of what happened here. The radio station thought it’d be humorous if they had a contest which was a sick play on Nintendo’s latest system. Regardless of getting medical advice in the form of a nurse, they went ahead and conducted the contest anyway.

    At the time the reason why the Wii was so popular was two factors: (1) most inexpensive out of the upcoming systems (esp. due to PS3’s outrageous price tag upon release.); and (2) the Virtual Console appealed to the nostalgia buffs.

    The other problem came from the fact the Big ‘N’ sorely underestimated the system’s popularity, because most stores simply could not keep up with demand. And the worst of it was most clerks did what they always do when it comes to dealing with popular items: just let the customers duke it out.

    So yes, this woman wanted to do this for her kids, without any disregard to her safety or well-being. The horrible thing I hate about this article is the fact the radio announcers did put a medical disclaimer for people, stating to be checked out by a physician before participating in this contest. Yet, nobody did because, ‘oh, we’d be too embarrassed telling our doctor we don’t want to urinate because we want to enter an inane contest for winning a game system.’

    Therefore she did it. And look what happened. But rather than blame herself for her short-sightedness, it’s much easier to hold the radio station accountable. Because correct me if I’m wrong, but it was HER decision to do this. KDND did not twist her arm, nor force her to participate in this contest. Yes, perhaps (back then) the prize was irresistible, and her motives were honorable, but honestly even she should’ve had some common sense. She should’ve stopped and said, ‘Wait, couldn’t doing this result in something fatal? All because I want my kids to have a game system which they’ll probably play for about two years, then move on?’

    And yes, our legal system is slow as Christmas. I do recall six years ago, the Morning Rave people were eventually let go for that stunt, and legal action was taken against the station, but it’s sad how NOW these legal people are attempting in shutting down this station’s license. Which, in hindsight, is rather moot, since the damage has long since been done, and compensation has (presumably) been made.

    Man, what a world.. over a million years and we’re still none the wiser for it.

  12. Pingback: Mother On Trial For Suffocating Son Who Told Her He’d Rather Play Nintendo DS Than Breathe | My Nintendo News

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