Johnson walks out talk-show job at CNMG
By Aabida Allaham
Story Created: Nov 15, 2010 at 10:48 PM ECT
(Story Updated: Nov 15, 2010 at 10:48 PM ECT )
ONE week after hosting First Up at the Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG), veteran journalist and chief executive officer of the Government Information Services Ltd (GISL), Andy Johnson, has walked off the job.
"I was holding on and I decided that a week was as much as I would give," he said yesterday in a telephone interview with the Express.
Some of the other reasons he cited for leaving was that he has to maintain his integrity and "I cannot continue to get up at 3 a.m. and come host a show in the morning for three hours and then go and do my job as CEO at GISL."
When asked if he was concerned about the ramifications of his decision, he said he "was not afraid" as he believed it was in the best interest of the show.
Johnson, who has been replacing dismissed talk show host Fazeer Mohammed since November 8, was said to be the official replacement by CNMG's interim CEO, Ken Ali.
In fact, during an interview with the Express last week, Ali said, "That's why I brought in Andy Johnson to the show because he has a track record. He brought his previous show (TV6 Morning Edition) to the number one show and I believe that he can do it with (First Up)".
And upon his return from New York, where he reported on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's receipt of the Glamour magazine 2010 Women of the Year award, Ali had said Johnson would permanently co-host the morning programme and the company had other plans for Mohammed in the area of sport and youth.
When the Express contacted Johnson after he first appeared on First Up last week, he insisted that he "was asked" to host the show until a replacement was found and it was never meant to be a permanent fixture.
At the weekend, however, promos were aired on Sweet 100 FM and Talk City 91. 9 FM indicating that Johnson was now the new co-host of First Up alongside Jesse May Ventour.
When the Express contacted Ali about Johnson not being on the show yesterday, he said, "I really have nothing more to say to the media on this matter."
Johnson's co-host, Jesse May Ventour, however, said she was never told that Johnson was not coming to work yesterday and added, "I was just as shocked as everybody else when he did not turn up."
Ventour said she did not know if she was getting a new co-host as she was never informed about Johnson's arrival or departure.
"When I left work on Friday, I was of the opinion that we would be working together for some time so I honestly can't say more than that as I don't know anything," she said.
Meanwhile, the Express was reliably informed that Hema Ramkissoon, who has hosted the show in the past, was offered up as a suggestion to co-host the show. But when contacted via telephone yesterday, Ramkissoon said she was never contacted about it.
