UKRD presenters get their weekends back

Presenters and journalists working for UKRD stations will no longer be required to work weekends, from October 1st.

Group Chief Executive William Rogers told RadioToday.co.uk that all staff will now only be contractually required to work the normal five day week.

The move means more freelancers will be brought in to cover weekend programmes and news shifts, as the company says it is “determined to afford presenters and journalists the same consideration and working terms and conditions as others who work in the radio industry.”

“This is an antiquated and wholly inappropriate requirement and at UKRD we are determined to give all presenters and journalists a better work life balance,” said Rogers.

In acknowledging that there was a cost to making this change, he confirmed that it was a cost worth picking up.

“These people work incredibly hard and in these days of multi-tasking, do so much more than their specifically allocated role. I think that presenters and journalists have been receiving the rough end of the radio stick for years and its time this unfair practice stopped,” he said.

Presently, UKRD presenters and journalists also receive five weeks paid holiday, and enjoy working for the best company, according to the Sunday Times 100 Companies to Work For listings in 2011.