I’m writing this in the middle of September, and I’m not the bearer of particularly good news I’m afraid.
In this piece I’ll hear claims about BBC long-term policy mis-decisions, and how the planned changes are “ageist and abelist” (but the presenter who said that, found her comments had been cut from the BBC Sounds listen-again version of her show). I’ll think about weekend shows and the impact on religious broadcasting, and the importance of small-scale community stations who will fill the gap left in local broadcasting.
More details are emerging about the new BBC Local Radio schedules. I’m a former Local Radio producer, presenter and news editor, so I’m watching these events in England with a close personal interest.
What follows is both a news update as of 14th September 2023, and a collation of the comments and responses on social media since August, as well as other public news and information sources. I’ve spent my time monitoring many of the related feeds. Unfortunately the initial week of “Digital First” in September 2023 was not a technical success.
The plan this year so far by senior BBC management has been to reduce broadcast hours to 0600 – 1400hrs Monday to Friday on each local station. All other programming will be shared regional shows across 3 or 4 stations, with a national show overnight serving all 39 services in England.
You can read much more about the changes in my previous piece which charted events from the spring of 2022 until August 2023. (https://prefadelisten.com/2023/08/14/bbc-local-radio-is-digital-first-the-end/) And an October 2023 update is available here. Follow the archives link on this page (at the side if you’re on a laptop, down at the bottom if you’re reading on your ‘phone) to read the monthly updates from Nov ’23, Dec ’23 and onwards…
I highlighted how there was widespread disbelief, anger and sadness – together with the strain on the mental wellbeing of experienced local radio presenters who were forced to audition for their own jobs or take redundancy.
One former industry professional turned academic told me that the whole episode should stand as an example of how NOT to implement change in an organisation – especially a public service one. The list of job losses catalogued in my previous piece was, he said, a management lesson for future generations.
Most strikingly I thought, was one comment from a BBC journalist who remarked that with just six weeks left before their redundancy they’d been invited to give their thoughts on a new colour scheme for the production office. Paint they’d not even see drying on the walls. Like them, I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Just awful.
So, on August 30th 2023 revelations came of the first phase of the new schedules https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/08/south-and-east-of-england-shared-shows-announced-for-local-bbc-radio/
Take a good look at it. It’s a complex arrangement on paper. I wait to hear what it sounds like. Although, as you’ll read below, the news on Monday 11th September wasn’t good.
One bright spark (yes, you know who you are) posted on social media a still from the BBC TV comedy series League of Gentlemen (1999-2002). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Gentlemen It featured the somewhat threatening shop owners Tubbs and Edward (played by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton), with the caption “Are you local?” To which another writer replied, “Any plan to launch BBC Royston Vasey has long since been scrapped…”
Another comment about the schedules for the south and east of England said, “I won’t be listening to someone talking about their coffee shop 200 miles away.”
One pointed out that as far as BBC Essex goes, it appears to be a “different mash up of stations” opt-ing in and out, whilst others join the network.
One commentator observed that, “Had BBC Local Radio remained distinctive, with experienced talent who knew the local area, then it could have been a unique jewel in the crown of public service broadcasting.” Well said. That echoes one of my points in my previous article, here.
Another added, “This is not evolution. It’s destruction. The tearing apart of BBC Local Radio – a service that’s not going to be local anymore.”
One writer put it simply, “How is it local when it’s regional?”
Another said, “With all the shared programmes on BBCs Oxford and Berkshire, we may as well have BBC Thames Valley FM back!” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Thames_Valley_FM
Meanwhile, responses to my article in August 2023 were many, and vocal. The piece prompted a 375% increase in traffic to this site. Thank you for reading this radio analysis. If you haven’t already, do hit “subscribe” to receive these articles every month.
Here’s a selection of more responses so far.
One writer on social media said, “The USP of the BBC is local content. I can get everything else done better elsewhere (on demand, streaming, etc). This is a spectacular own goal by the BBC. They must know this.”
Another added, “Ten years ago the whole of the radio industry was sneering at community radio stations. Now, in many towns, they’re the only truly local radio left standing. It’s a shame they are not allowed to be funded properly….” That, in my opinion, is a fair point. However, funding for this sector is a debate for another occasion.
As someone who now gives his time and skills to one such station, I wholeheartedly agree that they are best placed to fill the gap.
The unintended consequences for the voluntary radio sector have not gone unnoticed. The Community Media Association (CMA) https://www.communitymedia.uk/ is the representative body for the not-for-profit sector in the UK. There are around 350 community radio stations in the UK.
In its September 2023 newsletter the CMA highlighted how Jonathan Cowap had left BBC Radio York (after 38 years) and has joined Y01 Radio in York. He’s due to present the same mid-morning slot on the schedule as he did across the road at the Beeb. I also refer to Jon’s move here.
The CMA bulletin had news of Den Siegertsz who left BBC Radio Stoke after 27 years and now has a show on Churnet Sound, which serves Leek and Congleton. (August 29th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/08/former-bbc-radio-stoke-presenter-den-siegertsz-joins-churnet-sound/)
The CMA also mentioned that the community station Wycombe Sound “sees the BBC redundances as an opportunity”. The station is, the newsletter says, planning to expand its news coverage and hire more presenters to fill the local gap.
Many commentators highlighted the word “local” and gave examples of essential public broadcasting information services such as the coverage of emergency school closures in bad weather, lamb banks, travel news, local council stories and election results.
One former BBC journalist observed that regional and local newspapers are contracting too. “This is a time to strengthen BBC Local Radio, not obliterate it”.
Which lines up with a piece on August 25th by Alan Rusbridger, a former editor of The Guardian newspaper. He says right at the end of his article, “Don’t junk BBC Local Radio […] we need it” https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/columns/62684/alan-rusbridger-local-news-bbc. And for context, there’s background on Prospect Magazine available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_(magazine)
Other comments include:
“One of the unique selling points of local radio was the ‘local’ part – lose that and you lose listeners overall.”
“Utter destruction, heartache for listeners and staff, growing mental issues also for staff. … I’ve seen so much hurt and pain this past year. It’s beyond belief.”
This is “very sad”; it’s “death by a thousand cuts”. It’s “shameful and horrid indeed”.
“The Whole BBC Local Radio debacle is sad and unnecessary.”
A number of people questioned the public consultation process during 2022 and 2023. For example,
”It’s so depressing: that such a fantastic local and regional public broadcasting service can be butchered without public consent is appalling…”
“…One area that continues to astound me is the lack of accountability or engagement in public debate [by senior BBC executives].”
On another important issue: I’m a strong supporter of local weekend programming. At York I was, for a time, the Saturday and Sunday breakfast presenter and producer. We regularly got the highest RAJARs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAJAR) of the whole week across those two shows.
The plan now is for weekends to consist of regional shared programmes. It’s prompted one writer to declare, “One of the most appalling aspects of this chaos is the destruction of weekend local broadcasting. No more Saturday or Sunday breakfast or mid-morning, in fact nothing at all, apart from sport.”
This is a point taken up in the Christian press by Peter Crumpler. He’s a CofE minister in St Albans, north of London, and a regular commentator on media issues. He says he’s disappointed and worried about local churches losing connections. Read his thoughts here. https://christiantoday.com/article/why.local.radio.cuts.make.me.lose.faith.in.the.bbc/140617.htm
Management critiques abound in the comments and in your responses. One said, it was typical of the BBC to “cut then reinstate”. I know exactly what you mean, and I hope you’re right. Indeed, the whole long-run Local Radio policy can sometimes feel like a cyclical affair.
For example, it reminds me of my many years producing, presenting, and editing local breakfast shows. In the early 1980s the format was a 60:40 speech to music ratio across the whole show from 0600 to 0900.
Then in the late 80s the edict was for breakfast to become all speech for the entire three hours. We had no extra staff, so it meant that packages and interviews were repeated at least twice.
Towards the dawn of the new millennium the ruling became: six tracks between 0600 and 0700, all speech from 0700 to 0830, and then a couple of tracks for the last half hour up to 0900. It felt like a pendulum of music-and-speech policy changes that was slowly swinging full circle.
First “yes” to music, then “no”, then “maybe”. I’m not convinced we ever got the breakfast format just right, although I did like Liz Green at Radio Leeds in the early 2000s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Green
Also check out Georgey Spanswick on BBC Radio York. Both, in their own ways, have the ability to natter entertainingly as if any pre-planned schedule just did not exist. It did, and their professionalism meant that they still hit all the timed junctions in their breakfast shows perfectly.
One commentator asks, “Why not prog share in the middle of the day, when the audience dips? Drivetime is always bigger in terms of audience numbers.”
That comment reminds me of the Dennis McCarthy show in the East Midlands. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_McCarthy_(radio_presenter). One day I’ll rewrite that Wiki entry more clearly and correct the slight errors.
One contributor on social media is obviously of the same vintage as your correspondent, and we both recall the early 1980s in the East Midlands. That’s when the lunchtime news was at 1250, back-timed to the pips at 1300. I have to admit after all these years that it was a somewhat hit-and-miss affair.
“…And now the main news again”, as I re-read the headlines. Then: “…And now again in detail”, as I had to re-read not just the intro heads but also the cues in order to fill to time.
Then at 1300hrs BBC Radios Leicester, Derby and Nottingham would all SB The World at One from Radio 4, split at 1400 for a timed local bulletin, and then we’d network into Afternoon Special from Nottingham with Dennis McCarthy across all three stations. I recall Radio Lincolnshire also joined us at some stage. Dennis was a bit of a curate’s egg; but he was really popular across this tight-knit region and the listeners loved him (and his love of dogs). But most importantly, each of the three stations opted back into local drivetime shows at 1600hrs.
There’s always been a strong audience at this time of day. Below is a link to a review of one show I did back in the day, complete with the track listing for a typical hour of eclectic songs picked by yours truly. Computers didn’t figure in those days. Somewhat presciently the article, from Radio & Music magazine, carries the title “Support your local”.
In other developments, as well as Den Siegertsz leaving BBC Radio Stoke, mentioned above, there’s news from Norfolk:
Dateline: August 16th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/08/bbc-radio-norfolks-stephen-bumfrey-leaves-the-station/
On September 10th, on the same station, Sophie Little expressed on air how she thought the planned changes were “ageist, abelist, and placed economic barriers for some people.” Her live on-air comments were removed from the BBC Sounds version for anyone wanting to listen again. Thanks to the joys of the internet, there is an audio copy out there. Follow the link. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/bbc-local-radio-presenters-air-their-opinions-on-recent-changes/
A day later, on Monday 11th September, the wheels fell off the cart – in the first week – before it had even left the farmyard. Click this link for some choice comments from Nicky Horne:
And on the same day, listeners on the south coast of England staged a social media backlash at BBC Radio Solent which had the temerity to post an advert for a drivetime presenter, just weeks after the recent redundancies. Read more here: https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/bbc-radio-solent-removes-advert-for-drive-presenter-following-backlash/
Meanwhile, on September 1st union members at the NUJ voted to continue their campaign against the planned changes. https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/bbc-journalists-vote-to-renew-their-industrial-action-mandate-over-cuts-to-local-radio.html Michelle Stanistreet, the National Union of Journalists’ general secretary, said:
“The BBC needs to sit up and take notice of the strong feeling of BBC staff, along with politicians and community groups across the country. …[…]… This is a strong result in an important dispute in support of jobs, but also importantly in support of the BBC’s role in providing a service to all local communities. We now have a further mandate for strike action. But of course, we would prefer to reach a negotiated settlement with the BBC and resolve to continue the present talks with management.”
We need to listen critically to the new station formats in the months ahead. But already there’s some warning signs. I understand that the afternoon show (1400-1800hrs) for Yorkshire will come from Sheffield and also be broadcast on Leeds and York.
As to the bulletins, York will have an afternoon news producer/reader, but the Leeds journo will have to prepare seperate summaries for both Leeds and Sheffield. One will be a pre-rec at 15 minutes to the hour that’s sent down the line; the other will be live. I’ve previously written about my deep reservations regarding the pre-recording of news bulletins. I just don’t think it’s professional.
My concern is that BBC Local Radio already appears to be slipping away from “Local” of its own accord. One day in late August, Wednesday the 23rd in fact, on Radio Leeds is an example, albeit a very unscientific one.
Switching on the car radio as I was driving around I heard the following just after 0900hrs and later from 1400 to 1500hrs. The speech content comprised of two packages and a pre-record, none of them local.
First, at 0910, a story that passengers who smile at bus drivers make them happy. It was a 3’30” package from a Beeb reporter in Bristol about a report commissioned from the University of Sussex by Transport for London. From Brighton to London to Bristol. Not much of a mention for West Yorkshire here. (Details here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/people-transport-for-london-university-of-sussex-department-for-transport-b2397648.html)
Later that same day I tuned in to BBC Radio Leeds after two o’clock. Now, it’s important to bear in mind that us Yorkshire types always head for Scarborough, Whitby, Filey or Bridlington for our holidays. The west coast had never had a great pull. So, what was there on air, but a package about the Big Dipper’s centenary in Blackpool from the BBC North West team. (read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66586462)
Next, it was a pre-rec with the local presenter talking to someone down the line from a reality TV show about teaching young children about periods. How, I wondered as I was listening, was this locally relevant to Leeds and West Yorkshire specifically?
The answer came in the guest’s first response, right after her playful sounding “hello”. It was, she said proudly, a national campaign promoted by the sanitary product manufacturer Always (owned by the multi-national company Procter & Gamble, known as P&G). One-nil to the product placement PR pluggers there then. https://www.always.co.uk/en-gb/about-us/campaigns-and-initiatives/puberty-education-programme/
You can read comments and a response in my October 2023 update here.
Let me know what you’re listening to. Drop me a line in the comment box. All responses are moderated, and you can remain anonymous if you wish.
And finally, a mention for my new book. Radio is, as this article shows, a medium that evokes much emotion. So, my history of 100 years of radio is a reflection of how pop stars, movie makers, TV scriptwriters, novelists, poets, painters and artists, have reacted to what they’ve heard. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/radios-legacy-in-popular-culture-9781501360435/
And you can read my chapter one here, before you buy: https://bloomsburycp3.codemantra.com/viewer/61c091c75f150300016f10af
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