Radio 1 axeman quits key post

Special report: the future of the BBC

Matt Wells
guardian.co.uk, Saturday October 14 2000 00.49 BST

The BBC lost one of its most senior executives yesterday when Matthew Bannister, the axeman of Radio 1's ageing disc jockeys, quit the corporation after 22 years.

He will step down as director of marketing and communications at the end of the year, a role he was given in a BBC restructuring led by Greg Dyke, the director general.

Mr Bannister was credited with the transformation of Radio 1, which has led to its current success. But his plans to restructure the marketing department have met with resistance. Many staff could not conceal their delight at his departure.

Staff were informed via an email from Mr Dyke, which read: "I am very sorry he is leaving but he has decided it is time for a change in the direction of his career.

"He has done some of the most interesting jobs around, and BBC Radio's current success is in no short measure down to the work he did as the controller of Radio 1 and as director of radio."

Mr Bannister had intended to leave after he lost out to Mr Dyke in the race for the post of director general, but friends say the pair "gelled" as soon as they met. Mr Dyke persuaded him to stay, but Mr Bannister hinted yesterday that he had not enjoyed his latest post. "When you have worked for the BBC for a long time, as I have, it can get a bit much for you," he said.

As Radio 1 controller, Mr Bannister was responsible for clearing out the old guard of "smashie and nicey" DJs and repositioning the station for younger listeners. He recruited Chris Evans to the station. Ratings fell drastically during his reign, but have increased since. Observers put its current success down to the Bannister revolution.

Others, however, say he was out of his depth in senior positions. As director of radio, he had a difficult relationship with the controller of Radio 3, Nicholas Kenyon. His position as the BBC's director of production was short-lived.

Mr Bannister, 43, began at BBC local radio as a reporter 22 years ago, later rising through the ranks at Capital Radio, in London. In 1988 he became managing editor of BBC Greater London Radio and went on to become Radio 1 controller in 1993.

A number of people have been tipped to succeed him: Richard Peel, a long-serving BBC press spokesman who is now at the Independent Television Commission is one possibility, as is the BBC press chief, Sally Osman. Both, however, have little experience of marketing. An outsider is Mr Bannister's predecessor, Sue Farr, who left the corporation after her role was reduced.

Mr Bannister said he had no immediate plans. He will stay at the BBC until December.