[Dadeki]

BBC Radio Humberside presenter Andy Comfort suggesting here that the situation is far graver than originally anticipated.

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[Keith]

BBC Radio Humberside presenter Andy Comfort suggesting here that the situation is far graver than originally anticipated.

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If accurate I'm guessing closing all existing presenter posts and re-applying is a way of enforcing new contracts on staff who stay, which I imagine also might have a lower salary. Also potentially prevents against any claims of unfair dismissal, though won't prevent negative headlines in the press.

[Jon]

With Cambridge deciding simply not bothering to put their regional news programme the other night, could we see some sort of mass strike from BBC Local Radio presenters. It would certainly bring a lot pressure on management but only if it’s done at a national level.

In the other hand, many presenters might want to risk potential of getting kept on.

[Steve in Pudsey]

There is an interesting nuance here as was pointed out in an article by Martin Kelner last time he was let go by Radio Leeds, that there are plenty of people in presenter roles on permanent Senior Broadcast Journalist contracts from when these stations were largely news/speech based. Getting rid of them is not cheap endeavour

I wonder what Presenter means in this context?

[Josh]

More opinions from BBC Local Radio shows this week:
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[Andrew]

There is an interesting nuance here as was pointed out in an article by Martin Kelner last time he was let go by Radio Leeds, that there are plenty of people in presenter roles on permanent Senior Broadcast Journalist contracts from when these stations were largely news/speech based.  Getting rid of them is not cheap endeavour

Which in the context of Radio Leeds would probably include the likes of current weekend breakfast (but previously weekday) presenter Andrew Edwards and weekend afternoon (and also previously until Covid weekday lunchtime) presenter Liz Green

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Also have these cuts been covered on the national or regional news anywhere? The BBC usually don’t need much excuse to criticise themselves.

[Omnipresent]

The combinations make little sense editorially. 

It's odd to put Nottingham together with Derby and Stoke, and then Leicester with Northampton when for listeners the East Midlands means Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and BBC Radio Nottingham shares its premises with East Midlands Today.

I'm not in BBC Local Radio's target demo (formerly known as "Dave and Sue") but I've never felt its punched its weight. 

I remember one Friday evening a major fire broke out in a new student building with a novel design at my old university just before the new university year was to start.  I checked the stream for the local BBC station on BBC Sounds and there was not a mention of it, they just carried on with an inane phone in about baby names.

Given how Five Live is a shadow of its former self, I would be tempted to split it into a separate news and sports network.  Put the sports on Five Live's current frequencies, then merge Five Live News with local radio put resources into decent local opt outs.

One of the many mistakes the BBC has made with the government over the past 12 years is to allow them to impose substantial cuts on the BBC by stealth and not make the government own them.  The BBC needs to make the government own cuts due to the licence fee freeze.

[Steve in Pudsey]

There is an interesting nuance here as was pointed out in an article by Martin Kelner last time he was let go by Radio Leeds, that there are plenty of people in presenter roles on permanent Senior Broadcast Journalist contracts from when these stations were largely news/speech based.  Getting rid of them is not cheap endeavour

Which in the context of Radio Leeds would probably include the likes of current weekend breakfast (but previously weekday) presenter Andrew Edwards and weekend afternoon (and also previously until Covid weekday lunchtime) presenter Liz Green

Indeed I'm pretty sure that's who he was referring to. His article is here www.martinkelner.com 

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[James2001]

I remember one Friday evening a major fire broke out in a new student building with a novel design at my old university just before the new university year was to start.  I checked the stream for the local BBC station on BBC Sounds and there was not a mention of it, they just carried on with an inane phone in about baby names.

I always think of a video Ashens did a few years back where he was reviewing these pocket radios, and when he got to BBC Radio Norwich, he said "bloody hell, it's some old man ranting about the toilets at the BBC" and he was going on for ages, and I can't help but feel that sums up a lot of the content on BBC local radio. That baby names thing is just another variation on the theme.

[TVFan]

I remember one Friday evening a major fire broke out in a new student building with a novel design at my old university just before the new university year was to start.  I checked the stream for the local BBC station on BBC Sounds and there was not a mention of it, they just carried on with an inane phone in about baby names.

I always think of a video Ashens did a few years back where he was reviewing these pocket radios, and when he got to BBC Radio Norwich, he said "bloody hell, it's some old man ranting about the toilets at the BBC" and he was going on for ages, and I can't help but feel that sums up a lot of the content on BBC local radio. That baby names thing is just another variation on the theme.

Let’s not forget the classic “What’s your favourite biscuit?” phone in. Definitely what the local communities are crying to hear.

It is a shame as solid local content gets buried amongst inane filler. I do think that although it is sad news, the reduced local hours could help what is left have more focus, with only 8 hours a day to fill, but the staffing cuts don’t give me much hope.