Nigel Farage has lost his LBC radio show after comparing the Black Lives Matter movement to the Taliban.
The station announced that Farage was stepping down with immediate effect.
Officially, LBC gave no reasons for his departure. But insiders claimed there had been pressure from staff and fellow presenters who were furious about his comments.
One said there had been long-standing unhappiness over Farage being employed by the station, but the Taliban comment was “the final straw”.
The audience was great, the advertising just fine.
Thus there’s rather an opportunity there. To establish, using a marquee name as the hook, a new radio station specifically aimed at that audience.
Think Sirius radio taking Howard Stern. Or the creation of Fox News, aimed at those ill served – politically – by he extant media.
The question becomes how expensive is it to gain that licence and infrastructure to be able to broadcast?
There would also be the old Ukip problem. To navigate that line between being different and even offensive to current media mores while not falling over the edge into BNP territory. Something Farage did manage at Ukip (I know, I was there and took part) and post-Farage Ukip didn’t, or not entirely.
The selection of the other people to carry other shows therefore becoming something rather important…..