Did a radio station prank go too far?

violetblake

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Jul 24, 2011
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I read this article today, about two Australian radio DJs prank calling the hospital Kate Middleton was at last Tuesday. Apparently the nurse who initially took the call was found dead this morning, and may have committed suicide. The DJs had impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, inquiring about Kate Middleton's pregnancy. The nurse who died only talked to them a short while before passing the phone to another nurse who spoke to them in more detail.

It seems people all over the world are condemning these two DJs, saying what an awful thing they did. Of course it's awful the nurse died, and even more awful if she killed herself. That being said, that clearly was not the DJs' intention. And some pranks you could say "Well what the hell did you expect?", if it was a particularly cruel prank. But this wasn't like that, it was just a silly prank.

I'm a strong believer in personal responsibility, and being careful about what you say. You should use common sense and not be offensive, abusive, or prejudice. That being said, there's always going to be someone who'll take offense to what you say, or disagree with it, or maybe get hurt by it. That's life, and although we should be reasonable with what we say, we shouldn't be so careful that we tiptoe around everything we do or say. There's a happy medium.

What are your folks' thoughts? Do you think the DJs really did something horrible, or do you think people should cut them some slack?

Australian radio DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig don't sound so funny now.
After the nurse—now identified as Jacintha Saldanha—who unwittingly put through a prank call that led to the release of private information about pregnant Kate Middleton was found dead today, the hosts responsible for the hospital hoax have shut down their social media sites following backlash over the prank.
Scotland Yard is treating Saldanha's death as a possible suicide.
Australian radio DJs apologize for prank call and hospital hoax
Both of the DJs' personal Facebook pages and their Twitter accounts were removed from the Web after the controversial twosome were attacked for their now-tragic trick.
"You two have to live with this for the rest of your lives!!! Happy now???," wrote one Facebook user before the DJs shut down their page. "Was it worth paying for people's lives just for ratings and $$$???"
DJs has also been trending worldwide on Twitter this morning, as angry folks sound off on the social media site:
"@2DayFMSydney SHAME ON YOU & YOUR DJs. They MUST be fired & they MUST be prosecuted for breaking basic recording-without-permission laws," one angry user tweeted.
Kate Middleton leaves hospital with Prince William
Lady Antebellum Singer Shares Big NewsReese Witherspoon’s Slim Post-Baby BodKate Middleton’s Prank Call Nurse Found Dead
"Feel so sick about this Kate nurse news. Those DJs should NOT be laughing. And the hospital should never have let her take that call," another tweeter wrote.
Their station, 2Day FM, responded to the tragedy on its Facebook page: "Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII's Hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and all that have been affected by this situation around the world.
"Chief Executive Officer Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters, they are both deeply shocked and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances. SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy."
Kate Middleton "better," remains hospitalized after baby news
The hospital released a statement this morning confirming Saldanha's passing:
"It is with very deep sadness we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha," read a statement from a King Edward VII spokesperson. "Jacintha was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues. We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time"
Prince William and Kate Middleton also said they are "deeply saddened" over the nurse's untimely death.
http://ca.eonline.com/news/369513/k...ked-over-nurse-suicide-shut-down-social-media
 

Boneman

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Jul 13, 2006
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I think they should be cut some slack. It is not even remotely foreseeable that someone would kill themselves under these circumstances.
 

tokugawa

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'You have her blood on your hands': World horrified by sick pranksters who boasted even as tragedy unfolded - and now they've been taken off air

- Mel Greig and Christian Michael banned from show until further notice
- 2DayFM offers 'deepest sympathies' to Jacintha Saldanha's family
- Statement follows global revulsion at pair who boasted of prank
- Australian PM Julia Gillard has described the death as 'a terrible tragedy'
- They were still pictured on station’s site urging listeners to ‘hear latest’
- Later both closed their Twitter accounts following huge backlash
- Station's Facebook page has been bombarded with abusive comments
- Australians waking up to hear the news react with anger over prank


By Anthony Bond

Australian radio presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian have been taken off air following growing global outrage at their ‘sick’ prank call to the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospital.

Following news that Jacintha Saldanha - who transferred the hoax call from reception at the King Edward VII Hospital - was found dead in a suspected suicide, the DJs have been subjected to a torrent of criticism.

The 2DayFM duo were still pictured on the station’s website yesterday urging listeners to ‘hear the latest’ and DJ Christian sent an early hours tweet boasting about the 5.30am hoax call.




The station has now faced growing calls from around the world to sack the two presenters.

The shock waves over the death of the nurse have spread rapidly around Australia. British-born Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the death as 'a terrible tragedy' and, through a spokesman, passed on her deep-felt condolences to the family of Jacintha.

The owners of the radio station which employed the duo announced that they will not return to their show until further notice.

It is believed that senior management at 2Day FM were so shocked at the death of Jacintha that bosses have ordered the pair off the air - probably never to return.

A statement from the station owners said: 'Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of the nurse, Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward V11 Hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family, and all that have been affected by this situation around the world.

'CEO Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters, they are both deeply shocked, and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances.

'SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show, until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy.'

The DJs have been ordered by the radio station to keep themselves out of the limelight and to make no comment on the death.

It is understood the 'stay silent' order comes from the radio station's lawyers who have warned legal action might follow in the wake of the death.

A promotion for the hoax interview that was on the station’s website has now been removed.

News of the death broke in the middle of the night in Australia and it was only during the evening London time today that Australians woke to hear about the tragedy.

It led the news on every radio station, including the national broadcaster, the ABC. It reported there had been an outpouring of anger in the UK and said thousands of people had demanded that the DJs be fired.

As news spread around Australia the radio station became bombarded with calls from angry and shocked Australians. Facebook and Twitter was flooded with comments hitting out at the radio station.

When the news was broken by the Daily Mail to a station executive in the dead of night in Australia, she burst into tears and said it couldn’t be true – that the Mail’s call to her must be a hoax.

Assured that the receptionist had been found dead, the spokeswoman, Vicki Heath, could not contain her tears.




Sydney entertainment circles were stunned by the news, a celebrity photographer saying: ‘Britain is going to hate our guts for this.

‘It’s absolutely disgusting what has happened. I didn’t like the prank in the first place and now, to hear that someone has died following it, is going to cast a shadow over all radio DJs here in Australia.’

Many people including a number of celebrities took to Twitter to criticise the DJs.

Former footballer Stan Collymore: wrote: 'Another suicide. Another family broken, forever asking questions. If you're struggling, please speak to someone, anyone. Stay alive.'

Musician Myleene Klass added: 'Just heard about Nurse Jacintha Saldanha. My mum used to be a nurse.They work such long,hard hours. Poor lady must have been terrified. #RIP.'

The pair remarked during their Hot30 Countdown show how their efforts were the 'easiest prank call ever made'.

The duo have continued to boast about the gag on Twitter while in a video on the radio station's website they laugh and joke about it.

Greig giggles: 'They were the worst accents ever and when we made that phone call, we were sure 100 people at least before us would have tried the same thing.'

Sitting beside her in what appears to be their studio, Christian adds: 'We got through and now the entire world is talking.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...chael-taken-air-sick-prank.html#ixzz2EQNNk4vC
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Yes a very kind looking pair who have probably never bullied a person or hurt a fly in their lives.
 

Cock Throppled

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2003
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They went too far because they committed the worst sin - they were not funny and the "prank" if you can call it that served no purpose.

I mean really - so, they managed to convince a couple of nurses were were trying to do their job, be nice and were probably distracted being busy doing something worthwhile, when these two ass hats managed to extract some personal information about a patient.

Then what? Nothing. They embarrassed a couple of nurses. Whoopee!

One of them was probably depressed and ended her life, not because of the prank, but it pushed her over the edge.
 

Boneman

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Jul 13, 2006
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They went too far because they committed the worst sin - they were not funny and the "prank" if you can call it that served no purpose.

I mean really - so, they managed to convince a couple of nurses were were trying to do their job, be nice and were probably distracted being busy doing something worthwhile, when these two ass hats managed to extract some personal information about a patient.

Then what? Nothing. They embarrassed a couple of nurses. Whoopee!

One of them was probably depressed and ended her life, not because of the prank, but it pushed her over the edge.
No more pranks people. There are just too many fragile people in this world to risk it.

Cut the moralizing please. It was hilarious. It is tragic as well if it pushed someone over the edge. But like I said, that wasn't even remotely foreseeable.
 
I mean really - so, they managed to convince a couple of nurses were were trying to do their job, be nice and were probably distracted being busy doing something worthwhile, when these two ass hats managed to extract some personal information about a patient.

Then what? Nothing. They embarrassed a couple of nurses. Whoopee!

One of them was probably depressed and ended her life, not because of the prank, but it pushed her over the edge.
from one of the British news sites I read today, I believe the first nurse was also planning an event for the hospital while helping man the switchboard and could have been preoccupied at the time of the call. Also, the BBC reported the royals did not the file a complaint & laughed off the prank call.
 
L

Larry Storch

I'm a strong believer in personal responsibility, and being careful about what you say. You should use common sense and not be offensive, abusive, or prejudice. That being said, there's always going to be someone who'll take offense to what you say, or disagree with it, or maybe get hurt by it. That's life, and although we should be reasonable with what we say, we shouldn't be so careful that we tiptoe around everything we do or say. There's a happy medium.
That's pretty much how I feel. We can't worry about how someone will react to everything we say or do.
The nurse must have been under a LOT of stress from other sources; I can't see someone ending their life over something like this. She just answered the phone and transferred the call.
 

not2old

New member
Jul 30, 2006
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I don't think anyone could have foreseen this prank leading to this tragic event.

I love watching the Just for Laughs Gags. Some are totally hilarious, but there are some gags that just go too far.

I saw this one from Brazil the other and thought it went way too far. I can see some serious psychological damage being done. I didn't watch it past seeing the first ladies reaction. I found it disturbing.

 

mercyshooter

Ladies' Lover
Aug 5, 2007
2,135
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Vancouver
The royals laugh this off because i think they had experienced this similar situation in the past (the prank i mean). But some people are not. If you don't start moralize, things can get out of hands. And yes, i think the prank has something to do with the suicide.
 

Cock Throppled

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2003
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No more pranks people. There are just too many fragile people in this world to risk it.

Cut the moralizing please. It was hilarious. It is tragic as well if it pushed someone over the edge. But like I said, that wasn't even remotely foreseeable.
First, learn what moralizing means.

Hilarious? Yeah just fucking gut busting. Tell me what part of this was "hilarious"?

It's not foreseeable someone would commit suicide over it, but what was it supposed to prove? Like I said - they embarrassed a couple of nurses doing their jobs. They didn't embarrass the royals, so you think that's funny.

By the way, you spelled bonehead wrong.
 

connor666

Banned
Apr 17, 2008
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I don't think anyone could have foreseen this prank leading to this tragic event.

I love watching the Just for Laughs Gags. Some are totally hilarious, but there are some gags that just go too far.

I saw this one from Brazil the other and thought it went way too far. I can see some serious psychological damage being done. I didn't watch it past seeing the first ladies reaction. I found it disturbing.

This video is hilarious!! Better than the one with the little girl. Best part is where they actually blame the couple for opening the coffin door.

As for the nurse that offed herself, wow, that's just pathetic, over something so minor.

The blonde DJ is very doable. Can't really see the body but solid 7.5 to 8 for face. Bet she be really fun in the sack too.
 

bcneil

I am from BC
Aug 24, 2007
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I dont get how this is a funny prank, regardless of how it worked?
Phoning a hospital to ask how someone is doing? Wow!

But this isn't really a prank. Phoning a hospital, trying to gather information about a patient using false identity?
Its like calling the tax department or something, trying to get them to tell you how much your boss makes, pretending to be him.
 

luvsdaty

Well-known member
I'm thinking that nurse was drinking what ever's inside the rectal thermometers:confused: Suicides about the most selfish act you could ever do & for what? She got crank called.
The sad part is there's gonna be a ton of ass hats calling for the dj's to be tarred & feathered.I'm not saying the dj's shouldn't feel bad, i know i would,but could you have honestly predicted this outcome before hand? If your answer is yes,could you pm me tomorrows 6/49 numbers?
 

DSP

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Dec 21, 2010
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You guys are forgetting that as a nurse she broke confidentiality and it would have been the end of her medical career. There were certainly other factors, but losing one's job is a more understandable factor to suicide. While everyone knows they get paid well, nursing like other medical careers is more a calling than simply a means to make money. The DJs while not responsible for her own decisions and actions, were callous and should have known that someone could lose their job over stuff like this. Furthermore, recording someone without permission is a crime in most places. Just my two cents, I'm advocating a middle between the two extremes. As one of my favourite writers likes to say: "the truth often resists simplicity".
 

blazejowski

Panty Connoisseur
Dec 20, 2004
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Was it funny? Meh... original, sure. A little immature, yeah - but what else would you expect from a radio station?
I am sure had they known the outcome, they would haven't done it...
 

Boneman

Banned
Jul 13, 2006
281
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First, learn what moralizing means.

Hilarious? Yeah just fucking gut busting. Tell me what part of this was "hilarious"?

It's not foreseeable someone would commit suicide over it, but what was it supposed to prove? Like I said - they embarrassed a couple of nurses doing their jobs. They didn't embarrass the royals, so you think that's funny.

By the way, you spelled bonehead wrong.[/QUOTE

I know what moralizing means. If you don't think you were moralizing look up the word. By the way, how would you spell "bonehead" cockthroppled? Believe it or not they did embarrass the precious royals. Anytime their "security" is beached they are embarrassed. I don't think they were trying to embarass the nurses. It was a prank. Lighten up. Get off your high horse before you fall off
 

Boneman

Banned
Jul 13, 2006
281
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0
You guys are forgetting that as a nurse she broke confidentiality and it would have been the end of her medical career. There were certainly other factors, but losing one's job is a more understandable factor to suicide. While everyone knows they get paid well, nursing like other medical careers is more a calling than simply a means to make money. The DJs while not responsible for her own decisions and actions, were callous and should have known that someone could lose their job over stuff like this. Furthermore, recording someone without permission is a crime in most places. Just my two cents, I'm advocating a middle between the two extremes. As one of my favourite writers likes to say: "the truth often resists simplicity".
According to the news reports the hospital was supportive and her job wasn't in jeopardy.
 

badbadboy

Well-known member
Nov 2, 2006
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In Lust Mostly
Pranking radio stations in Australia is an art form. They have been doing it for a few generations.

I worked down there for a few years and that is when I heard about Paul Hogan. He was at the time a steel worker who would phone into radio stations and prank them during his work shift. This led to his career in comedy. Some of the stuff he did was absolutely insanely funny. When you are working in the bush and you hear it over the "wireless" it made for a pretty interesting evening over a few beers.

As far as this latest episode, it was pretty weak at best and I am truly saddened about the loss of life by the nurse who compromised confidentiality and then committed suicide over it. It was very sad indeed.
 

Boneman

Banned
Jul 13, 2006
281
0
0
Completely agree. If this prank went too far then someone had better dig up Orson Wells and bash him in the head.
Lol in today's world what would the Department of Homeland Security do to Orson for that prank!
 

Trus'Me

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Jul 14, 2011
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Any of you pricks ever been in the hospital? I have. Months on end. Yeah yeah pooorr me fuck you.

Nurses are ANGELS and should never, under any circumstances, be fooled with or fucked with.

Go to hell.
 
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