Features
Britney & Justin Not Dead
KSJO-FM on-air personalities Kramer & Twitch announced on their program (which originates in San Jose, Calif., and is broadcast out of KEGL-FM in Dallas) that Spears was killed in an accident that took place in Los Angeles. They added that Timberlake was in a coma, citing “an inside source” at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A., according The Dallas Morning News.
But the Los Angeles Times reported that coroner’s officials said there was no truth to the story.
Thanks to the Web, the rumor quickly spread around the world and soon fans were calling the L.A. Fire and Police departments looking for information.
Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Fire Department, reported receiving more than 100 calls, while Officer Jason Lee of the LAPD said he had up to 75 calls. Local hospitals and the California Highway Patrol were also affected as worried fans scrambled for information.
This is not the first time Kramer & Twitch have been involved in an on-air hoax. The duo cost their station $14,000 in fines this February for suggesting motorists open their car doors to hit bicyclists or even run them over.
Spears’ fans have been duped by DJs before. Last June, a New York radio station reported that she would appear in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a stunt that brought on the death of a spectator who fell and suffered a head injury while waiting to see the teen pop queen.