Jazz with Johnson?s departure from VSB?s airwaves has been far from amicable, says the DJ.

Leon Johnson hit out after station manager Mike Bishop claimed in this paper last week it had been a mutual parting of the ways.

Mr. Johnson wrote to to say ?The truth is, after nine years of being under-appreciated, undervalued and consistently insulted by the station management, I quit.?

The four-hour Sunday evening show, featuring the langerous, deep voice of host Mr. Johnson, was pulled around two months ago, but public reaction has been minimal said Mr. Bishop.

He said: ?I have had one lady stop me in Trimingham?s and ask me why it was not on but apart from that the response has been absolutely zero.

?The bottom line is in the last phone conversation I had with Mr. Johnson he was asked if he wished to continue or not. He said ?wait a minute, I will ask?.

?He consulted with his wife, I believe, came back and said at this time I would prefer not to go on. If he wanted to continue, he had every opportunity to continue it.

?Unfortunately when people have a passion for what they believe, that?s the only thing that matters in their little domain.

?In the greater scheme of things we have to be concerned with what the station puts out.?

He said Mr. Johnson had been unhappy at having his show moved to AM after Hurricane Fabian took down half of a VSB tower and took out the FM service.

He said Jazz with Johnson had faired no worse than all the other programmes which had to make the switch and it was planned to be restored to FM when service returned.

?It was going to continue, it was Mr. Johnson who chose not to continue it.?