Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 3, 1990 TAG: 9004030318
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chuck Milteer
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WVTF station manager Steve Mills said Vernon's release was not a programming decision.
"The show did well with listeners - it was extremely popular," Mills said.
Mills would not comment on the what precipitated Vernon's release, calling it a "sensitive personnel matter."
He did indicate that the decision was one he made, at least in part, because he was instructed to do so by the Virginia Tech Foundation, which owns the station.
"There are things I don't like about this job and this is one of them," Mills said.
Vernon, 52, was not an employee of WVTF, but was paid by the station on a per-program basis.
Reached by phone from his home in Wirtz, Vernon declined to detail the events leading up to his dismissal. He called it "an administrative misunderstanding that escalated into a serious problem."
Mills said the bluegrass program would definitely not be on the air for the next few weeks and that he doubts it will be resumed.
"I don't know where we could find a person to fill Bill's shoes," he said.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 4, 1990\ Clarification: Steve Mills, station manager of public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM), made the decision to release Bill Vernon, host of "In and Around Bluegrass" in consultation with officials of the Virginia Tech Foundation. A story in Tuesday's editions said Mills indicated he was instructed by the foundation to release Vernon.
Memo: correction