Veena V and others to leave Club Asia
20th September, 2007
Club Asia Radio's popular presenter Veena V is leaving the station, AIM magazine can reveal.Her move comes at a time when other key staff are also planning to leave, AIM magazine has heard, putting pressure on the East London station.
More recently some of its most popular presenters have been poached by BBC Asian Network.
The 20 year old presenter finishes with the station tomorrow after being with the station for two years.
She told AIM magazine: "Since I've been 16 I've been working constantly and extremely hard to make a name for myself in the radio industry. I will now be taking a break as I haven't had one for 4 years!"
Starting in radio at the age of 17 with a work placement at a local Oxford station, she was eventually offered her own slot from 1am - 6am. She joined Club Asia at 18 after finishing school and was eventually offered her own 'Veena V Show'. She said her aim was to host a Breakfast show at a national radio station.
Veena V's departure comes at a particularly tricky time for Club Asia. AIM magazine has learnt that its evening discussion show presenter Ray Khan is also leaving. He was previously a presenter on BBC Asian Network.
It comes weeks after Asian Network announced that it had poached one of Club Asia's most popular presenters, Jas Rao. In April it also recruited Noreen Khan from the station.
AIM magazine has learnt that another presenter, Bali Kaur, who presents the early morning breakfast show on weekends from 6 - 10am, is also leaving the station. The Scottish presenter joined the station in December 2005.
In November its events coordinator Mandeep Nandra will be leaving too.
A full time employee at Club Asia, Mandeep joined the station from the advertising agency Media Moguls. There she worked on various accounts including the West-end show Bombay Dreams, GM Daewoo and Organ Donations.
Missy D and San-J-Sanj will now remain as its biggest name presenters, along with Kay and Middleman, Coco Verma and 'the Jackal'.
Figures from the radio industry body Rajar indicated that Club Asia had around 223,000 weekly listeners. The station broadcasts across London and will contribute a regular podcast to Channel 4's national digital radio platform from next year.
