New Avon job

Press, 11 May 1984, Page 4

New Avon job

Mr Bob Sutton has been appointed acting news editor of Radio Avon. Mr Sutton and Mr Jim Hopkins were the announcers on a morning talkback show that Radio Avon has cancelled. Mr Sutton is expected to have his appointment confirmed by Radio Avon’s board of directors. He replaces Mr Jeremy Smith, who resigned last month. Mr Hopkins said yesterday that he had sought clarification from the station management as to whether he was still expected to present the Wednesday evening talkback show. A letter from the management had indicated that he had been relieved from all station duties, Mr Hopkins said. His employment by the station had been on a monthly contract, he said. Mr Hopkins said he planned to remain in Christchurch because his children live here. “I am not very employable, quite apart from any damage to my reputation that this episode has done,” he said. “What scope is there for somebody who runs radio talkback programmes or presents television programmes, as I have for the last 10 years?” Radio Avon’s programme director, Mr Rob McKay, said yesterday that no further changes were expected at the radio station “in the near future, or the foreseeable future anyway." Mr Hopkins said that a wrong impression could be taken from what he was reported as having said in "The Press” yesterday. The point he was making, said Mr Hopkins, was that he commonly arrived at work at the time he arrived on Monday when Radio Avon’s programme director, Mr Rob McKay, said that he was “late for work.” An arrangement had been made under which he prepared for the morning show at home, while Mr Sutton was at work from 8 a.m. onwards.