Metropol

Not The Chef wrote:It's been coming for a while TBH. Still sucks.

why did you resign?

tvmercia wrote:
Not The Chef wrote:It's been coming for a while TBH. Still sucks.
why did you resign?

I think it would have been the kind of resignation that's made moments before one is fired.

cdd wrote:
tvmercia wrote:
Not The Chef wrote:It's been coming for a while TBH. Still sucks.
why did you resign?
I think it would have been the kind of resignation that's made moments before one is fired.

I think it is a tad unfair for you to make that assumption based on the fact you were not working with Mr. Martin.

So let me get this straight - you're not resigning from Metropol?

None of us would begrudge you your own "I'm Leaving" thread if you did!

Not The Chef wrote:I don't want to say too much on here but basically I was hired by one Programme Controller, who was sacked the following week.

I was reassured that my employment was not affected.

The new Programme Controller had an entirely different vision for the station than had originally been planned, and whilst I do not blame him for what has happened - at the end of the day I was unable to be what he wanted me to be.

I wasn't cutting the standard, basically. Although I doubt that comes as a surprise to a lot of you. It does, however, hurt when people (not on here I should point out, but friends and radio peers) are saying you're good when infact, you move up the ladder and it turns out you're shit.

The other factor was the money. It's rubbish. Commercial radio can't expect the standard of Heart/Real/Magic presenters, if they don't match their wages.

Until commercial radio can realise that listeners, and not shareholders, must come first, there will always be a huge problem.

And at the end of the day it's too fickle an industry. 10am you're the dog's bollocks, 11am you're dog shit.

I am happy to freelance still and do the odd bit of sick/holiday cover, so that radio is kept as a strictly occasional hobby - and not the determining factor as to where my next meal comes from. I hope I've not said my last link just yet.

But I wouldn't touch another full-time job in commercial radio with a barge pole.

People say to me that jocks would happily saw off their right arm for my gig.

I say it's a bloody big waste of a right arm.

I think leaving commercial radio at the moment is an extremely wise move to make.

Competition is constantly increasing from digital radio, the internet and iPods in particular, and commercial radio is suffering badly. Virtually every group is on its arse at the moment as advertising revenues, share prices and listening figures fall. There also doesn't seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel as competition will no doubt continue to increase.

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that commercial radio in its current shape and form will not exist in ten years time. Already groups are looking to network more and more output across stations, and so those highly sought-after jobs will become fewer and further between.

Plus, as you say, pay for presenters is terrible, and conditions are even worse. From my experience, even basic legal requirements such as work-breaks and health and safety are widely ignored. Bosses know full well there are lots of eager beavers desperate to get into the industry and prepared to work for next to nothing, so they can get away with paying sod all, and can replace anyone who dares to complain... plus they're trying to squeeze more and more money out of programming, so the situation's unlikely to get better.

Everyone I know working in commercial radio is seriously pissed off and looking elsewhere at the moment.

Getting out of ILR may be a blessing in disguise James.

My PC thought that it was hilarious that I insisted on taking my entitled-to 1 hour break.

Says it all, really.

Not The Chef wrote:My PC thought that it was hilarious that I insisted on taking my entitled-to 1 hour break.

Says it all, really.

Blow the whistle (Bitch).

Metropol

I hate James Martin