From The
Kitsap Sun
In the end,
it was Robin and Maynard who ended up all wet -- with dihydrogen monoxide.
The morning
hosts of Seattle radio station 100.7 KQBZ-FM, known as The Buzz, were suspended
for one day Friday after an April Fools' Day prank about Bremerton's water
supply fell flat.
The radio
station suspended Robin Erickson and John Maynard after they played a
three-hour joke that said the Navy contaminated the city of Bremerton's water
supply with dihydrogen monoxide -- the chemical name for water.
"It was
irresponsible, and although it was an April Fools' Day joke, the last thing we
wanted to do was cause any harm to any communities or public services,"
said KQBZ station manager Dave Richards. "It was not meant to harm anyone,
and we apologize."
An apology
repeatedly ran on the air Friday.
During the
prank, Bremerton and Kitsap County officials asked the station to tell its
listeners the skit was just a prank, but the hosts didn't do so until just
before their show ended at 10 a.m.
Phyllis
Mann, director of Kitsap County Emergency Management, said she and her staff
spent about five hours Thursday dealing with the issue. Other city and county
agencies also received calls from concerned residents.
Mann said
she is asking her staff and any other city and county agencies affected by the
prank to add up the time spent addressing the prank.
"I want
everyone to gather up the amount of time and charges it cost them because I
want to know how much this joke cost our community," she said.
