EXPERIENCED broadcaster Laurie Mayer was an "old-fashioned" presenter who lacked warmth and could not cope with the lighter side of regional television news, it was claimed at a tribunal.

BBC bosses criticised Mr Mayer, who claims he was fired unfairly from his job at the Tunbridge Wells studios, for his "presentation style."

Mr Mayer spent more than 30 years in national television and radio with the BBC and Sky before joining the BBC in Kent to present South East Today, the new flagship regional news programme.

He presented the show from its launch in September 2001 to June 25. On June 26, he walked out of the studio 10 minutes before it was due to go on air, saying he was too upset to carry on because he had just been blamed for poor audience figures.

Mr Mayer claims that his contract was not renewed because he blew the whistle on a "climate of fear" in the newsroom and spoke up for younger staff who were "reduced to tears" by the "atmosphere of intimidation."

At the time of his abrupt departure, four months before his contract was due to expire, the BBC was worried it was losing the ratings battle with the well-established commercial rival Meridian Tonight.

This led to studio chiefs launching a dual-presenter format, a style long adopted by Meridian. But Mr Mayer was unhappy with this decision, which involved the use of Beverley Thompson as co-presenter.

On the third day of the hearing at Ashford, Andy Griffee, controller of BBC English Regions, said that in early 2002, he had thought the programme was "boring and dull."

He said: "I began to form the impression that Laurie's rather over-serious and lacklustre presentation was holding back South East Today and our early hopes for the programme's quick growth were not materialising."

Rod Beards, the programme editor, told the tribunal that Mr Mayer lacked "warmth." He was a "formal, an old-fashioned presenter."

"Once the programme was launched, it became clear he wasn't receptive to our trying to develop a lighter, warmer touch to his presenting."

Regional news was different to national news. It was important to "be seen to be identifying with the region or locality. Because of this, you cannot afford to be, or come across as, too remote. Your style needs to command respect and have credibility, but you also need to convey warmth and approachability."

He said "Laurie wasn't good at dealing with the lighter items and wasn't very good at giving us the softer, friendlier image we needed for regional news. My view was that he wanted us to do a programme which was a version of Sky News for the region."

Mr Beards criticised Mr Mayer for his handling of a filler item about a station cat. He admitted it was "not our finest piece of journalism" but in certain circumstances, "you have to run with what you have to stay on air."

"Laurie was particularly dismissive about it. He created a fuss and wanted to re-write the introduction which he did, rather late and got it wrong because he named the station as being Tunbridge Wells, not Tonbridge."

He said the dual presentation format was aimed at making the programme more "accessible, friendly and fun."

Ratings were said to have risen after Mr Mayer's departure, even though a number of viewers were upset and demanded his reinstatement.

The hearing continues.