Steve Weed Testifies In 'Wii' Trial

Trial Continues

ENTERCOM/SACRAMENTO VP/Market Mgr. JOHN GEARY testified TUESDAY (NET NEWS 9/29) in SACRAMENTO Superior Court in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed over "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" -- the fatal water-drinking contest held by Top 40 KDND (THE END). YESTERDAY, former Station Mgr. STEVE WEED got to tell his side of the story, as he testified via videotape. 

WEED said his job at KDND was to "coach on air talent with the goal of entertaining and getting listeners, helping performers improve their craft, and making musical decisions," reports SUE WILSON in THE SACRAMENTO PRESS, continuing "part of his job was to listen to the various programs to look for deficiencies and help correct them. He said he punched in and out of the Morning Rave the day of the contest, but felt the contest was consistent with those they'd had for the six years of the Morning Rave program."

WEED testified that while he supervised former Promotions Dir. ROBIN PECHOTA, it was "his responsibility was to supervise on air talent and PECHOTA's to run contests," writes THE PRESS. "He did not know who was monitoring the Wii contest, and did not ask as to the health or safety of contestants. He said there he had been no training concerning the health of contestants nor had anyone at ENTERCOM ever instructed him to conduct such training."

"There was no training from Corporate regarding contests," testified WEED.

WEED continued that he felt "he had license to do what he chose, and talked about the vicarious trend, as in FEAR FACTOR or SURVIVOR, to have contestants 'go through' something to win a prize. WEED said ENTERCOM's legal department in BOSTON would delineate factors for safety, but when asked which factors, he said he didn't know. He testified he had never seen anything in writing from ENTERCOM COMMUNICATIONS regarding safety, and that he had never been given any guidance on that."

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