Australian DJs suspended in wave of pranked nurse’s suicide
The company that owns the Aussie radio station that broadcasted the Kate Middleton prank call that allegedly led to the suicide of the nurse who answered the phone has announced that the two DJs involved won’t be returning to the airwaves anytime soon,RadarOnline.com reported Friday.
Jacintha Saldanha photo supplied
DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian of Sydney’s 2Day FM station, who claimed to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles during a prank call to Kate Middleton’s hospital room on December 4, have released a statement after Jacintha Saldanha, the mother of two who transferred the call, was found dead on December 6.
Southern Cross Austereo, the company that owns the station, has released a statement saying:
“SCA and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII’s Hospital. 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.”
“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.”
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Holleran, stood by the two DJs insisting that he was confident the station had not broken any laws.
The Internet has been swamped with intense backlash towards the DJs, even calling for them to be fired and removed from the airwaves.
Dr. Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, slammed the hoax, saying: “It is deeply saddening that a simple human error due to a cruel hoax could lead to the death of a dedicated and caring member of the nursing profession.”
Advertisers, including supermarket giant Coles and telecommunications company Telstra, have reportedly deserted the station following the prank.
Mrs Saldanha was working on reception when she took the call at 5.30am on Tuesday from the two presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Christian. She put the call straight through to the Duchess’s ward, where another nurse spent two minutes chatting about the Duchess’s condition and treatment.
The prank call was pre-recorded and vetted by lawyers before being broadcast to listeners in Sydney.
[…] While the reasons of Saldanha’s decision to commit suicide remain unclear, the DJ’s are the target of scathing attacks and calls for the pair to be fired, but were only suspended for now. […]
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