Cape Town - Heart 104.9FM’s management has said that the decision not to renew veteran broadcaster Clarence Ford’s contract was a commercial one and had no bearing on any allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.
The controversy was sparked over the weekend when Ford said in the Weekend Argus Sunday that bullying by a senior manager resulted in his decision to leave the station.
At that point, his departure from the station was only meant to happen at the end of February next year, but things changed after the interview was published.
On Wednesday afternoon, the station issued a statement in response to accusations by a group of protesters who picketed outside their studios demanding action on Ford’s allegations of bullying and other reports of an issue with sexual harassment at the station.
The picket was led by activist and rape survivor Revered June Dolley-Major, and also consisted of a group of Ford’s fans, the Wallflowers.
The statement said in part: “It is common practice for radio stations to regularly change their line-up in accordance with ever-changing audience demands. As it is, Clarence Ford has kept his show for 12 years, longer than any other presenter in South Africa.
“The station did try to engage with Clarence in a transparent and fair manner, so it is unfortunate that he chose to frame his exit around the allegation of bullying. This is not true and devoid of any facts.
“Clarence has refused all of the many attempts made by the station to resolve issues in a constructive manner.
“Through his recent actions, he has broken the conditions of his own contract and has left the station with no alternative but to remove him from his show with immediate effect.”
With regard to the sexual harassment allegations, the statement said that when the issue was raised, it was taken very seriously but that internal and external independent investigations could not be concluded for lack of supporting evidence.
They said the non-disclosure agreement that the former employee signed relates to three separate disciplinary charges brought against them that were settled at the CCMA.
“It’s a standard term of settlement agreements to include a confidentiality clause in these agreements. The ex-employee was not forced or coerced into signing the agreement as she had legal representation when the settlement agreement was negotiated and signed.”
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Heart 104.9FM's Breakfast Show host Aden Thomas had broadcast an eight-minute emotional farewell, simultaneously on radio and Facebook, to his sacked former colleague Clarence Ford.
Referring to Ford as a giant of the industry and the godfather of radio, Thomas spoke of his incredible sadness at the news of Ford’s abrupt departure and said the news had been a “sucker punch.”
He said the industry is a tough one and those who’ve plied their trade in it for many years know that the end is going to come at some point.
“I don't necessarily share Clarence's sentiments around some of what is floating in the media at the moment, but that’s a discussion he and I can have over a glass of whisky some day.”
He said Ford had left a legacy that nobody would be able to rival or match. Thomas added he was still hoping that there would be a proper farewell for Ford because he deserved nothing less.