Local radio cuts needed to ‘keep pace with way audiences are changing’

THE BBC’s director of nations has defended cuts to local radio services such as Radio Bristol are necessary to “keep pace with the way audiences are changing”.

Rhodri Talfan Davies told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that plans for stations to share more content and broadcast less programming unique to their areas are “fundamentally not about a reduction in services”.

He said the total amount of money being moved out of local radio amounted to about £11 million with about £4 million of that being reinvested in the BBC Sounds service and podcasting.

Challenged whether the plans amounted to “ripping the heart out” of the BBC’s local radio offering in a media landscape with fewer commercial local stations, he replied: “I don’t accept that premise.

“I think we are keeping 39 local stations across England. We are keeping local bases of at least 25 staff in each of our local bases.

“We are strengthening the size of our local news teams. We are investing in investigative journalism across 22 of our local bases.

“This is fundamentally not about a reduction in services. It is about making sure our portfolio of local services that we deliver across radio, television and online keep pace with the way audiences are changing.”

Mr Talfan Davies said that due to the licence fee freeze and inflation, the BBC faces by 2026/2027 a £400 million funding gap, and that was one driving factor in the proposals.

The plans have provoked criticism from figures including culture minister Julia Lopez and 90 Labour leaders from England, who wrote to BBC director general Tim Davie asking him to rethink the changes.

Proposals confirmed by the broadcaster include the loss of 48 jobs across local staffing in England, amounting to a total reduction of 2%.