Golden

Spooky. Just as BBC Director of Radio Helen Boaden tells the third birthday party of Sound Women that local radio is about to deliver on the target of 50% women breakfast presenters, Radio Devon signs Simon Bates.

Simon was "let go" by Smooth Radio in February, when Global Radio took over and replaced him with Andrew Castle. The move to Radio Devon's Exeter studios will be an nice early 68th birthday presenter for Simes - and makes for a shorter journey to work. It's just over 17 miles from Simon's stud farm near the village of Witheridge. (Frozen semen from Jumbo, a renowned show jumping sire, still available at £850 a shot).

There's some re-organising of the Devon schedule to do - Simon will run from 0700 to 1000, with a return for The Golden Hour at 0900. This shaves an hour off Devon's Grande Dame, Judi Spiers, but I'm sure the management won't short change her.  Devon's latest RAJAR audience figures are at something of a low point - reaching 197,000 listeners a week.