Radio Station Has "Predict when Britney will kill herself" contest

[Shawn]

I hope whoever thought of this gets whats coming to them. Its reprehensible. :angry:

http://omg.yahoo.com/radio-station-under-f...-pool/news/2909

Radio Station Under Fire Over Britney Spears Death Pool

October 5, 2007, 1:42 pm PDT

DETROIT, Michigan (October 5, 2007) " A radio station in Detroit is under fire for promoting a contest encouraging listeners to predict the day Britney Spears is going to die.

According to The Detroit News, DJ Big Boy of WKQI-FM 95.5 in Detroit announced a "Britney Suicide Watch" contest earlier this week.

"If you can guess the exact day that Britney dies, whether it's from drugs or however she dies, if you're right, we'll give you a thousand bucks," the DJ reportedly told his audience.

The station's Web site featured a page titled "Britney Death Poll" and stated "Life has been rough recently for Britney Spears. Guess the date she'll commit suicide... if you're right you could win $1000!!!"

The station has since pulled the page (pictured below) from its site.

On Wednesday, The Detroit News said 95.5 (which is owned by Clear Channel Communications) aired a statement from the station's operations manager, Dom Theodore, apologizing for the "content" of Big Boy's show.

"In no way were we making light of death or suicide," the statement said.

Additionally, The Detroit News reported Theodore said the $1,000 prize would have been donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

However, according to Tammi Landry, the Michigan-area director for the AFSP, it would've been an unwelcomed gesture.

"We need money for research and education, but I'm not taking money from an organization trying to get better ratings with a suicide watch," Landry told The Detroit News. "I'll accept their apology and take their $1,000, if the contest is off."

Access Hollywood has reached out to 95.5 for comment and is awaiting a response.

[Tishy]

The DJ, program director and general manager should all be fired at the very least for this. This is reprehensible, irresponsible and hurtful. I don't know about rules and laws about this but maybe others will know, but can the FCC fine them as well? They should be heavily fined for this.

I am not a fan of Britney and am critical of her, but this is stepping WAY over the line. This is obviously a stunt to garner publicity for that station. Whoever thought of this should rot.

[JER Soaps Fan]

This is sick, but at the same time, it goes back to a thread of yours, Tishy: free speech. I don't think the FCC can do anything about this if it isn't considered patently offensive in the way of sex or adult language. I may be wrong, but that's what I get from my understanding of media law. (A quick and dirty version.)

[JackPeyton]

this is not free speach. this is a contest to win money.

its one thing to say she will kill herself, maybe even to ahve others predict, but to turn into a contest...

[JER Soaps Fan]

^ Actually, yes. That's still free speech. Now, if they were ordering a hit on Britney, and taking transactions over the phone? Then it wouldn't be free speech.

Again, I studied media law in college. I'm not working from precedents, it's too late for that. But I can tell you, that a quick and dirty look at this case smacks of free speech. That's the thing. this offends people, much like Don Imus' speech did, but that doesn't change its protection under the First Amendment. Don Imus didn't get fired because he broke a law or violated his free speech. He got fired because of the outrage that ensued, and pressure from sponsors.

How is this radio stunt any different from the myriad instances of lowbrow entertainment that Howard Stern provided in his broadcast days? The difference is, he moved to satellite radio where he could, in theory, be no holds barred.

It's sick what these guys are doing, don't get me wrong, but what real crime is being committed here? I don't see that they're having hitmen call in and offer THEM money to kill her. That would be a different story.

[Tishy]

JSF, I understand your point but I disagree. There is a big difference between releasing the toxicology reports on two firefighters who passed in the line of duty and having a contest to predict when someone is going to kill themselves. We the taxpayers are paying their salaries and they were intoxicated in the line of duty. What if they killed someone?. I am a huge proponent of free speech, but not at the expense of someone's life. What if this drove Britney to kill herself? She has obvious mental problems. I think that whomever thought of this contest and who approved it are fired. Comparing the firefighters to this contest is like comparing apples and oranges, it just doesn't wash with me. I hope this makes sense.

[NeoAngelicLiz]

Wow its shocking but not really surprising...I was just thinking about it the other day to be honest. Shes fallen so low its hard to imagine what would be next besides suicide.

Personally I don't understand suicide at all. Theres just too much beauty in the world to just throw it all it away.

But there was no crime committed here and I don't think they should lose their jobs over it. If people don't like the contest then they shouldn't call in...and change the radio station.

[JER Soaps Fan]

It was late when I typed that.. insomnia issues, etc. I didn't mean a direct, apples-and-oranges comparison to he firefighter situation. I was really referring to this (in comparison to that) as an issue that could bring about debate on free speech. Both issues could do that. (And I'm at work now, so forgive me if I'm not clear a-gain.)

Anyway, the radio jockeys aren't the only one saying this. I was watching "Fox and Friends" this morning and they were chatting about how watching Brit is like watching Anna Nicole Smith and her trail to death. That's protected under free speech and I believe, so is this radio jockey's contest. Again, don't get me wrong, it's immoral, disgusting and wrong at every level, what they're doing; but I honestly believe it's protected speech.It's just another form of what the "Fox and friends" anchors (and everyone else) is saying. Except they're taking bets on the same idea. If Britney did kill herself (God forbid), it wouldn't be their fault unless they forced her hand in a physical, real way (although perhaps a lawyer could argue that the contest, which she personally followed, made her so distraught that they did force her hand in some way -- but that seems like a stretch; but with court these days, people sue for anything), or if, again, they hired hitmen, then it would be a crime.

But I still see no crime here. Free speech is free speech. You'd be surprised (judging from the reactions of this contest) what precedents have made free speech. I was shocked when I learned them in media law.

But I digress. I remember an SNL segment during "Weekend Update" when someone on that segement said of a celebrity, 'Why don't you just kill yourself already?' or something to that extent, to a green screen.

Is that not the same thing? It's sick and wrong, and could drive someone to kill his or herself, but again, it's still protected by the First Amendment.

[JER Soaps Fan]

I agree, NeoAngel. That's the thing some people may not realize. Free speech has very little limitation. There are instances, in war time, where that changes, if I remember right. But it's pretty much anything goes. Granted, one must take consideration of slander and libel laws; but aside from those considerations, almost anything goes.

[Shawn]

And thus, the freedom of speech will always be a double edged sword.

[Adam]

Awful. Everyone involved in that should be ashamed of themselves.

[David_Vickers]

Very sick. Those involved in this crap should be FIRED IMHO.

[JER Soaps Fan]

^ And that, as Over said, is why F.O.S. is a double-edged sword. Why should these guys be fired for being gross and disgusting, but expressing their F.O.S.? This is where arguments are called, questioning the "chilling effect" of such things as Imus' firing, and, for this instance, people calling for sickos to be fired, when in both cases, no crime ocurred.

Of course, we'll agree that there is a certain decorum people should follow, based on the rules of their business. So they must uphold that end of the bargain, too. Are these jocks known as "shock jocks"? If so, then that means they probably haven't violated office policy since they're job is to capitalize on the shock and awe, and still, nothing could be done about them. Especially if ratings are high.

But I take issue with these conflicts with F.O.S. no matter what. Yeah, businesses should have rules; but it's like the teacher whose nude pics were on the net. She didn't flash her chest to her class. She did nothing illegal. So why get fired? I take issue with that. But then, if it's true that she signed a morals clause, then that's different.