Two Devonians have been named as the first of about 30 people with full-time jobs at DevonAir – the commercial radio station for Exeter and Torbay which is expected to start a broadcasting later this year.
The first is 45 year old Mr. Maurice Vass, who grew up in Buckland Monachorum and Plymouth; on Monday he started work as managing director of DevonAir.
Married, with three sons 7 – 11, he was Tyne Tees TV general manager, Yorkshire TV deputy general manager, and before that worked for Thompson Newspapers on the management side.
Converted
The twin station radio’s chief engineer also started this week.
He is 32 year old bachelor Mr. Nick Johnson, who as a boy went to Kingsteignton Primary School.
He has worked for Capital Radio in London and for the past five years was deputy chief engineer at Plymouth Sound commercial radio station.
Mr. Norman Devonport, chairman of DevonAir, on Tuesday showed reporters the St. Davids Hill Exeter building which is being converted into studios for radio.
Mr. Devonport, formerly of Hapstead House,Buckfastleigh, now lives on the outskirts of Bovey Tracey.
Ahead
DevonAir had been scheduled to start broadcasting in February next year, but ‘we are running several months ahead of schedule’, Mr. Devonport said.
The radio would certainly go on the air this year – the culmination of a £600,000 investment.
The studios in Torbay, at Harbour Point, Victoria Parade, were next on the list.
DevonAir would be the world’s first twin radio station.
