Subject: 'Win a Wife' contest sparks outrage

A New Zealand radio station has been criticised for running a contest giving male listeners the chance to win a wife.

The winner of The Rock FM's competition will be flown to Ukraine for 12 nights to pick their future wife from a bride agency, reports Metro.

"It's actually going to happen. And oh boy are there going to be some people with their panties in a twist over this one," says the blurb on the station's website.

"The Rock is giving away a wife! But we're not going to give this opportunity to just anybody... to weed out the no-hopers and time-wasters, we've developed the application form below.

"If you're interested in holy matrimony with a potentially hot foreign chick, fill it out to the best of your abilities."

Not to be put off by the complaints, numerous men have entered the competition and appear happy to have their profiles shown on the radio's website.

Defending the station, The Rock FM 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 said.

However, social activist Sue Bradford said the competition took "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," she said.