Listeners rally round for sacked Mercia presenters

Nick Connoll

14 May 2008

THE presenters of city radio station Mercia FM's breakfast show who were sacked following a competition mix-up on the show have been overwhelmed by support from listeners.
Presenters John Dalziel and Roisin Gibbons, who were sacked last Thursday (May 1), have received hundreds of letters and e-mails of support since being axed.
Supporters have also launched a ‘Get John and Roisin Back on Mercia FM’ campaign group on the social networking website Facebook, which has recruited over 1,000 members in just six days.
John and Roisin took over the prime time breakfast show on Mercia in September. During last Wednesday's show the pair used a random person to pose as a winner for a competition while engineers fixed a technical fault which stopped text message entries getting through to the studio.
The Coventry-born duo informed station chiefs of what had happened immediately after coming off air, and said the decision to use a random winner was to avoid disruption to the show, with the genuine winners presented with prizes once the technical fault had been repaired.
But Mercia chiefs, together with umbrella company GCap Media, took the decision to terminate both John and Roisin's contracts immediately.
John, 25, has been involved in radio for 11 years. making his name as ‘Teaboy’ at former rival station Kix 96.
He also works as an announcer for Coventry City Football Club and the Coventry Blaze ice hockey team.
He told The Observer: "When me and Roisin were offered the breakfast slot we were both so excited. To be given the number one breakfast show in your own city is the stuff of dreams. But at the moment it just feels like our careers are left in tatters although we both completely understand the course of action the station has taken.
“But the support we have had has been amazing, far beyond what I could have thought," he added. "I think when you are a Coventry kid on your city’s station like we both are, people will support you if they think you have made an innocent mistake."
Roisin, 28, from Coundon, had spent five years working her way up the radio ladder to land the spot alongside John.
And the former Coventry University graduate added the support from the public was unbelievable.
“We were devastated when we found out and we want to get back to doing what we love," she said. "We have had so much support from listeners since it happened because I think they know we would never deceive them or put the station in a bad position intentionally."
Mercia FM were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

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