From The Guardian July 15 - Radio 3 snaps up Kershaw, late-night DJ cast aside by Radio 1

[Tom Roche]

 Radio 3 snaps up Kershaw, late-night DJ cast aside by Radio 1

Fiachra Gibbons, arts correspondent, Guardian, Saturday July 15, 2000
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,343622,00.htm
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Fan power forced the BBC into one of its most bizarre about-turns 
last night when Andy Kershaw, the cult DJ dumped by Radio 1, was 
rehired by Radio 3.

Kershaw, the Lancastrian whose late-night slot put world music stars
like Youssou N'Dour on the map here, was dropped by Radio 1 in May 
amid a storm of protest about the direction the station was going in.

Controller Andy Parfitt was assailed from all quarters for his 
"shabby treatment of Radio 1's most innovative voice" and pilloried 
for allegedly pandering to the teen market with a diet of boy bands 
and commercial pop.

As condemnation of the decision grew, Kershaw, who had been angry at 
the graveyard slot he had been forced into after 14 years, refused to 
host his final few shows.

But yesterday Roger Wright, Parfitt's opposite number on Radio 3,
stepped in to announce a new slot for the DJ on his World Routes
programme beginning this summer.

Kershaw will travel the world for the programme, presented by Lucy
Duran, and bring back regular reports and recordings he has made on 
the road.

Signing up Kershaw is a coup for Wright, who has been trying to 
broaden Radio 3's appeal.

Kershaw joked last night: "I imagine I'll be coming in once a month 
with a bunch of un popular records, just as I've always done.

"About six months ago I had lunch with Roger Wright and he asked me 
if I'd be interested in doing bits and pieces for him. What convinced 
me was when he said: 'I want Radio 3 to be more than a classical 
music station'."

He said he knew he had to go with Wright when he told him that the 
thing he most liked about his old show was "that I never know what's 
coming next".

"That was exactly what the Radio 1 controller hated about my 
programme," said Kershaw.

He has spent the past few months working on a book about his travels, 
as well as doing his World Service programme.

"One of the things I was worried about was would there be a lot of
hostility from the traditional core audience of Radio 3 - an ex-Radio 
1 DJ coming in and playing African music?" he said. "I was more 
worried for Roger Wright than for me."

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