The protest over Radio 1‘s sacking of DJ ANDY KERSHAW has reached the Houses of Parliament in London.
Monmouth‘s Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, and Ian Anderson, editor of roots, folk and world music magazine fRoots, who has spearheaded the campaign of protest at Radio 1 chief Andy Parfitt‘s decision to axe Kershaw‘s eclectic, late-night show last month after 14 years, has urged music fans to back it by contacting their local MPs and telling them to sign up to Early Day Motion 857.
It would not mean the reinstatement of Kershaw‘s show, but would draw attention to the decision which Anderson has slammed as “outrageous” and “typically out of touch” of the station.
The reason given for taking the show off the air was to make way for “new Djs and new forms of music”.
Speaking previously to nme.com he said: “I think it is absolutely outrageous, though typical of out of touch broadcasting organisations in this country, that the only national DJ specialising in roots, world and folk music is being axed at a time when all these musics are on a roll.”
Anderson, who believes the DJ’s show should now be given a home on Radio 2, also revealed that Mr Opik planned to raise the issue on a Radio 4 broadcast being recorded at Westminster next Tuesday (June 20).