Company say they have taken control of Lanarkshire radio station L107

Mar 18 2010

CONTROL of Lanarkshire-based radio station L107 appears to be slipping away from controversial businessman Alan Shields.

Strategic Intelligence, who trade as Creative Media Group, say they have acquired tartan ‘shock jock’ Scottie McClue’s 50 per cent shareholding in the company which owns L107.

Strategic Intelligence, who operate London radio station ONFM, are unhappy at the way Mr Shields has run the station and on Tuesday wrote to him to say that he had been suspended as a director of the company.

He has been told to stay away from the station.

Today (Thursday), Creative Media managing director John Prendergast will outline his plans for the station at a meeting with staff.

He will tell them that to cut costs and slow the accumulation of debt they plan to move from their current premises in Bothwell Road, Hamilton, to more “cost-effective” offices nearby.

They also plan to streamline the station’s output.

In November, the Advertiser told how prominent Hamilton businessman George Fulston and Scottie McClue, whose real name is Colin Lamont, were at odds with Mr Shields over the control of the radio station.

Both said the station was £300,000 in debt.

Creditors said the station owed them money, while the payment of wages to L107’s 20 staff, over the past 12 months, has been sporadic.

Mr Lamont told the Advertiser this week: “Alan Shields has been suspended and L107 has been bought over by the Creative Media Group.

And the veteran broadcaster, who was the mainstay of the station’s output until he left, disillusioned with Mr Shields’s stewardship of the company, added: “I will be down £100,000 as a result of my dealings with L107.

“Creative have taken my shares and put his (Shield’s) shares in purdah until they find out exactly what is owed. The whole thing is unravelling.”

Mr Prendergast (32), who was born in Dundee and brought up in London, lives in Chiswick.

The dad-of-two, whose partner is from Bothwell, also has a house in Blantyre.

Mr Prendergast has been in the media business for 10 years and his company have 30 staff.

He had plans to buy L107 from previous owner, ex-Radio One DJ Mark Page, in August, 2008, but was outbid by Mr Shields and Mr Lamont.

He later worked with the station’s sales team but left after three months to start his own company.

Mr Prendergast said: “On February 22, we officially bought Scottie’s interest in the station.

“We have appointed our own broadcast management company to run the station.

“We are in control of running it and it is our output that is going out at the moment.”

In the letter to Mr Shields on Tuesday outlining the reasons for his suspension as an officer of the company, Mr Prendergast said: “Due to our observations of the cavalier and irresponsible practices in all aspects of your execution of your responsibilities as an appointed officer of the companies, and the irresponsible way we believe you have treated company staff, contractors, contributors and creditors, as well as what we deem to be the suspect methods and attitude towards providing payment for all goods and services..to the continued operations of the businesses, including...the payment of staff wages and contractor invoice debts amounting to approximately £14,000, we now feel that we have no choice but to act to save our interest.”

Asked whether Mr Shields would receive any payment for his share of the station’s ownership, Mr Prendergast said: “We will work to get a full picture of the financial position of the station before making any decision on whether Mr Shields will be paid for his interest in the company, but it doesn’t look likely at the moment.”

He said he hoped Mr Lamont’s alter ego, Scottie McClue, would soon be returning to the L107 airwaves.

Mr Shields, who has a checkered business past outlined in previous Advertiser stories, said: “I am still at the radio station and this is just another attempt to get me out. I am not going away.”

He referred other questions about staff wages and creditors to his lawyer who was unable to take the Advertiser’s call.