Signal sack Ray! Wrong or right?

[Andreas Rex]

Staffordian Ray gets the sack

Stafford's own local radio legend Ray Crowther was recently given his marching orders by Stoke-based Signal Radio. Controversy surrounds the mysterious circumstances in which one of Signal's longest serving DJs was relieved of his duties with the County's premier radio station.

Generous Stafford resident Ray's alleged felony was to support a charitable event which didn't happen to be supported by the governing bodies controlling the station.

In recent years Ray started the town's first and only dedicated radio station, Stafford FM. With the help of other Stafford based DJs Lee Middleton and Stuart Haycock, the trial basis station proved to be a hit with the residents of the County town. Ray, also recognised for his services on the tannoy at Stafford Rangers football club, is said to be outraged at the news of his sudden departure.

What do you, the residents of the 'ford, think about this controversial decision?

Yes or no ?

You decide!!!

 

[BBC]

TBF mate i'm gutted. Ray is a man standing in the town and this kind of treatment is out of order. Ray has been a purveyor of all the latest hits from the 80's and 90's for many a year. He made Bryan Adams and Phil Collins bearable. I'd go as far to say that he was as much of an institution on Signal as 'The late night love affair'.

I'm simply devastated at the decision to sack Ray!

 

[Gerry Melon]

Ray Rules Ok!

 

[horseybabe]

i really hate cheesy tin pot local radio !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ray crowther and all the others typify everything i hate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE TOP TEN AT TEN IS TOSS -------XXXXXX

 

[CornishJon]

i think ray is an awesome radio presenter, he is a legend of radio and i would be very angry if he didnt get his job back, he was one of the many highlights of living in this fine county town, to realise that he will no longer be giving a big shout out on the local airwaves is a big dissapointment

BRING BACK RAY! AND PASTIES!

 

[MISS T]

TBF mate i'm gutted. Ray made Bryan Adams and Phil Collins bearable.

SACKED!!!

 

[delilah]

OMG! I Ray! He was my ironing buddy....helping me through those hard times....BRING BACK RAY!

 

[BBC]

RAY FOR RADIO ONE!

He'd do a better job than the rubbish they put out atm!

 

[gon2seed]

Ray is a well loved in Stafford, a bit of a legend in his own lunchtime. You are entitled to your own opinion horseybabe, but no one makes you listen to it. I don't like local radio either, but I can appreciate that some people do, and it fills a need for them, variety is the sp.......

Don't like Signal, never have, but I would listen to Ray sometimes because he was a Staffordian, and talked about Stafford. I was dissappointed that Stafford FM didn't get going, because as I learnt on here (I think), we are the only county town without its own radio station. Think the Borough is probably big enough to support one.

Lets face it BBC Stoke never really has been interested in the rest of the County, and Signal seems to want to appeal to a wide area, and has dropped much of its local stuff. I think Ray just didn't fit their profile, as young, thrusting and vibrant, so they looked for a lame excuse to boot him out.

Good luck Ray, with whatever you do.

Signal .... burn in hell!

 

[AndyST17]

Bring ray back, who wants to start a campaign? i'm in,

i've emaild signal radio to tell them bout the support on ere so COME ON PEOPLE LETS GET RAY BACK

 

[Jheych]

I remember he was away for a while once and his return was a "rays back" slogan featuring a jacket . Leather ? anyway .

If he comes back he can have a

"Ray's back again " campaign

Jokin apart he is actually a top chap with his finger very much on the pulse localwise . True local radio can be a bit pantsy but it's still good for the community . Still wondering why we haven't got our own personal ford radio station . If there's any news on that and some possible jock ( not scottish) places left or vacant then I reckon I could be suitably witty and irreverent but yet knowledgeable enough about music to have a go .

One never knows stranger things have happened

 

[Sofa]

Stuff Signal - let's get Stafford's own radio station going!!!

 

[MISS T]

Derek Holt writes in Todays E&S. "It is about time Stafford had it's own radio station, Stafford radio could set the trend for a new era of local radio, it could have local performers playing live, it could have a wide local appeal, it could promote local business. . . ".
He basically bangs on about Ray Crowther, using any one of the empty shops in the Guildhall or on the high street to broadcast from, and petitioning David Kidney.

 

[iwant2bmeagain]

Dear Mr Walkington



As an informed media consumer and Signal 2 listener I’m contacting

You to ask if you could kindly clarify some of the facts reported on the dismissal of presenter Ray Crowther


Fri Oct 5 Express & Star referred to a charitable venture undertaken by Mr Crowther; a sponsored head shave for the Cauldwell Trust. He believed this had led to his dismissal, having been accused of failing to support Signals own Walkathon Charity



The initial response from signal Sentinel 6/10/07 included a quote from yourself with reference to the Cauldwell trust.

“Ray has chosen to select a minor part of the conversation we had with him “…

This statement, following your earlier reported quote (E&S Friday 5/10/07) confirming that indeed you had not considered Mr Crowther a team player, lead to the distasteful conclusion that You saw Mr Crowthers’ support of The Cauldwell trust to be against Signals interests.



On Wed 10 Oct in the Stafford Post Lynne Grainger wrote:

“He [Stephen Farmer] also told the post the DJ had not been a ‘team player’ and had confused listeners by supporting the Cauldwell charity on airâ€



This clear linking of the two events by Mr Farmer would again seem to indicate that Signal was clearly unhappy with Mr Crowthers' support of the Cauldwell Trust.



Mr Walkington you also seem to have a very low opinion of your listener’s intelligence I notice that Douglas Macmillan currently has a campaign on air which would seem to indicate signal listeners are capable of differentiating between two separate fundraising activities.

I would be interested to know if signal only allows reference to charities who are willing to spend some of their advertising budget with you and if the Cauldwell charity was in that category.



In my humble opinion Mr Walkington, UTV Radio and Signal come out of this very shabbily.

On a final note as Mr Farmer states signal have received only 3 or 4 e mails on this issue. I’m referring you to the Sentinel web site (www.thesentinel.co.uk) which at the time of writing has over 50 posts on the subject, and may serve as a better indicator of opinion





Yours truly,

T A Finch

 

[iwant2bmeagain]

Dear Mr Walkington



As an informed media consumer and Signal 2 listener I’m contacting

You to ask if you could kindly clarify some of the facts reported on the dismissal of presenter Ray Crowther


Fri Oct 5 Express & Star referred to a charitable venture undertaken by Mr Crowther; a sponsored head shave for the Cauldwell Trust. He believed this had led to his dismissal, having been accused of failing to support Signals own Walkathon Charity



The initial response from signal Sentinel 6/10/07 included a quote from yourself with reference to the Cauldwell trust.

“Ray has chosen to select a minor part of the conversation we had with him “…

This statement, following your earlier reported quote (E&S Friday 5/10/07) confirming that indeed you had not considered Mr Crowther a team player, lead to the distasteful conclusion that You saw Mr Crowthers’ support of The Cauldwell trust to be against Signals interests.



On Wed 10 Oct in the Stafford Post Lynne Grainger wrote:

“He [Stephen Farmer] also told the post the DJ had not been a ‘team player’ and had confused listeners by supporting the Cauldwell charity on airâ€



This clear linking of the two events by Mr Farmer would again seem to indicate that Signal was clearly unhappy with Mr Crowthers' support of the Cauldwell Trust.



Mr Walkington you also seem to have a very low opinion of your listener’s intelligence I notice that Douglas Macmillan currently has a campaign on air which would seem to indicate signal listeners are capable of differentiating between two separate fundraising activities.

I would be interested to know if signal only allows reference to charities who are willing to spend some of their advertising budget with you and if the Cauldwell charity was in that category.



In my humble opinion Mr Walkington, UTV Radio and Signal come out of this very shabbily.

On a final note as Mr Farmer states signal have received only 3 or 4 e mails on this issue. I’m referring you to the Sentinel web site (www.thesentinel.co.uk) which at the time of writing has over 50 posts on the subject, and may serve as a better indicator of opinion





Yours truly,

T A Finch

Dear Tracy

Simon is currently out of the office but he has forwarded your email with regards to Ray Crowther.


In response to you email:

- Ray was not sacked as a response to his head being shaved for the Cauldwell Trust.

- Douglas Macmillan are advertising on Signal 2. This is part of a national advertising campaign. These adverts are clearly discernable from Signal 2's year long editorial support of its chosen charity, Help a Signal Child.

- Complaints to the station have been few and far between. They are still in single figures which contrary to your opinion, I would say is a far more accurate indicator of public opinion. If you received poor service and sub standard food at a restaurant would you complain to the restaurant manager or pay up, go home and write to the local paper...?

Yours sincerely,

Stephen


Stephen Farmer
Head of Press & PR
talkSPORT & UTV Radio (GB)

 

[db]

Dear Tracy

...

If you received poor service and sub standard food at a restaurant would you complain to the restaurant manager or pay up, go home and write to the local paper...?

someone should point him to the Castle Tavern thread, which is a pretty good indication that most people will, in fact, "pay up, go home and write to the local paper" (or web forum, in this case).. it's also a good indication of how to handle customer criticism and take suggestions onboard, rather than being dismissive and assuming one's opinion is correct, which is what seems to be the response from mr. farmer..

welcome to the forum, iwant2bemeagain

 

[Wookie]

And that shouldn't be "or", that should be "and". "Complain to the manager" doesn't preclude "Pay up, go home and write to the local paper", shirley.

 

[Lunar Scorpion]

We should nab Ray for ourselves and do the Stafford FM thing again! This is the greatest town (Keele is the best village) in the country, possibly the world so we should have our own radio station. It's the perfect opportunity!

Does anyone know how to get in touch with him? We will need to do something organised like have a meeting...

(I quite often have strokes of genious at strange hours when I should really be sleeping and not thinking.)

 

[db]

We should nab Ray for ourselves and do the Stafford FM thing again! This is the greatest town (Keele is the best village) in the country, possibly the world so we should have our own radio station. It's the perfect opportunity!

Does anyone know how to get in touch with him? We will need to do something organised like have a meeting...

(I quite often have strokes of genious at strange hours when I should really be sleeping and not thinking.)

we've talked about this before (see here) and i think we can all agree it would be a sterling idea.. sorting out the logistics of it, though, is another matter..