There must be limits

Publication Date 10 December 2012

By Benson Ang The New Paper Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012 SINGAPORE – It’s entertaining. It’s funny, even hilarious, when radio DJs call unsuspecting listeners pretending to be someone else. HOT FM91.3′s Rod Monteiro and The Married Men are famous for Kenna Plucked (army slang for get pranked), a twice-weekly segment. Now, even they are asking how far is too far when it comes to such pranks. This follows the case of a nurse in Britain who apparently killed herself after transferring a call from Australian DJs, who’d enquired after the hospitalised Duchess of Cambridge, pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The Duchess was being treated for acute morning sickness at theKing Edward VII hospital in London. …MORE

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By Benson Ang
The New Paper
Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012

SINGAPORE – It’s entertaining.

It’s funny, even hilarious, when radio DJs call unsuspecting listeners pretending to be someone else.

HOT FM91.3′s Rod Monteiro and The Married Men are famous for Kenna Plucked (army slang for get pranked), a twice-weekly segment.

Now, even they are asking how far is too far when it comes to such pranks.

This follows the case of a nurse in Britain who apparently killed herself after transferring a call from Australian DJs, who’d enquired after the hospitalised Duchess of Cambridge, pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.

The Duchess was being treated for acute morning sickness at theKing Edward VII hospital in London. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead on Friday.

Monteiro, 45, who leads The Married Men, says he was “shocked and saddened” when he learnt about the nurse’s death.

His morning show on HOT FM91.3 has become a hit, not least because of the prank call segment.

Monteiro says that trying not to distress or upset victims too much is a tough call.

“As DJs, we face a tough situation because we want to take radio to another level, but of course don’t want to jeopardise lives.”

His colleague, Andre Hoeden, 37, says: “As DJs, we are supposed to try our luck and push the boundaries. But of course, there are limits too.”

Started in 2007, Kenna Pluck invites listeners to devise pranks on their family or friends.

Says Monteiro: “Everyone says Singaporeans are too serious, so we want them to be able to laugh at themselves more.

“It’s very different from what the Australian DJs did because in Kenna Pluck, we are actually asked to do it by the victim’s friends.”

Each week, the team receives about 100 e-mails suggesting pranks, but there are some pranks the team just won’t touch.

Says co-host Jillian Lim, 22: “We don’t do anything vicious, anything that sets somebody up or incriminates them.”

Adds Hoeden: “Nothing related to death and disease. It makes people worry and that’s not funny.” Also out are race, religion and national security, says Monteiro.

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