This story came to light on the BBC website, and concerns a Canadian radio station burnt about 3,000 euros in cash as part of a contest for their listeners.

AMP Radio, who are based in Calgary said that the contest was the “ultimate social experiment,” when explaining the contest to CBC News. However, as can be imagined in these difficult economic times, it has caused a swathe of complaints to the station, mostly suggesting that the money could have been donated to a good cause.

The contest was promoted on the AMP Radio Facebook page, where listeners could vote either #BANK or #BURN. The bank option put the voter into the pot as a possible winner of the cash, whereas the burn option really speaks for itself, the thought process being that if you can’t have the money, why should anyone else?

Well, it was a close call, but AMP said that 54% of people decided they wanted the burn option. The presenters then posted a video online of them burning the cash.

There have been large numbers of calls saying that the money could have gone to women’s shelters, cancer research, animal rescue charities, etc. However, the station has been offhand, if not condescending towards the doubters. This is mainly because the stunt has been a huge marketing success for AMP Radio, which, we are obviously contributing to here.

And because of that marketing success the station are now holding another contest along the same lines, but his time listeners will have to chose whether to vote ‘bank’ or ‘burn’ on the equivalent of 6,000 euros.
Ashes to ashes, cash to cash…

(News: Wonky World)