[CATV]

We all have different life experiences, but I can honestly say that I've never worked anywhere where a person wouldn't be given a send-off if leaving for a competitor, usually with jokes about the team at the competitor being nowhere as nice, etc.

Clearly, there are other factors at play when you're effectively part of the brand and we're talking about an on air send-off, but I guess what I'm saying is... this is absolutely nothing like leaving M&S for Lidl.

The point is you should not expect it. And the send off normal from the staff not company.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Even if it was just the one week, even one or two shows. For me they always go on about mental health and Radio 1 being a family and they've not put the listeners first. It may just be a DJ leaving a radio station and he'll turn up elsewhere in a few weeks but to some more vulnerable listeners it's a disruption to their daily routine and a disruption that could have been managed better.

You know, I'm fairly sure that the present Head of Radio 1 hosted a Surgery phone in about the sense of berevement that some people feel in this kind of circumstance when Moyles left Breakfast.

[iloveTV1]

I’m in two minds about this. Clearly it happened very quickly and the BBC were forced into a corner about how to tackle the issue, both letting Jordan leave and appoint a successor, and they’ve had to make big decisions fairly quickly. It’s a pretty unique situation that a presenter who is about to hit the peak of their career (unlike Bruce who may have felt he’d be pushed out in the near future had he remained on Radio 2) departs for commercial, and therefore there’s not really a point of comparison in these terms.

If things had happened slower, and capital hadn’t announced that Kemp was leaving this week, then maybe Jordan could’ve done an announcement on air and then departed a few shows later. It could’ve been done over a week if necessary, him announcing he’s going on the Monday and then having his last show on the Thursday. Equally we don’t know what’s been going on behind the scenes. Some seem to suspect foul play from North’s management and these discussions have been going on for a long time. From my point of view, Jordan has become slightly more critical of the BBC on his show recently, and it may have been telling when Dean McCullough was chosen to cover breakfast over him in January. So it’s very possible the exit hasn’t been amicable, especially as it’s mid-contract, and the relationship is broken between Jordan and the BBC, so they’ve let him go immediately.

Either we’re looking at this from the point of view that Radio 1 have nurtured Jordan, given him plenty of air time and especially in the last few years placed him at the centre of their advertising (as seen through his presence in the events they do) and he’s now walked out mid contract for their direct rivals. On the other hand, he did an awful lot for the station, covering random shows even after he took on the weekday slot, and doing things like Christmas Day breakfast.

It’s equally naive from the BBC to think that people aren’t going to follow Jordan or find out about his next move because he’s not getting a goodbye show. (Seemingly) not letting any of the DJs even reference him was particularly petty as well and is again indicative of a breakdown of relations between management and (former) employee, so I’m leaning to the side that they should’ve let him have a goodbye show. He should’ve been gone by the time he was announced as Capital breakfast host, though.

[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

Definitely not lecturing on Global's behalf, just simply saying I hate radio rivalry.

Rivalry isn't one sided. Again, Global has more than it's fair share of former employees with grievances over how their exits were managed.

You know, I'm fairly sure that the present Head of Radio 1 hosted a Surgery phone in about the sense of berevement that some people feel in this kind of circumstance when Moyles left Breakfast

That just opens up a whole other separate can of worms. Sunday Surgery also regularly did phone ins for people with body anxiety issues while Moyles was calling women ugly dogs/munters/cows on a daily basis. Of all the things moyles did at Radio 1 to inspire a Surgery phone in, leaving shouldn't have been it.

[Steve in Pudsey]

I suspect you're right that what happened behind the scenes will have played a part in how this has played out. I imagine there would be some form of risk assessment of what could go wrong if they left him on air (I hesitate the use the phrase "doing a DLT" after recent revelations)

[Stooky Bill]

We all have different life experiences, but I can honestly say that I've never worked anywhere where a person wouldn't be given a send-off if leaving for a competitor, usually with jokes about the team at the competitor being nowhere as nice, etc.

Clearly, there are other factors at play when you're effectively part of the brand and we're talking about an on air send-off, but I guess what I'm saying is... this is absolutely nothing like leaving M&S for Lidl.

I've known it happen a couple of times, one a presenter who left a news programme for its direct rival. They weren't even let back in the building after handing in their notice.

The other worked for a facilities place in Soho, nothing particularly notable job-wise, he handed in his notice to go to a rival down the road
Immediate gardening leave, barely allowed to say goodbye to colleagues.

It happens

[Stooky Bill]

I suspect you're right that what happened behind the scenes will have played a part in how this has played out. I imagine there would be some form of risk assessment of what could go wrong if they left him on air (I hesitate the use the phrase "doing a DLT" after recent revelations)

It'll be partly that, although I'm sure like others who've left for Global or Bauer he'd be professional enough not to promote his new employers on air, nor slag off his current one. It's not a DLT problem, nor a Danny Baker situation where he's unhappy with the management

The problem will be more to do with confidentiality and competition. The longer he's at Radio 1 the more he'll know about what the station's got coming up in the next 6 months.... what their promotions will be, any special programmes coming up. Think of the next Greg James stunt for example, they'll be thinking about that now and they won't want their rivals breakfast show host knowing when it is or what they're doing.


With my two examples above it was the same... The news presenter worked in a newsroom where items were being planned for the next 6 months. My friend who worked in Soho dealt with customers, they didn't want the contacts taken over or him telling them where he was going

[Alessi]

If I were the Head of Radio 1, I would take the following steps:

- Accept Jordan's decision to leave the station and join Capital.
- Allow him to finish his run with Vick, concluding it at his discretion.
- Permit him to appear on Capital on Wednesday without mentioning Radio 1.
- Let him continue his Wednesday show with Vick without explicitly mentioning Capital, but incorporating a light-hearted approach to discussing the news.
- Carry on with business as usual.
- Address the existing BBC and Global rivalry, expressing frustration with the premature announcement of the news for both Roman and Jordan. Roman should have had the opportunity to announce his departure, and Jordan should have been given the time to inform his listeners about the situation shortly after.

By acknowledging the departure from Radio 1 for other projects and allowing the broadcasters to control the narrative, it would mitigate unnecessary complications and provide both Roman and Jordan the chance to communicate their decisions appropriately.

That all sounds like an absolute dogs dinner to be honest and I can't see how that would have been a smooth way to handle it. Unfortunately he left mid-contract so it was handled entirely appropriately. He can say his goodbyes via his socials (as he has done) and his podcast (on which he may have done so today, haven't had chance to listen yet, although there is a joke in the blurb for it referring to the 'elephant in the room').

[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

This morning, I was listening to the Elis James & John Robins podcast from last week in which they played a clip from their first show on Xfm 10 years ago but were only permitted to use up to 90 seconds. This prompted the line ‘’ You must understand that, in radio, once you leave a station, you are dead to them.’’

[Steve in Pudsey]

The problem will be more to do with confidentiality and competition. The longer he's at Radio 1 the more he'll know about what the station's got coming up in the next 6 months.... what their promotions will be, any special programmes coming up. Think of the next Greg James stunt for example, they'll be thinking about that now and they won't want their rivals breakfast show host knowing when it is or what they're doing.

Certainly true in the longer term, but probably wouldn't preclude doing one last "goodbye" show.