KDND

KDND
City Sacramento, California
Broadcast area Sacramento, California
Branding 107.9 The End
Slogan Today's Hit Music
Frequency 107.9 (MHz) (also on HD Radio)
107.9 HD-2: Sports (KIFM simulcast)
First air date 1945 (as KXOA-FM)
Format CHR/Pop
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 123 meters
Class B
Facility ID 65483
Callsign meaning K D (Play on the word "The") eND
Former callsigns KXOA-FM (1945-1997)
KXOA (1997-1998)
Owner Entercom Communications
(Entercom License, LLC)
Sister stations KIFM, KKDO, KSEG, KRXQ, KUDL
Webcast Listen Live
Website endonline.com

KDND is an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California at 107.9 MHz. It is owned by Entercom. KDND broadcasts a Pop Contemporary Hits format under the name 107.9 The End. KDND's current format debuted on July 14, 1998, when it changed formats from classic rock. Its studios are located in North Highlands (with a Sacramento address) and its transmitter is near Rio Linda.

The station is also one of three Top 40 stations competing in the Sacramento radio market, as it competes against another Top 40/CHR, KHHM (owned by Entravision), and Rhythmic Top 40 KSFM (owned by CBS Radio).

The station currently averages more than 550,000 listeners a day, more than any of its competitors in the Sacramento area.[1]

History

KDND is the successor to KXOA-FM, which had been broadcasting since the late 1940s with various formats. On March 25, 1994, at 3 PM, the station flipped from adult contemporary to All-70's Hits as "Arrow 108."[2] In 1996, Brown Broadcasting sold KXOA-FM to Entercom (which already owned KSEG and KRXQ). The station continued to program its previous "Arrow" format until July 14, 1998. The owners flipped the station to a CHR/Pop format, and changed the call letters to KDND. The station was named "The End", apparently as a reference to the station’s 107.9 position on the FM dial. Entercom had started using the name previously, however, on KNDD/Seattle—also at "the end" of the FM dial, at 107.7 MHz.

HD digital radio

KDND has signed on with its HD digital radio station. KDND HD2 airs a simulcast of sports-formatted KIFM 1320 AM.[3]

"Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest

On January 12, 2007, a listener named Jennifer Strange, 28, died of water intoxication hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND promised a Wii video game system for the winner. At the time, the Nintendo console was a very popular and sought-after item, but was nearly impossible to find in stores in North America.[4][5] In the competition, contestants were asked to drink as much water as they could without urinating. The contestant able to hold the most water would be named the winner.

According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's studios. The contest was broadcast during the station's Morning Rave program and began around 6:45 a.m. as contestants were each handed 240ml (8 oz) water bottles to drink at 15-minute intervals. Contestants also said that as the contest progressed, they were given increasingly larger quantities of water to drink. Some later remarked on the physical discomfort they suffered during and following the event.

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.[6] At one point, a caller contacted the station and informed the DJs that the contest could be dangerous and potentially fatal.[7] The DJs responded by saying, "We're aware of that," and joked that the contestants had signed releases and couldn't file a lawsuit. However, according to a contestant, the waivers addressed only publicity issues and made no mention of health or safety concerns. The DJs also joked about Strange's distended belly, joking that she looked three months pregnant.[8]

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. The co-worker contacted Strange's mother, who went to her home an hour later to find her daughter dead.[9][10][11]

"Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest

On January 12, 2007, a listener named Jennifer Strange, 28, died of water intoxication hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND promised a Wii video game system for the winner. At the time, the Nintendo console was a very popular and sought-after item, but was nearly impossible to find in stores in North America.[4][12] In the competition, contestants were asked to drink as much water as they could without urinating. The contestant able to hold the most water would be named the winner.

According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's studios. The contest was broadcast during the station's Morning Rave program and began around 6:45 a.m. as contestants were each handed 240ml (8 oz) water bottles to drink at 15-minute intervals. Contestants also said that as the contest progressed, they were given increasingly larger quantities of water to drink. Some later remarked on the physical discomfort they suffered during and following the event.

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.[13] At one point, a caller contacted the station and informed the DJs that the contest could be dangerous and potentially fatal.[7] The DJs responded by saying, "We're aware of that," and joked that the contestants had signed releases and couldn't file a lawsuit. However, according to a contestant, the waivers addressed only publicity issues and made no mention of health or safety concerns. The DJs also joked about Strange's distended belly, joking that she looked three months pregnant.[8]

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. The co-worker contacted Strange's mother, who went to her home an hour later to find her daughter dead.[9][10][11]

Aftermath

On January 15, 2007, the front page of KDND's website was replaced with a message from John Geary, the station's vice-president and general manager, expressing sympathies to Strange's family and announcing that the Morning Rave program would be taken off the air indefinitely. On January 16, 2007, Geary dismissed ten station employees — including the three morning disc jockeys, Lukas Cox, Steve Maney and Patricia Sweet — from their positions in connection with the tragedy[14] and cancelled the Morning Rave. In consequence, all references to the Morning Rave program and associated DJs were removed from the KDND website.[8]

The Associated Press reported that the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman said no officers were investigating the death, and that, "It was a contest and people are saying there was no coercion."[15] However, Deborah Hoffman of KXTV television 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. On January 17, 2007, The Sacramento Bee reported that Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness, having heard audio recordings of the Morning Rave contest, ordered homicide detectives to investigate whether a crime had been committed.[16] However, on April 2, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office declined to press criminal charges, citing a "lack of evidence of criminal misconduct."[17]

On January 18, 2007, a wrongful death lawsuit was announced on behalf of Strange's husband and three children against Entercom Sacramento LLC and Entercom Communications Corporation, the corporate operators of KDND. The Strange family was represented by prominent Sacramento attorney Roger A. Dreyer of the firm of Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham, LLP.[18] The Stranges urged the FCC to shut down the station and punish Entercom. On January 24, 2007, the FCC announced that it would investigate KDND to see if it violated the terms of its license.[19]

On September 14, 2009, jury selection in the wrongful death case began at the Sacramento County Superior Court's main courthouse in the city of Sacramento. Over the next month, the jury heard testimony from over forty-one witnesses as 192 exhibits were entered into evidence. 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.[20] Entercom Sacramento LLC was found to be 100% at fault for Strange's death while Entercom Communications was found to be 0% at fault. They also found that Strange was 0% at fault (that is, there was no contributory negligence) for her own death.

On August 16, 2007, it was reported that two of the KDND deejays, Lukas Cox and Steve Maney, were suing Entercom over a wrongful termination of their contract.[21] Subsequently, both DJs settled with Entercom for an undisclosed amount.

As of 2013, Cox is working as a radio DJ at B98 in Wichita, Kansas,[22] Maney is working as a radio DJ at WNKS in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Sweet works under the name Jayde Donovan at Hot 101.5 in Tampa Bay. In January 2015, Sweet/Donovan relocated to NYC and is currently at 95.5 WPLJ.

"Saying Goodbye"

On September 2, 2009 it was announced on http://www.endonline.com that KDND would be "saying goodbye" on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 7:10am. No reason was given from station owner, Entercom. KCRA and KXTV speculated that evening the station could be making a format change; however, on September 4, 2009, KTXL FOX40 News confirmed via a leak (and later after the station changed their website) that KDND would be airing a commercial-free format every Tuesday after September 9, 2009.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/arbitron/q/market/103/sacramento-ca
  2. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-04-01.pdf
  3. ↑ Sacramento HD radio guide
  4. 1 2 Nintendo Wii Sells Out in North America at the Wayback Machine (archived March 28, 2008)
  5. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (2007-01-09). "Wii Rules Japan in 2006". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  6. ↑ "Excerpt of Jan. 12, 2007 KDND 'Morning Rave'" (Flash video). The Sacramento Bee. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  7. 1 2 Mom's last hours recalled at the Wayback Machine (archived January 17, 2007)
  8. 1 2 3 Recording of "The Morning Rave" Reveals Contestant Complained of Headache at the Wayback Machine (archived September 26, 2007)
  9. 1 2 Autopsy Finds Signs of Water Intoxication in Radio Contestant's Death at the Wayback Machine (archived September 26, 2007)
  10. 1 2 Woman drinks so much water she dies at the Wayback Machine (archived February 10, 2007)
  11. 1 2 "US woman dies after water contest". BBC News. January 14, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  12. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (2007-01-09). "Wii Rules Japan in 2006". IGN. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  13. ↑ "Excerpt of Jan. 12, 2007 KDND 'Morning Rave'" (Flash video). The Sacramento Bee. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  14. ↑ "3 DJs fired after deadly water-drinking contest". msnbc.com. 2007-01-17. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  15. ↑ Los Angeles Times story, mentions Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept. Archived January 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Sacramento Bee: Sheriff Will Review Radio Show Death
  17. ↑ No Charges In Water Intoxication Death at the Wayback Machine (archived September 27, 2007)
  18. ↑ Sacramento Bee: Civil Suit to be Filed in Radio Contest Death
  19. ↑ Sacramento Bee: FCC to investigate woman's death after radio show contest (1-24-07)
  20. ↑ "Jury awards $16.57 million to radio contestant's survivors". MCT News Service/The Baltimore Sun. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  21. ↑ "‘Wee for a Wii’ 3 returns". Newsreview.com. 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  22. ↑ http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/27/2506322/new-b98-co-host-involved-in-2007.html

External links

Coordinates: 38°42′36″N 121°28′59″W / 38.710°N 121.483°W / 38.710; -121.483

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