In jolly old England, a radio disc jockey is being criticized for playing the Van Halen classic “Jump” as police stopped traffic and tried to prevent a woman from jumping off a bridge.
Here’s the account as reported by a London newspaper.
I’m not the most politically correct person on the planet but this behavior by a smart-ass disc jockey is irresponsible. Fortunately, the woman survived the 30-foot leap.
The efforts people in the business will go to increase ratings oftentimes reaches the bizarre. The good ones with the best drive-time ratings push the envelope to a line of humor and tragedy. Most of the time it is a funny practical joke played by the two Toronto DJs on Sarah Palin when she was a vice presidential candidate and in this linked story where Tony Blair, the UK prime minister, was the butt of a prank.
This story conjured images of a night I regret taking part. I was assigned to cover a jumper from the highway overpass connecting the famous Balboa Park in San Diego. I shared a cab with a reporter on the morning paper.
Upon arrival, the reporter leaped out of the taxi, ran towards the bridge yelling “Jump! I’m on deadline.”
The poor bloke jumped. The 60-foot fall was predictable. It was the last time I spoke a word to that jerk. While his comments made him a legend among the ghoulish newspaper fraternity, it turned out he was more emotionally troubled than the victim we covered that terrible night.
Jerry Remmers worked 26 years in the newspaper business. His last 23 years was with the Evening Tribune in San Diego where assignments included reporter, assistant city editor, county and politics editor.