Leader of the opposition David Cameron is to be a special guest when The Sun launches its first radio station on April 20.
Sun Talk is being heralded by the paper as “The Home of Free Speech” and will be hosted five days a week from 10am to 1pm by columnist Jon Gaunt.
Gaunt hosted a mid-morning radio show on TalkSport until November this year, when he was suspended and then fired for likening a councillor to a “Nazi” during a discussion on whether smokers should be banned from being foster parents.
As an internet-based radio station, Sun Talk will not be subject to regulation by the Ofcom Broadcasting Code – which includes sections on “harm and offence” and “due impartiality”.
However, Sun Talk will be covered by the Editors’ Code of Practice – which underpins the work of the Press Complaints Commission.
This does not rule on matters of taste or decency, and places no rules on print journalists regarding political impartiality.
Writing in The Sun today, Gaunt said: “I’ve had loads of offers since my untimely exit from that other station, but I have held out for this one as the thought of translating Britain’s greatest newspaper into great radio is a challenge I just couldn’t resist. I can’t wait to get behind the microphone again.”
Sun Talk will be broadcast from new shared multimedia studios for all News International‘s titles which have recently been completed at their Wapping HQ.
The show will go out live, and be available to download.
Gaunt says that Sun journalists such as Ally Ross, Trevor Kavanagh, Lisa Minot, Ken Gibson and Ian McGarry will appear on the show – as well as star guests from sport, showbiz and politics.
Cameron will take an hour of calls and emails from 10am on launch day.
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