Colin Murray quits TalkSport in protest over Sun owner buying the station
TalkSport presenter Colin Murray has resigned from his position, citing the radio station’s new owner and publisher of the Sun, News Corporation, as the reason for doing so.
Colin Murray quits TalkSport
Murray made the announcement on Twitter in a statement which singled out the Sun as the reason for him leaving his role as presenter of the weekday late morning show on TalkSport.
“While there are parts of News Corp that aren’t a problem, it is the inevitable future working relationship between TalkSport and the Sun that has made my position unsustainable,” he said, in the post.
Leaving talkSPORT. pic.twitter.com/vdAMsU94qB
— colin murray (@ColinMurray) July 13, 2016
While Murray did not go into any detail over his issue with the Sun, he is an ardent Liverpool supporter and many of the club’s fans hold a vehement disdain for the News Corporation-owned titled following its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster.
He signed off his message with #JFT96, “Justice for the 96”, in reference to the 96 football fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough.
Curbing any speculation that the resignation was not his decision, Murray specified in his statement that he had been offered a new contract until 2019. He added that his last show would be 2 September.
A spokeswoman for TalkSport said in a statement: “It is with much regret that, after three years of working with us, Colin Murray has taken the decision to move on from his presenting role at TalkSport this September.
“Colin has been a fantastic asset to the station and, while we respect his decision, we will be very sorry to lose him. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Murray's departure follows close on the heels of fellow TalkSport pundit and former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore who announced that the station would not renew his contract.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation struck a £220m deal to TalkSport owner, Wireless Group, in June and is expected to take control of the company later this year.