Too soon! 7 weeks down the line all those old chestnuts are going to be seriously burned.

Also, dusting them off this early is surely going to be a switch off for some?

I guess it'd be interesting to see some market research on this one. I could be wrong. Humbug indeed!

Yeah heard a couple on Norwich 99.9 as well far too early I switched over.

Think I read 1st January 2017.

I would settle for that. Be good to hear Rob although he sounds not with it by himself he was always better with a co presenter. I would live to Chris Marston again too. Please note I am in the Beach TSA.

Bring back Tom Kay, put Jeremy Durrant on the late show and call Ipswich/Colchester, SGR FM

Steve Bradley has suddenly returned to breakfast on Norwich 99.9 sounding good nice and lively show. N
o mention of why Rob Chandler is off as far as I am aware. Presume he may be seconded assisting with the changes?

A radical suggestion I know, but ... holiday? Day off?

No idea just disappeared after Wednesday breakfast show. Steve has done the last two days.

He's been given the chop. They sacked him after the show on Wednesday.

A classy way to treat a jock, who by all accounts, is a proper pro.

Dunno if Steve Bland (for that is his real name) will be a permanent replacement.

An odd move, given that Rob is a huge name in radio in Norfolk and had been growing his numbers.

If he was an employee it could be "last one in, first one out" in a redundancy situation. If true, it is very strange that he is still featured on the web site and other social media.

If they do away with Rob Chandler then Anglia radio really have no idea what they are doing. That's just committing radio suicide.

Thats just what I was thinking.

Well if the schedule I've just seen is true, I am utterly lost for words.

The entire Norwich line-up has changed, just when they've got Heart on the rocks.

If what I've been told is true, you've got 1 out of 6.

A campaign has been launched to save presenter Rob Chandler’s Radio Norwich 99.9 breakfast show.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/campaign...show_1_4783710

Looking into things a bit deeper, I think that one of the main issues may be that as well as presenting the Breakfast Show he is also the "Programme Manager". Looking at what the group are doing to their stations its obvious that they are cutting out layers of management and its more likely this role which is unlikely to be available after the restructure.
Personally as it is so open what they are going to do, ie share programming across the three north stations and separately across the two southern ones, it would be the ideal time to drop the original names and just create one brand, That would be far more cost effective and be a better package for advertisers. Mind you, hopefully I am wrong, but isn't this just getting ready to make the company more prepared for a takeover by someone like Celador.

I agree a rebrand is needed especially with the changes but Anglian Radio will want to keep it as it is If celador took over it would be a good thing in my opinion.

Who ever launched that campaign has way to much time on their hands.

Could it possibly be a way of drumming up publicity before the shake up that is obviously going to happen. Then put him on the all Norfolk breakfast show "due to popular demand".
Just a thought.

A campaign which will no doubt be as successful as the one to save the Rob Chandler breakfast show on Heart in 2013.

After all, if radio stations started listening to listeners opinions, where would it all end?

I speak only as a listener living on the Suffolk/Norfolk border so can't claim to be particularly informed, but this is my take on this...

I severely doubt that Rob Chandler 'losing' his Norwich breakfast show is a publicity stunt. Imagine how insensitive it would be to the other presenters in the group if the management were to appear to be 'playing games' with who was/wasn't getting redundancy just to achieve publicity...I just don't buy it. I think the decision to bin off Rob Chandler is fundamentally about cost. I would imagine that he is on CONSIDERABLY more money than any of their other presenters and that even with the improved listening figures he has created, management don't feel that he represents value for money.

I think the reality is far more straightforward. Financially, Anglian Radio has no long term viability if it continues broadcasting in its present model of 5 stations, with paying business rates/rent for 4 different locations, etc. There simply isn't the advertising revenue. The consolidation to in effect, just two stations is about survival. I agree with other posts that it would make sense to re-brand, however I don't think this is happening for two reasons, Firstly, Anglian Radio simply don't have the money to do this at the present time (think of the cost of new station imaging, marketing, etc.) and Secondly, the local names are well known and differentiate them from the Bauer/Global 'brands'. The ultimate irony is that Anglia Radio's strength is that they are 'local', yet they can't afford to be.

I am also confused re: the programming of these stations. Both Chris Marston and Rob Chandler are listed as being 'Programme Manager' at Radio Norwich. However, Paul Morris was recently appointed to an off-air Programme Controller role at Town 102 & Dream 100?

My stab in the dark re: what they will do with programming is:

Norfolk Station
Breakfast: Chris Marston (PC)
Daytime: Tim Lindon
Drive: Paul Carter

East Suffolk/North Essex Station
Breakfast: Dom Atkins
Daytime: Jonathan Murphy
Drive: Paul Morris (PC)

I don't think Anglian Radio will be about 'personality' jocks going forwards (hence why I doubt Nick Pandolfi and Wayne Bavin, along with Rob Chandler will be part of the new line ups) as I don't think that they will feel they can afford them. I would expect 'more music breakfast shows, etc. in the new year. I assume Steve Bradley is just a stop-gap in Norwich due to his 'boating' business interests.

Anglian Radio have made one hell of a mistake by not going onto DAB. Whatever your opinions about DAB are, here in Mid Suffolk the BBC local station, Heart, Capital, Kiss and all the others are on DAB. If you want to listen to Town 102 you have to listen on a very patchy FM signal. Going onto DAB would also have got a Town signal into Bury St Edmunds. I still reckon this reorganisation is in preparation for a sell off, to make the company have a better bottom line figure on the P&L and to get most redundancies out of the way rather than a new owner having to be the grim reaper.

You're probably right - it certainly would be insensitive, and the cost is more likely to be the driving issue. Maybe driving up the listening figures over a short period and then hope to hang on to as many of them as possible without Rob in position is the game plan.

I agree, it seems that they are trying to make the operation AS cost effective as possible (cheap presenters, minimal premises costs, etc.) so that it has more appeal for potential buyers (UKRD/Celador/etc.)

I don't believe for a minute that Anglian are serious about remaining independent - if they were, they wouldnt have binned off their strongest on-air talent,

Chris Marston is the PC at Norwich currently, so it's not to do with that. It's a surprise that they have taken him off and without being able to say goodbye! I reckon they don't know how to handle it at all. I read the article in the paper and the quote from Jonathon Hemmings saying 'Resorces are being used elsewhere in the company I,e Social media, apps...' what...? Sorry that's just hot air! Bottom line is you're struggling and presenters are being let go cost cutting, that's it... and a chance to play God and put two 'ideal' line ups in place ( to suit the company not listeners) none of what you see take place will be done with listeners in mind at all...! Never is, Steve Bradley will be 'Used' until his replacement arrives, either a reshuffle from Beach or Town/Dream after all who they going to use on Town/Dream...? Dom Atkins of Wayne Baven? Whoever is left will head to Norwich...! Without a thought for what the listener wants. Or advertisers, they will not be a thought in this. And I would say in 2/3 years after ALL programmes are coming from Norwich for a while... it will be sold off!!!