Fi Glover says BBC local radio cuts are bonkers
The awarding winning broadcaster backs the NUJ’s campaign to keep BBC radio local in a video #KeepBBCLocalRadioLocal
The BBC proposes that most local radio output will be shared during afternoons and evenings, with staffing in BBC England expected to be reduced by around 48 posts. The proposals have been called the biggest threat to local radio since its launch in 1967 by the NUJ. The corporation wants the BBC’s service to increase digitally, however 5.7m people still listen to BBC local radio.
© BBC
Fi Glover said on Radio 4's the Media Show we need to hear stories from the people around us and our local communities from a trusted source, otherwise something unpleasant could fill that void. She said: “There has never been a more important time in the dissemination of information to have a strong local news network. If you can’t tell the story of the people around you, who you know and see every day then into that void can fall really unpleasant things. Once that part of the forest has been cut down, it won’t ever grow again. So I think it is bonkers.”
Find out more about the #KeepBBCRadioLocal campaign. Hear why Sir Keir Starmer is a fan, and how he worries about the cuts, plus listener Diane who says in the kitchen, bathroom, sitting room and car, BBC local radio is a reliable friend and companion.