A veteran BBC DJ has been ‘sacked’ after criticising bosses for axeing his Saturday night show ‘because his elderly audience are the wrong type of listeners’, according to his friends.
David Allen was due to host three more shows before his long-running programme was taken off air, but has been fired after hitting out at chiefs during his show on Saturday, insiders said.
The BBC Radio Solent presenter has ‘clearly touched a nerve’, added one source close to him following the latest development.
Mr Allen, who presented his Saturday night show for 20 years, is now understood to be considering taking legal action against the BBC which could involve lodging an ageism complaint.
The experienced presenter told listeners he believes the corporation’s chiefs cancelled his show because his elderly audience are ‘the wrong type of listeners’.
David Allen (pictured above) was due to host three more shows before his long-running programme was taken off air, but has been fired after criticising bosses, insiders said
The BBC Radio Solent presenter from Bournemouth, Dorset, has ‘clearly touched a nerve’, added one source close to him following the latest development
He told listeners of his three-hour programme that the ‘very sad and short-sighted’ decision was made despite large listening figures.
A source said Allen was sacked by the broadcaster’s bosses today. The source said: ‘What has happened to him is so sad.
‘He has clearly touched a nerve. I can’t believe they have not left him to do his last three shows.
‘I believe he’s looking to go formally down a legal route. I think he is considering several areas but if you look at his comments then the obvious one is ageism.’
In a statement yesterday, the BBC said that it ‘hopes to work with David again in the future and thank him for all he has done in this slot.’
But today, in a revised statement, the BBC said: ‘We’ve explained the reasons behind this decision to David and reject the claims he made on air.
‘He’s had a regular show for two decades. All radio stations change their line-ups from time to time.’
The source said of the statement: ‘I wonder whether that’s one of the nastier managers sticking the knife in’.
Allen, thought to be in his late 50s, told listeners on Saturday night: ‘The BBC, in its wisdom, have decided that after 20 years and amazingly good listening figures, that this show will sadly come to an end on May 15.
‘Although I never normally talk about how popular this show is, the audience share for this programme is the best on the station.
‘It is also nearly three times that of Radio 2 and over four times that of any commercial radio station in our transmission area.
‘So, I have to say I was rather shocked when I was told about the decision.’
He added: ‘I have to be honest with you, I’ve not really had an adequate explanation why this programme is being axed, apart form the fact that they kind of want to go in a different direction.
‘I can only assume that, although I have lots of listeners, they are the wrong type of listeners which I think is very sad and short-sighted. We have listeners on this show from all ages from 15 to 101.
‘But, I guess the majority are the older age group, that’s the over 75s, who now have to pay their licence fee, so surely it’s not too much to ask to have one programme in the week that caters for them and their musical choices.
‘After all, this is a request show, so if you, the listener, only wanted to hear the current top 40 that is what I would play, but obviously that is not the case and let’s be honest a request show is the only true indication of what listeners want to hear.’
In 2011, former BBC presenter Miriam O’Reilly, then 53, won an age discrimination case against the corporation after she was dropped from Countryfile.
The decision to axe Mr Allen’s show came after the BBC faced a backlash for axing Sue Barker, Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell from A Question Of Sport in a move to ‘diversify’ the show.
The former tennis player was axed as host of the show last year, alongside the team captains, so that bosses could draft in fresh talent to revamp the long-running sports quiz.
BBC Radio Solent presenters Mr Allen (left), Ali Leslie (centre) and Julian Clegg (right) posing with a cheque that they were taking to the Isle of Wight hospital in 2006
Miss Barker, who will stay on as the corporation’s face of Wimbledon, later told of her sadness at having to leave the show after 24 years and said that the BBC had to remove her from the programme as she would never have left voluntarily.
Also last year, presenter Victoria Derbyshire admitted she had been left ‘absolutely devastated’ after she found out her long-running show on BBC Two had been cut.
The presenter wrote on Twitter: ‘Absolutely devastated at the plan to end our programme (which I first learned about in yesterday’s Times).
‘I’m unbelievably proud of what our team and our show have achieved in under five years, breaking tonnes of original stories (which we were asked to do); attracting a working class, young diverse audience that BBC radio and TV news progs just don’t reach (which we were asked to do): and smashing the digital figures (Which we were asked to do).
‘I’m gutted particularly for our brilliant, young, ambitious, talented team – love ’em. And for all those people we gave a voice to. Love them too.’
Last year, broadcaster Libby Purves, who has presented on Radio 4 for 40 years, said the growth of websites and social media had made BBC bosses increasingly concerned with image.
Sue Barker was axed as host of the BBC’s A Question Of Sport, alongside team captains Matt Dawson (left) and Phil Tufnell (right), last year so that bosses could draft in fresh talent
Flog It! was axed by the BBC after 16 years on air and more than 1,000 episodes (host Paul Martin pictured in 2010)
Last year Victoria Derbyshire said she was ‘absolutely devastated’ when she found out her long-running show on the BBC had been axed
Ms Purves said that in the past ‘you could get older unless your voice actually quavered and your phrases and opinions marked you out as an old buffer’.
On its website, BBC Radio Solent still displays Allen’s profile. It says of his Saturday night show: ‘Staying in on a Saturday night is definitely the new ‘going out’ – especially when you’ve got David Allen to tune into.’
Married Allen, from Bournemouth, Dorset, began his radio career at Bournemouth Hospital Radio broadcasting to different hospitals.
He became a travel bulletin reader for AA Roadwatch before joining the BBC as a freelancer.
In 2002 he took over the Saturday night slot and has remained there ever since.
MailOnline has approached the BBC for comment.
