“DevonAir, the Exeter based radio station, has been hit by a major dispute between the staff and the directors.
Senior staff members are threatening to resign unless there is a boardroom reshuffle. Already the programme controller, Jeff Winston, has quit.
Mr. Winston, who joined DevonAir two years ago when it opened, attracted great loyalty from his staff in all departments. Many were in tears when the news broke last week of his sudden departure.
The man at the centre of the controversy is Mr. Maurice Vass, the managing director. Mr. Vass and Mr. Winston have had many arguments about the way the station is run.
Now senior staff have told Mr. Vass and other board members they do not want him to stay.
In a hastily called a conference on Friday department heads threatened to resign. But the directors closed ranks and company chairman Mr. Norman Devonport started a three week holiday the next day.
What the main concerns of the staff is that although the station made a profit in the first year of operating – an unusual achievement for a new radio station –little money is available for developing programmes.
In addition when features Editor Mike Joseph was promoted to Head Of Current Affairs recently he was not given any increase in wages.
And although inducements were made to stop presenter Travis Baxter switching to the BBC it is claimed these have not yet been fulfilled.
On the other hand, a new £13,000 company Rover car has been bought for the chairman Norman Devonport.
It is widely felt among the staff that the directors have been shielded from the problems faced by the staff.
One former employee told the Exeter Weekly News “it was a constant struggle to get money to do things.
“When people from the community came in to help present shows all speak they were not paid – even for expenses.
“Staff were constantly doing things for the improvement of the station and to be loyal to Jeff Winston. They did this because there was a tremendous feeling of goodwill towards the station.”
The recently the unrest has been reflected in the station’s high turnover of staff, most notably the departure of Peter Barraclough who was Head Of News.
During the very busy summer, the station’s news room relied heavily on freelance reporters and correspondents.
A staff spokesman pointed out that the minimum of industrial action was taken during the recent day of action over a national pay claim to avoid causing too much upset at DevonAir.
He added “We have been betrayed and there is a feeling that many people will leave DevonAir unless Mr. Vass goes first.”
DevonAir now face the challenge from BBC Radio Devon, who will be opening their new station early next year, just up the road from DevonAir in St. Davids Hill.
The spokesman went on “We were gearing ourselves up to the new BBC challenge. In the past two years we have become are very successful independent station, with some of the highest listening figures in the country.
“Unless urgent action is taken the rot will set in and DevonAir will decline. The BBC must be rubbing their hand with glee at this news.”
A move for Mr. Winston has been on the cards for more than a month, since he was offered the job as overall chief at the Welsh Cardiff Broadcasting Company.
Mr. Winston will shortly be taking up that post, but many of the staff at DevonAir are convinced he would never have left the station if it were not for the endless arguments between himself and directors.
Mr. Winston declined to comment on his situation but said he was sorry to be leaving.
Mr. Vass this week refused to comment on the situation.
