Fading signals

I enjoyed reading Christine Jardine’s affectionate portrait of the BBC (Perspective,14 November). I would agree that BBC local radio stations could be the “epitome” of public service broadcasting and I enjoy listening to Radio Orkney and Radio Shetland when a holiday gives me that opportunity.

The mantle seems to have slipped a bit, not least in BBC Highland, due to cuts over the last decade. The number of trusted reporters has been reduced and there now seems to be very little resource for news gathering. Stories are often national ones repeated with perhaps the addition of a few local nuances. I am sorry to say this, as I am sure that the BBC staff do the best they can in the circumstances.

The reduction from the 30-minute Morning Report when the station first opened to the mere six minutes now has never worked well for either news or sport, especially on Fridays and Mondays when there is more of the latter to cram into the mix.

RJ ARDERN

Inverness