'Win A Baby' competition on Canadian radio station condemned

A Canadian radio station has caused shock by announcing a competition in
which contestants will compete for the chance to win a baby. The event is even
being promoted by an advert featuring a baby holding up a sign saying 'Win me!'

The winner of Hot 89.9's competition will receive three rounds of IVF treatment free of charge. Hot 89.9 claims that the retail value of the 'prize'
is approximately $35,000 CAD. To win, the contestants must write a short, 100-word
paragraph explaining why they want a child, and a panel of judges will decide
which is the most convincing.

This new contest comes soon after the controversial 'IVF Lottery'
planned by UK fertility charity To Hatch was publicly denounced by various
organisations, as discussed in a comment piece in BioNews 619. Much the same has happened with this latest announcement in
Canada, with Jim Hughes, president of Campaign Life Coalition, Canada's
national pro-life organisation, labelling the stunt as 'appalling'.

'It just shows how far down the slippery slope we travelled thus far and
it's a portent of what's to come', Hughes told LifeSiteNews.com. He
continued by saying how this competition undermines the value of life: 'It
turns a child into a consumer product and encourages the trade in innocent
human life'.

However the public response to Hot 89.9's competition has been mixed,
with various people using social network sites, such as Facebook, to either
condemn or support the event.

'Having a baby isn't a right, it's a privilege', Paul Grant, a former
listener, criticised on Facebook. 'If you can't have a baby, try adopting an
unwanted baby'. Another listener, Dawn Knuth added: 'I think the idea of
telling your child — 'That's your radio station. We won you in a contest', is a
bit ridiculous'.

Other listeners, such as Chantale McMullen, praised the station for
helping those who couldn't afford the treatment. 'Thank you Hot 89.9 for giving
those of us who want a baby so bad a chance to maybe have a dream come true',
she commented.

Josie Geuer, program director for Hot 89.9, has largely defended its
move by insisting this competition is tailored to the needs of its audience,
most of whom are female and aged between 25 and 54. 'We wanted to
give them the opportunity to have a baby of their own',
she insisted.

The 'Win a Baby Contest' will run until Monday 10 October at 9 am.