Isle of Wight radio: Change ahead

heather-mccallum-twitterSo it’s goodbye to Heather McCallum.

Yesterday, Heather, who hosts the afternoon show 2-6pm on Isle of Wight radio, announced that she is leaving the station, with today (Friday) being her last show.

She revealed in a Tweet that she’s heading way north of the Island … to Sheffield.

Heather has grown well at the station, assisted by her natural, bubbly presentation style.

Best of luck with everything ‘up there’ Heather!

Which local will replace Heather?
We’ve contacted Claire Willis yesterday, as the current MD of the station, and since the station’s shares were acquired in October 2012, also holding the levitated position of business development at group level of the acquirer, Media Sound Holdings.

We asked her which local presenter they were planning to have take Heather’s shortly-vacant presentation seat and if they had any other plans for changes at the station.

At the time of publishing this we hadn’t heard back from Claire.

Image: Heather McCallum / Twitter

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Sciolist
25, January 2013 3:49 pm

Bound to happen when we heard they had been sold in October, despite the denials.

I expect the new show will be taped from the mainland – just like all their evening shows. It’s sad to see, but that’s the recession for you.

ThomasC
Reply to  Sciolist
25, January 2013 4:30 pm

Since when has Simon Clark who presents the late show had to commute from where he lives in Cowes to the mainland to record his evening shows? I think possibly IW Radio has more local content than you’re giving them credit for! I think Glyn Taylor, who’s on 6-10 Monday-Thursday is also living and working on the Island, just like Simon. Then there’s Omar who does the… Read more »

IBD
Reply to  ThomasC
27, January 2013 11:17 am

ThomasC, I replied to your comment earlier, but I could not have hit your reply button, so it ended up at the bottom of the list of comments. I’ve just seen that it has its own link on the date, so here it is. Sorry admin
http://onthewight.com/2013/01/25/isle-of-wight-radio-change-ahead/#comment-186079

Adam
25, January 2013 5:24 pm

They announced Heather’s departure earlier this week on breakfast.

Tom is moving to afternoon and Simon Osborne is returning to the station to do midmornings.

All local still.

Dalek
Reply to  Adam
25, January 2013 7:50 pm

Hmm, well. Simon is the mid-morning presenter on Splash FM in Worthing, also owned by the same group. Could be that he does his show from there and it’s broadcast by both stations. It would seem likely as the same show is broadcast at the same time on all the other stations in the group, i.e. Arrow FM in Hastings, Bright FM in Haywards Heath, and Sovereign… Read more »

Gordon
Reply to  Dalek
25, January 2013 8:09 pm

Hmmm, disingenuous perhaps? Do they really take us for morons?

Adam
Reply to  Dalek
25, January 2013 8:11 pm

I take it all back – that doesn’t sound local at all. A real shame for a station that prides itself on being local. It will be interested to see how they cope if there is a major problem. I’m not adverse to networking in the evenings and even perhaps at the weekends, but not in the day. At least it is only mid mornings – breakfast… Read more »

Dalek
Reply to  Adam
25, January 2013 8:16 pm

Take a look at the Media Sound Holdings website and if you click on all their stations, and look at the schedules, they all broadcast all the same programmes at the same time. Whether or not this will happen to IW Radio remains to be seen. Notably the link from Media Sound Holdings for IW Radio takes you to a different station. (And no, I don’t really… Read more »

Craig
Reply to  Dalek
25, January 2013 8:26 pm

No wonder iw radio didn’t reply to VB’s question about who would be relacing Heather. Too embarassed?

The fog is clearing
Reply to  Dalek
25, January 2013 8:54 pm

I’ve just taken this from Simon Osborne’s profiles on Arrow FM http://www.arrowfm.co.uk/801 or http://www.brightfm.net/801 or http://www.sovereignfm.com/801 or even http://www.splashfm.com/801 Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why? A: Sussex would always be home but i love Canada. If, as Adam says above, Simon Osborne is gong to take over Tom’s mid morning show, it’s going to be interesting to see… Read more »

biggmarket
Reply to  The fog is clearing
26, January 2013 9:44 am

Lots of stations share their mid morning and evening shows. It wouldn’t altogether surprise me if Tom’s show is going to be syndicated. In fact the only locally produced ones on many a station are Breakfast and Drive Time. They use what are called split jingles. Even the BBC is running a national show on its local radio frequencies Mondays to Fridays 7 till 10. As others… Read more »

Don Smith
26, January 2013 9:35 pm

I tune in to BBC Solent – IoW Radio has never been the same since they got rid of the ‘Phone-in’.

Dalek
Reply to  Don Smith
27, January 2013 8:06 am

Personally I can’t abide phone-in shows. However, there is a local one on Vectis Radio every weekday at 12. Its available to listen on line on your computer.

IBD
27, January 2013 10:06 am

I agreed with you ThomasC, CURRENTLY, there is local content on IW radio. What people are discussing in these comments are their concerns for the future for local content on there. It’s worth you have a look and listen at the other radio stations owned by the group that IW radio has now become a part of. Each of them have the same presenter scheduled at the… Read more »

IBD
Reply to  IBD
27, January 2013 10:09 am

Blast, that was supposed to be a reply to ThomasC’s comment at the top of the comments.

Nicky Seabrook
28, January 2013 2:36 pm

I don’t really see how this affects anyone? I listened today and didn’t notice any change at all. But I guess now this thread will make way to the usual ‘Don’t listen to IOW Radio, Vectis Radio is better’, poppycock. IOW Radio is the only local station for the Island, everyone I know listens. Whether it’s because they like it for the dj’s, music or news. So… Read more »

Dalek
Reply to  Nicky Seabrook
28, January 2013 2:59 pm

Well if you didn’t notice anything, that’s all fine then. Nobody, other than you, has suggested listening or not listening to any station, just passing comment on the fact that some of IW Radio’s content will now come from the mainland. In general, broadcast local stations have become more regionalised with several smaller ones in a given area having identical programming. This is true all over the… Read more »

calderjon
28, January 2013 5:08 pm

To be fair, Isle of Wight Radio is the only station we have here on The Island with a professional standard of output. You can hardly sight The Vectis Phone in as serious? As good as it may be for those who listen, hearing the same four people call in every day kind of makes it a bit of a farce. Looking at the write up for… Read more »

IBD
Reply to  calderjon
29, January 2013 8:01 am

Doing a little look around google I came across Simon Osborne’s CV, that he has helpfully placed online. http://www.simon-osborne.com/cv.pdf It looks like the proclamation of IW radio of him ‘returning to the station’ might be stretching the public’s general understanding of ‘returns’ a little far. Simon’s CV says he was at IW radio, for a period of only three months, back in 2008 as you can read… Read more »

Island Monkey
28, January 2013 6:44 pm

Isle of Wight’s output professional compared to Vectis, are you serious? When did you last tune-in?

As for the new morning bloke – yes, it seems they hope to pull the wool over peoples eyes – if they can.

Who do we call, trading standards or Ofwot?

calderjon
Reply to  Island Monkey
28, January 2013 6:59 pm

I tune in to IW Radio whenever I am in the car and Vectis at least twice a week to see if they have upped their game. IWR have a considered and generally flowing playlist. They have professionally produced ads which are well scripted and voiced. In short these ads work. IWR have a dedicated news team who do an incredible job with local news and offer… Read more »

Henry
Reply to  calderjon
28, January 2013 10:52 pm

We listen in our office (16 people in total) and I’ve got to say, I didn’t notice or hear anyone saying they felt fobbed off or short changed. We listened and most likely, will continue too. Like we always have.

tryme
Reply to  Henry
28, January 2013 11:34 pm

Crikey, bit scarey Henry, have you checked that not zombies??

IBD
Reply to  Henry
29, January 2013 8:57 am

I don’t think many people actually “listen” to a lot of the radio that is produced these days. I’m not pointing this just at IOW Radio, the output of many station also fall within this criteria. My beleief is that much of it is used as a convenient noise to fill the silence, rather than something to engage with.

calderjon
Reply to  IBD
29, January 2013 10:21 am

That may be the intention IBD but once it’s on and you’re listening, the subliminal messages will get through.

Mr Einsteins Ghost
29, January 2013 8:38 am

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Tryme,

I have rated your comment with a minus for no apparent reason!

tryme
Reply to  Mr Einsteins Ghost
29, January 2013 7:37 pm

I think that says more about you than me, Mr Einstein’s Ghost! Incidentally, it was other people here who took umbridge on my behalf, when I was ‘negatived’, it was not I who raised it. It would have been churlish not to have appreciated where they were coming from & thanked them for their kind impulses. Let’s not knock it, none of us knows when we may… Read more »

Mel Cheese
29, January 2013 12:06 pm

Any station is measured not by what it spouts, but what is listened.

Mel Cheese
29, January 2013 12:15 pm

Oh and I love the irony that Mr Osbourne who was fired from IOW Radio by mssrs Willis and co, is now back on the station but with the show coming from across the water! You couldn’t make it up could you? With regards to being misleading, the figures have risen slightly due to the winter months. I would predict a big decline again as we get… Read more »

joyfull
29, January 2013 2:03 pm

Having listened to the phone in on IoW Radio in the past and turned it off because the same 4 people called in, I listened to the Vectis Radio phone in out of curiosity to find the same 4 people from IoW Radio calling in. So how the two can be compared on professionalism I fail to see. The music that is played on IoW Radio is… Read more »

Nicky Seabroom
29, January 2013 10:04 pm

Blimey Calder John, didn’t know that you were the Rupert Murdoch of the Island. You must have an impressive cv to throw out those judgements on both organizations.

calderjon
Reply to  Nicky Seabroom
29, January 2013 10:13 pm

I’m not too sure what my CV has to do with my opinion but yes it’s impressive. I’ve worked in radio for around fifteen years now.

What’s the connection between my opinion and Rupert Murdoch though? Care to elaborate old friend?

Nicky Seabrook
30, January 2013 7:22 pm

Well, it was just that to the humble watcher, your ‘opinions’ seem rather more like judgements than mere opinions. Quite cutting and harsh remarks. It’s just I wouldn’t feel qualified to pass judgements on business models I know nothing about. So your 15 years in radio most have been quite top notch jobs, to able to dish out those remarks. Rupert Murdoch was just the only high… Read more »

calderjon
30, January 2013 7:28 pm

Actually, I have a lot of respect and praise for the output of IW Radio although, I disagree with the recent changes. Not sure how that comes across as me believing I am above them? We are all entitled to an opinion don’t you think? Are you often asked for your CV or compared with Murdoch when you give your opinion? Odd if you are! My comments… Read more »

tryme
30, January 2013 7:42 pm

I’m not sure if there’s a useful difference between judgements & opinions, Nicky Seabrook. Whichever, I expect to see both on this site, (big gaps otherwise).

I know next to nothing about local radio, but if you think calderjon was “harsh & cutting”, hang around here a bit more! I was interested in what he said.

tryme
30, January 2013 8:05 pm

I think ‘Nicky Seabrook’ & ‘random bloke’ could be reincarnations of ‘Jon’, who said he was leaving but evidently didn’t. ‘Jon’ distracted from the interesting posts, away from the topic, & put many off posting at all, as he was always picking an argument.

Should he return, best not to get caught up in his pointless provocations, it only encouraged him!

Nicky Seabrook
30, January 2013 8:18 pm

I wasn’t taking anything off topic or picking am arguement ar all. I wasn’t insulting, rude or offensive and it reads that way it wasn’t my intention. Just saying that your comments were quite in depth. The CV reference was purely based as I said I wouldn’t feel qualified to make remarks about business models I’m not famarliar with. I’m sure you wouldn’t say something about say,… Read more »

calderjon
30, January 2013 8:25 pm

If it really helps you Nicky Seabrook, Seabroom or whoever….. I worked as a producer / co-presenter on Virgin Radio for some years and from there moved to Capital 95.8 for a couple of years. Right now, I have my own syndicated show which airs on 65 stations each week, both FM and online here in the UK, Spain, USA and Canada. I had an agony column… Read more »

tryme
Reply to  calderjon
30, January 2013 8:46 pm

Case dismissed, I think….

Island Monkey
30, January 2013 9:01 pm

An agony column in Spain under someone else’s name eh. Impressive :)

Everyone’s an expert it seems. Personally, I listen to Radio 2. Anything local is of a lesser standard to my very untrained ears.

tryme
Reply to  Island Monkey
30, January 2013 9:19 pm

Come on, Island Monkey, you’re better than that!

As well as slightly misreading the post in question, your stab of sarcasm is entirely misplaced in the face of such a CV – which calderjon was pushed into giving.

This is what I meant about the influence of NS/Jon….

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