DJs' April Fools' prank leads to small-scale panic

Michael Braun, The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press | USATODAY

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A pair of longtime disc jockeys have gotten in hot water for their annual April Fools' Day joke.

The problem: They joked about water quality, saying "dihydrogen monoxide" was coming out of residents' taps. It caused small-scale panic among some radio listeners in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla., metro area.

One woman wrote in saying she worked in the food-service industry and was trying to figure out how to serve customers and prepare food without requiring water.

Time to go to Google, listeners: H 2 O, i.e. dihydrogen monoxide, is water.

The joke immediately got the attention of Patty DiPiero of Lee County Utilities. She said residents began calling the utility Monday morning — the joke played on a 5-to-9 a.m. show — saying they heard that county water was unsafe and should not be used for drinking, showering or for any use.

"My understanding is it is a felony to call in a false water quality issue," said Diane Holm, a public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Lee County, because a false report can affect a large segment of the population. She added that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection had been asked to check into the hoax, but a department spokesman said the department had nothing to investigate.

The two DJs, Val St. John and Scott Fish, who have been with WWGR-FM here for 16 years and 10 years respectively, were suspended indefinitely. The radio station has recanted the joke and been apologizing during station breaks.

The DJs themselves have zipped their lips since the episode.

"Every break we have we're telling listeners it was a goof, a bad joke," said Tony Renda, general manager of the country music station and vice president of Pittsburgh-based Renda Broadcasting. "It is one thing when radio stations change their format or other crazy things they do. But you are messing with one of the big three — food, water or shelter. They just went too far."

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Many listeners went to Facebook and The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press to comment on the duo's hoax.

Their Facebook fan page, Val and Scott in the Morning on Gator Country 101.9, posted this comment Monday above a "Yikes! It's April Fools Day!" illustration: " 'Dihydrogen monoxide' ... there's water in the water!"

Not surprisingly, St. John and Fish fans, at least the almost 100 who commented on the post, were outraged at the suspension, some even threatening to boycott the station.

In answer, the station put up a poll on its website asking when the DJs should return: immediately, Wednesday, Monday or never. As of Tuesday evening, 77% of those polled said never; about 20% said immediately. The station said voting is restricted to once every 48 hours, but the results do not show the number of votes tallied.

"Anyone dumb enough to fall for that should go have their muffler bearings replaced, headlight fluid checked and get the flux capacitor calibrated in their cars," Jimmy Martin said on Facebook.