Kiwi 'win a bride' radio competition sparks outrage

Melbourne, Feb 9 (ANI): A radio station in New Zealand has sparked outrage after coming up with a competition that will see the winner fly to Ukraine and be given the chance to pick a bride from an agency.

The contest, launched by MediaWork's station The Rock, which is broadcast nationwide, will also award the winner with 12 nights' accommodation and 2,000 dollars spending money.

On its website the company acknowledges that some people will get "their panties in a twist over this one", and it has, with social activist Sue Bradford saying the contest "takes commercial radio to new depths".

"It is unusual and somewhat disturbing that a commercial entity would commercialise what should be one of the most meaningful human relationships and actually offer it as a prize for a radio show," the Courier Mail quoted her as saying.

The promotion, which ends on February 28, will see five finalists subjected to character assessment from friends and family, and psychometric testing and suitability for marriage testing by a psychologist appointed by MediaWorks.

However the prize will not include travel for the Ukraine woman to come to New Zealand.

The Rock program director, Brad King said the competition was "a bit of a laugh".

"At the end of the day, it's up to both people if they decide to get married and return to New Zealand.

We're not actually marrying anyone or bringing women back to New Zealand," he added. (ANI)