Something is not right at 702, says John Robbie

As 702 talk radio fans are still reeling after host Stephen Grootes announced his resignation on Thursday night, veteran radio personality John Robbie has suggested that something is amiss at the station. 

702 announced that Stephen would be leaving in mid-April "to take up a new opportunity", and said his replacement would be announced soon. Stephen had only been in the job for two months, after moving up from the breakfast show in January.

In a tweet, Stephen said he was sad to be leaving but is excited about the future.

Shortly after news of Stephen's resignation emerged former 702 host John Robbie suspected something "is not right" at the station after a number of big departures over the last year and a half.

Redi Tlhabi, who left the station last year, spoke about the unique challenges of Stephen's slot but said there was "no drama". She told fans not to panic and compared the situation to the famous exodus of talent at Metro FM in the 90s.

"So sorry it hurts. Remember when all our favourites left Metro FM (in the) late 90s? Life went on. Not a single person on Kaya's original lineup is still there. Yet station's thriving. 702 managed to hold on to its talent for many years. Rest easy. We meet to part and we part, to meet."

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, 702 station manager Thabisile Mbete denied there was a crisis at the station.

"702 remains in a strong position to deliver great content to our audiences. There have been a number of changes for many different reasons and some of these have been precipitated by the broader changes in the broadcasting sector. Change also brings opportunity and we believe the current line-up is well positioned to navigate the complex conversations we need to have in the country."