Have just heard that BBC Radio Kent Breakfast Show presenter, Clare McDonnell is about to become a victim of the BBC cuts. Clare is co-host of the station's popular show with John Warnett. I'm told that Clare is the only person to lose their job at BBC Kent.
This seems a real shame. Take a look at the gender imbalance of the station. On air across a week on BBC Radio Kent you'll hear 25 male presenters and 3 female, Clare, Jules and Laura who's on with Pat Marsh
How many women hold managerial positions at the station?
Kent is now the 5th most listened to BBC local radio in station in the country and here they are sacking one of their key presenters on the breakfast show.
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Could never understand why this show needed two presenters plus the roving reporters. Its not just Claire that looses out its also the stand in presenters for instance when she was at Radio 5 Live for a few weeks over Xmas. But Roger Day also lost his 7 pm weekday slot when regional radio went nationwide a few weeks back.
ReplyDeleteI hope BBC Radio Kent see sense and keep Clare on and maybe replace Julia who already has a show on TV!
ReplyDeleteNot sorry she's going. She's rude to co-presenters and likes the sound of her own voice too much--those questions go on and on. John was MUCH better on his own.
ReplyDeleteShe's is left-wing and has made this known on the show on numerous occasions. For an impartial broadcaster, she needs moving-on.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that Clare voices her own opinions far too much, and also makes frequent references to alcohol, both negative qualities in a journalist. John Warnett is much better on his own. However, I would have ditched Julia George and moved Clare to the 09:00 phone in show where there is so much drivel spouted by the public that Clare's opinions would not be so noticeable
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the tone of some of the comments above. Have just discovered that CM has gone (we thought she was on holiday)and both my wife and I are dismayed.
ReplyDeleteWe have been listening to Radio Kent since the "Ginger Whinger" took over on Radio 2 and we were amazed to find a broadcaster as good as CM, hidden away on local radio. John Warnett is a decent enough anchorman but it was CM who brought the breakfast show to life with a mixture of sparkling humour and a sassy down-to-earth perspective on day-to-day issues which, lets face it, are not always riveting in local radio.
Its a huge shame that there is no room on air for a working mum with a great radio voice and something to say for herself. I have often thought that she would be "promoted" to national radio sooner or later, but to find that she has been considered expendable at local level is a nasty shock.
Time to find a new start to our day.