Local Radio Is A Lifeline To The Communities It Serves, Says Former BBC Journalist.

Phillippa Guillou reacts to planned cuts to local radio and BBC’s push into digital media.

BBC local radio cuts

Last week, the BBC announced that they would be cutting programmes from all the 39 local radio stations in the UK.

All stations will continue to have their 6am-2pm local programmes but from the afternoon onwards it would be the same shows being broadcasted to multiple regions across the country.

Rhodri Talfan Davies, director of Nations, says the cuts are happening to, “help (BBC) connect with more people in more communities right across England - striking a better balance between our broadcast and online services - and ensuring we remain a cornerstone of local life for generations to come."

Phillippa Guillou when she was at the BBC carrying a microphone and a woody on her back. Credit: Phillippa Guillou

Phillippa Guillou explains that people tune into their local BBC radio station to find “reliable” and “accurate” information; something that she was able to be a part of during her time working for the BBC in Guernsey.

She says: “Many people - old and young - are accompanied by local radio as they wait in the doctors office, drive to work, relax in their garden - it's a constant in many people's lives, the power of which should not be underestimated.”

BBC going digital

BBC News website front page from 8th November 2022. Credit: www.bbc.co.uk

The former BBC radio journalist agrees with Rhodri Talfan Davies that the company needs to focus more on digital content going forward but, must not neglect the importance of local radio on wider society.

Phillippa believes, “The BBC would be silly not to consider people's changing listening habits when they're thinking about how to spend their budget.”

Adding: “That being said, BBC local radio is so unique in the way that it connects so deeply with the communities it serves. I don't think pulling from here is the right thing to do because what local radio offers cannot be mirrored by offering more digital content.”

BECTU, the largest union representing staff at BBC, blames the Government’s decision to freeze the BBC license fee as the reason for the cuts.

Head of BECTU Philippa Childs says: “The Government’s decision to freeze the licence fee has made these damaging cuts inevitable…talented and hardworking people who deliver local services face job losses, and audiences and communities will suffer from reduced local output and ultimately a reduced BBC.”

Problem facing BBC

Credit: Getty Images

The biggest problem the BBC faces is justifying the license fee to people in the UK argues Phillippa.

She believes that people fail to realise the value of BBC services in comparison to other subscription based products such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+.

“It's such a shame because I think most people don't realise how much they rely on or use BBC services, whether that's listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, news or listening to the radio in the car.”

She adds: “Fundamentally, £13 a month is still exceptional value for all that the BBC has to offer and I think the problem lies with convincing people that it's worth the spend on the licence fee to keep the BBC going; and to protect its future!”

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon speaking to the House of Commons about the impact of BBC Radio cuts to his constituency. Credit: YouTube/Simon Jupp

Protecting the future is what Director General, Rhodri Talfan Davies believes he is doing through cutting programmes and refocusing the majority of BBC’s finances into digital services such as IPlayer and BBC Sounds.

“About 85% of the population aren’t local radio users,” he says. “If we lock our money into the existing model we will slowly decline.”

He continues: “Do I think that we need 39 afternoon local radio programmes? We don’t. This is a shift to driving high-quality delivery.”

But the proposed “shift” has come with backlash from key figures from the BAME community across the UK. The likes of David Harewood, Adrian Lester, Diane Abbott, and Doreen Lawrence are amongst those who have signed an open letter on the Voice to the director general and, Richard Sharp, chairman of the BBC, expressing their concerns about the new plans.

David Harewood MBE is a British actor who has starred in the US show, ‘Supergirl’ and the film ‘Blood Diamonds’. Credit: CBS

More than 40 celebs, actors and MPs have signed the open letter in rejection to the proposed plans as they will cut BAME programmes from BBC local radio, taking away important shows from those communities.

The letter states: “Following news stories about the proposed cuts to BBC Local Radio, we, along with the other signatories to this letter, are concerned about the devastating impact this will have on Black and Asian programmes and the licence fee payers who rely on these programmes as vital sources of community news.”