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Abrupt closure of Radar Radio costs half a million in fees and redundancies

By | Published on Tuesday 31 July 2018

Radar Radio

Radar Radio paid out an estimated £270,000 in redundancy payments following its abrupt closure earlier this year, according to a Companies House filing made by the media firm.

The London-based urban-music-skewed online radio station suspended broadcasting in April after presenters left en masse following accusations of sexual harassment, homophobia and racism. At the time the station said it had “made the decision to suspend broadcasting until we are in a position to address the recent commentary around aspects of the station”.

That commentary had begun earlier the same month when DJ collective Pxssy Palace announced that they were leaving the station after “a string of disappointing experiences”.

Among a long list of accusations, they said that Radar aired “sexist, homophobic and transphobic shows”, had a culture of “organisational racism”, and had created “an uncomfortable and toxic environment which has led to the departure of many women of colour staff”. When expressing these concerns to senior execs at the station, they said there had been a “consistent reluctance to negotiate or properly discuss these issues”.

According to The Times, the new Companies House filing from the Radar Radio company states that the station made a loss of just over £1.3 million, up from £826,337, in the year to 28 Apr 2017. It then confirms that the business has had to “cease broadcast operations” since the end of the financial year outlined in the filing, paying out £270,000 in redundancy costs and £230,000 in professional fees as part of that process.

Radar Radio was set up by Oliver Ashley, the son of Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, and was supported by loans from the latter’s company Mash Holdings. The broadcaster currently has debts of £4 million, mainly to the Mash Holdings company. The filing said Mash would continue to support the Radar Radio business in the short term, adding that Ashely Junior “has not determined what the future plans are for the company”.



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