By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
AFTER his talk show was cancelled as it aired on ZNS Radio earlier this week, host Adrian Francis said he intends to file a law suit against the station for the manner in which he was handled, insisting this could affect future employment prospects.
The radio show “National Access” abruptly ended Wednesday after 10 months on air, Mr Francis claimed, alleging a ZNS executive attempted to “censor” his commentary.
“I have spoken to a top attorney,” Mr Francis told The Tribune yesterday when he was contacted, "so I do believe that it is a type of victimisation. I believe that the way they handled my termination could affect future employment for me and as a result of it I decided to file a law suit against them.”
He further claimed that his show was subject to sabotage after corporate sponsors complained they were not hearing paid advertisements during his segment.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Francis said he believes the show had not only started to take root in the community, but that various current events topics – immigration and natural resources – were beginning to make the station “panic”.
While he admitted that some of what he said on the show may have rubbed certain people the wrong way, Mr Francis maintained he never said anything scurrilous.
“The night before (Tuesday) I believe the (general manager) was trying to censor me and she wasn’t censoring me in a cogent or indirect way, but she was even offering me a radio sports show rather than National Access,” Mr Francis said on Friday. “Tuesday evening it was a ad hoc meeting because none of the radio managers or anyone else was in that meeting, so I was kinda stunned that she was having a meeting with me without any of the radio supervisors in that meeting. I said more than likely you could pay me out of my contract.
“Nevertheless she shared with me that there are some things that had to happen in this regard in terms of me and my show itself and she tried to indicate that my show wasn’t pulling its weight financially. I smiled because every time for some reason all of the corporate sponsors would keep saying ‘man, how is it that I am not hearing our ads on your show?’ They stopped sending the ads. The whole thing was just sabotaged.
“I said 'man listen, I am not going to write you a letter for every show that I am going to do,' which I believe is what she was trying to indicate. 'I am not going to write you a letter for every show that I am going to do. I am not going to not talk about the national issues. This is National Access. This is the national station of the Bahamas.'
“And so after I would have said that she said we’d have to make a big decision. I said well okay, then Friday would be my last day.
“The next day, in the middle of the show after I came back from my three o’clock news break and read a text the next thing that I know is that the radio manager came running into the studio saying to take a break.
“I did that and he said the general manager said to cancel your show effective now.”
Mr Francis said he believed his show ended due to a combination of victimisation, disdain over his choice of subject matter and the surrounding discussions.
He was previously a talk show host on Guardian Radio.
Comments
Greentea 6 years, 1 month ago
same old. same old. political parties afraid of criticism. zero difference between PLP and FNM. Ladies and gentlemen- we are screwed.
happyfly 6 years, 1 month ago
I couldn't listen to the guy. Tune in to a public radio station for the news and current affairs and he was inciting xenophobic freakshow
sheeprunner12 6 years, 1 month ago
He has been fired or removed from other stations ........ what does that say about him??????
ohdrap4 6 years, 1 month ago
before the election he was in another radio station, and the plp slant was sickening. he also would cut callers off very quickly.
here is a message to all radio hosts: you all are not celebrities or outspoken qcs, ok? at a certain point you depend on the management of the institution you are and there is alimit to as far as you can go. you have to figure out what those limits are to preserve your soap box.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 1 month ago
He should have gotten some mentoring from Darold Miller aka Nine Lives
TalRussell 6 years, 1 month ago
Ma Comrade Adrian is no Darold who knows all too well the price and pain be paid free speech at a radio station - besides normal worldwide station policy is to shutoff the mic of disgruntled talkie hosts - god forbid they abuse their privilege one last blast live on air.
2012 Election Results Darold Miller can't pronounce name LOL!!!
............/////https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaL8O...">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaL8O...
TheMadHatter 6 years, 1 month ago
This is just wrong.
I used to listen to him on Guardian and i agree with ohdrap4 that his PLP slant is blatant. I don't like the guy's views at all 90% of the time. I am not a supporter of the PLP, and truly can't stand listening to Adrian for more than an hour at a time.
HOWEVER, that being said, we all benefit from hearing different points of view and even subjects that others won't cover. I listen to Adrian sometimes because he does cover good topics and puts forth food for thought.
His show should not have been canceled.
Hopefully another radio station will demonstrate their commitment to democracy and give him a time slot.
Chucky 6 years, 1 month ago
After what Adrian told us, opinion was that he was trying to find a way out of the show so he could get on with life since his audience was not really interested or appreciative of his point of view. ,
TheMadHatter 6 years, 1 month ago
"...for the news and current affairs and he was inciting xenophobic freakshow."
What kind of things did he say like that?
TalRussell 6 years, 1 month ago
You could feel the tension in the ZNS building once news spread they does actually have a Comrade PLP leaning talking away into the studio's red mic. There's no denying the station's top brass are uncomfortable when there's a PLP elephant in da studio - god forbid if word ever reached the red government's head responsible for political appointments to run the laboratory red shirts spins.
John 6 years, 1 month ago
Adrian Francis lasted longer than many expected considering what he did weeks prior to May 10 Elections. His constant ranting and raving and praising of the PLP on the public station had many believing his PLP masters had bought the station. Outright. And to add to the confusion many thought he was the same Adrian francis, who was the then FNM candidate for Long Island, now MP for that area. And of late Adrian had gone on a tirade about the country's natural resources and how everyone was trying to steal them from Bahamians. This may be true, as is happening around the world, and especially in Africa, but Adrian was sending persons into a mass panic and/or stimulating an uprising to fight for the resources. He tied every topic of late to this subject, including immigration, legal and illegal and the passage of some 'strange' laws in the country. Maybe that is why management asked him to prepare a script for his shows, so as to be less emotional and dramatic so as not to create panic.Ironically Lady russet was tackling the same topic on her shows but she was less emotional and dramatic. In fact she hosted a guest who presented mot of the facts about the country's natural resources, even though with much egging on and baiting from the host. But the killing of the country's young men (by police and by murder, the common wealth of the nation and illegal immigration are hottest topics that needs to be addressed.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 1 month ago
Agreed ............ but the muzzling of free speech on the People's Station is always unsettling in a democratic society .......... Talk show hosts are strange beings like their politician and pastor cousins.
John 6 years, 1 month ago
Telling an employee, one who has live access to the public, to stay within the corporations’s guidlines is not muzzling’, especially when there is the potential for lawsuits. And, by his own admission he was warned and cautioned and also by his admission he refused to follow the requests of management.
licks2 6 years, 1 month ago
i DON'T SEE WHERE HE CAN SUE. . .UNLESS HE IS BEING ADVISED BY MR. MUNROE. . .HE WAS WARNED TO FOLLOW INSTITUTE GUIDELINES AND HE REFUSED. . .AND TO TOP IT OFF. . ."HE DECIDED TO LEAVE BY GIVING NOTICE OF CESSATION OF SHOWS HE WAS HIRED TO PERFORM". . .HE GAVE NOTICE. . .NO HARM NO FOUL!
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