Radio Plus news director fired after on-air protest against atheist boss

News director of Radio Plus, Jan Ruman, has been fired after reading on air a letter protesting against the appointment of a declared atheist to a senior position at the Catholic radio station. "Today a brutal attack has been made on the catholicity of Radio Plus. A man of utterly different beliefs, an atheist, has been appointed deputy director," said Ruman in his protest, read out at noon on Friday in the place of a regular news bulletin. Immediately afterwards, the station's new president, priest Joachim Oles, dismissed Ruman. Commenting on the affair, bishop Jan Chrapka said that without "a catholic background", someone at the station might find it difficult to perform his duties well, especially if they require a very personal commitment and propagating the attitudes supported by the Catholic Church. (Rzeczpospolita, Sept. 29-30, p. A3; Zycie, Sept. 29-30, p. 6) A.Z.