BBC Local Radio: “Digital First” news – October 2023

This is the latest of three pieces. You can read the others here and here. In this edition there’s a critique of recent emergency flood reporting at one local station, I’ll share news of continuing concerns from MPs, and we’ll hear echoes from one hundred years ago – when once again the Beeb was tinkering with its popular local radio stations.

Meanwhile, more details have emerged of the new schedules – this time in Yorkshire, the West Midlands, the Northeast, East Yorks & Lincs, and the West of England.

Later in this article I’ll provide links to David Lloyd’s comment pieces. He’s a long-standing and very experienced commercial radio DJ and ILR station manager who spent a short time in the late 2000s with the BBC. In his 2017 book Radio Moments: 50 Years of Radio – Life on the Inside (London: Biteback) he says of his BBC memories,

“Every staff member spoke of the organisation as if speaking of an annoying errant brother they still loved unconditionally.”

I’ll also try to lighten the load with a piece of satire – from of all places the BBC. It’s remarkable that such a large often unwieldy organisation can sometimes manage to take a step back and smile at itself. Perhaps one day it’ll be able to laugh at what it’s doing to Local Radio. I hope so. Now read on.

In my last update in September, I made reference to what I perceived to be a lack of truly local speech items. It was, admittedly, an unrepresentative sample of BBC Radio Leeds output one day back in August but it gave me cause for concern.

It prompted a reaction from a former BBC staffer who wished to remain anonymous. He has years of valuable journalistic experience. He told me,

“I am firmly of the opinion that this [whole] debacle stems from a lack of training. Back in the day people, including me, received advice and a thorough inculcation into the core values of public service broadcasting from knowledgeable staffers attached to the local radio training unit. We learned the rights and wrongs from the previous generation.

“Twenty odd years ago that disappeared. From then, staff who joined from commercial radio were allowed to keep their corner-cutting, that’ll do, mentality; and as those new joiners moved up the food chain into positions of management, the whole ethos was lost. Informal on-the-job training from experienced colleagues dwindled, partly because new staff didn’t think they needed advice. And also, because of greater work pressures, there was no time available in the day to offer the same kind of support that we received from our peers.

“There used to be no tolerance of the shameful plugging by product promotion companies. Now, because of time constraints and inexperience, these paid-for “stories” based on spurious stats, get on air, and managers don’t seem to care: “if it sounds like news…” The healthy cynicism that was bred into old-timers is no longer seen as one of the prime requisites of a producer/journo.

“I spent years on the same station. I will not miss it. Local radio is now mainly churnalism, processing press releases without looking for the real angle, coverage of people doing sponsored activities, and knee-jerk reacting to inane social media stories.”

Send me your examples of “churnalism”. In the meantime, here’s a chronological collection of articles from the past four weeks. Mid-Sept ’23 to mid-Oct ’23. All include full web-links in credit to their original place of publication.

September 14^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/nuj-expresses-disability-and-equality-concerns-over-bbc-local-radio-cuts/

September 15^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/sharing-schedules-announced-for-bbc-local-radio-stations-in-the-west/

Meanwhile, on September 19^th Andrew Barker posted an interesting snippet on social media. He’s a radio historian who has for the last couple of years published regular “On The Day” (OTD) news clippings from the archives to celebrate radio’s centenary. Andrew found this prophetic gem. The FB link is below this screenshot.

And here’s the link if you wish to join the FB group and follow the joys of the archives. https://www.facebook.com/groups/bbcentury/permalink/825120932392362/

September 19^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/scott-makin-extends-bbc-radio-tees-afternoon-show-to-bbc-radio-newcastle/

September 19^th a critique of emergency flood coverage at BBC Radio Devon https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/has-bbc-management-let-down-listeners-in-devon-after-regional-flooding/

September 20^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/toby-foster-gets-yorkshire-afternoons-on-bbc-local-radio-stations/

September 20^th The regional newspaper, the Yorkshire Post also has this on the Local Radio changes https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/bbc-reveals-new-presenting-line-ups-for-leeds-sheffield-and-york-radio-stations-after-departures-of-long-serving-hosts-4342781

September 22^nd Parliament remains worried about the BBC LR changes. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/draft-media-bill-dcms-remains-concerned-over-bbc-local-radio-changes/

September 26^th has the news that freelance specialist music presenters are leaving too – in this case to move to Radio Caroline. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/ray-clark-announces-departure-date-from-bbc-essex/

By the way, Radio Caroline these days is no longer a pirate. It is an Ofcom licenced community radio station in Essex, still broadcasting from studios on-board the old ship which is now safely moored in calm inshore waters.

Well done to everyone involved. Click this link to find official details, and how the team seek to carry on the old 1960s spirit. http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/html/radio-stations/community/cr101725ba2radiocaroline.htm

September 29^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/bbc-hereford-worcesters-mike-boyden-feels-awful-to-leave-show/

September 30^th David Lloyd published this considered piece. Again, I commend it to you. https://www.davidlloydradio.com/post/the-silent-killer (see below for another thoughtful piece from David ten days later…)

Also on September 30^th there was news from BBC Radio Nottingham. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/09/bbc-radio-nottinghams-andy-whittaker-is-to-leave-the-station/

A new month, and a new set of goodbyes. October 3^rd https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/late-show-host-on-bbc-radio-in-north-steffen-peddie-to-leave/

October 6^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/shared-afternoon-programmes-arrive-at-bbc-local-radio-in-the-west-midlands/

And also on the Friday of October 6^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/late-night-local-radio-presenters-across-the-bbc-say-goodbye-to-listeners/

October 7^th, and news that one of Humberside’s most popular and experienced presenters has found a new on-air home: https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/former-bbc-radio-humbersides-burnsy-set-to-join-107fm/

Alan Beswick’s last show on BBC Manchester was overnight from Saturday into the early hours of Sunday morning 7^th/8^th October. Here’s how the local MEN newspaper marked that day. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/bbc-radio-manchester-legend-allan-27869848

October 9^th, and David Lloyd writes this piece for the i newspaper: https://inews.co.uk/news/media/commercial-radio-is-booming-so-why-is-the-bbc-closing-its-ears-and-running-from-local-communities-2673692

October 10^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/former-bbc-radio-solent-presenter-alex-dyke-joins-wave-105/

Also on the 10^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/bbc-radio-cornwalls-tiffany-truscott-to-leave-the-station/

And then more scedules are announced: https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/schedules-for-bbc-local-stations-in-east-yorkshire-and-lincolnshire-announced/

Which are then published in the local paper. Critical analysis and comment comes, as ever these days, from readers rather than the editorial teams of media organisations. https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/bbc-radio-lincolnshire-unveils-new-8820443

October 13^th https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/10/bbc-radio-devons-david-fitzgerald-leaving-date-confirmed/

As one commentator has said elsewhere, perhaps it’s time to resist further sustained criticism of the changes to BBC Local Radio in 2023. Instead maybe we should take the long view and think towards charter renewal. That’s due in 2027.

Over the past three months I’ve attempted to chronicle the implementation of “Digital First” as it applies to BBC Local Radio. Thank you for reading this with me. Do subscribe to receive my monthly pieces – still free of charge.

And finally, satire can sometimes become prescient. Here’s the W1A scene with an awkward BBC logo rebrand. “The raccoon is already in the trash can.” Enjoy.

Drop me a message in the box below. What are you listening to these days? All comments are moderated.