Hello, can you please write a reply to the bold texts. I will make sure to give you a up vote. Thanks.

Yes, it does matter that Ms. Esposito-Hilder was employed by a competing radio station in the area at the time she won the contest. It was an unprecedented decision of the Ugliest Bride's crew to include details regarding the bride's name and employer. The fact that they work in the same broadcast industry should raise the suspicion of a possible vindictiveness on the part of the Ugly bride team. There is a possibility that Annette Esposito-Hilder was a victim of a battle between competing radio stations.

This is the question that they use to write the answer.

** Two disc jockeys at WPYX-FM radio in Albany, New York, were sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress by Annette Esposito-Hilder, who was identified on the air by the two disc jockeys as the winner of the ugliest bride contest. The two disc jockeys sponsored an ugliest bride contest based on wedding pictures in the daily newspaper. Listeners who had seen the photos of brides were invited to call in with their guesses as to which bride had been chosen. Generally, the disc jockeys did not reveal last names of the brides. However, in Ms. Esposito-Hilders case, they broke with past practice and revealed her name.

On appeal of the case from an earlier dismissal, the court held that no defamation was involved in their statements because they were pure, subjective opinion. The court did hold, however, that a suit for intentional infliction of emotional distress could go forward. The court held, Comedic expression does not receive absolute First Amendment protection.

Is this defamation? Is opinion protected by the First Amendment? Does it make any difference that Ms. Esposito-Hilder was employed by a competing radio station in the area at the time she won the contest? [Esposito-Hilder v SFX Broadcasting, Inc., 665 N.Y.S.2d 697 (1997)]**