[Nobby]

The programme was also not promoted. It's not listed, even now, in the schedules. I think BBC South East Today said something at the end of the bulletin yesterday but no times or details were given, it made it sound like they were just promoting the breakfast show on each station.

www.bbc.co.uk 

BBC Radio Gloucestershire - Schedules, Sunday 21 January 2024
This is the daily broadcast schedule for BBC Radio Gloucestershire
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk 

BBC Sussex - Schedules, Sunday 21 January 2024
This is the daily broadcast schedule for BBC Sussex
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

[steve]

I think most of the 'regions' did a show - there was one across Leeds, Sheffield, York and (I think) Humberside?

Certainly one across Merseyside, Cumbria, Manchester and Lancashire, throughout the night.

[VMPhil]

Yes and it was promoted on the late North West Tonight bulletin, although just a "listen on BBC Sounds"

[lookoutwales]

Another RAJAR day - and perhaps unsurprisingly, some reactionaries have jumped the gun a little on the ratings impact of the cuts.

Bit too unfair to judge on one quarter for any station - and particularly with changes as staggered between regions as these.

Matt Deegan provided a more balanced view, even suggesting that VILOR may not be the ideal playout system - and I do go along with his theory that it will come down to the loss of familiar presenters rather than the ins and outs of whether a show is local, regional, networked etc.

onaudio.mattdeegan.com 

RAJAR Q4/2023 - by Matt Deegan - Matt on Audio
Tracking changes across the sector
  Source: onaudio.mattdeegan.com

[lookoutwales]

Meanwhile, Stereo Underground didn't even get to say goodbye on Radio Solent last night...

radiotoday.co.uk 

BBC Radio Solent pulls last episode of Stereo Underground without explanation &#…
BBC Radio Solent failed to broadcast its final episode of Stereo Underground thi…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk

[Keith]

Meanwhile, Stereo Underground didn't even get to say goodbye on Radio Solent last night...

radiotoday.co.uk 

If I recall correctly Sterio Underground is moving to an alternative commercial platform. I'm guessing someone at the BBC didn't want to risk their final episode to be critical of the BBC or promoting where its moving to.

[Spencer]

If I recall correctly Sterio Underground is moving to an alternative commercial platform. I'm guessing someone at the BBC didn't want to risk their final episode to be critical of the BBC or promoting where its moving to.

Do they really have such little trust in their presenters?

Given Richard Latto works for the BBC in another capacity (namely remastering classic comedy shows to HD) he’s hardly going to launch a big rant against the corporation.

It’s worth considering that both Global and Bauer consistently put their trust in presenters on local stations, which were about to be replaced with networked programming, to host their final shows. And everyone (to my knowledge) did so with professionalism and dignity.

It just shows, if you treat people with respect, and put your trust in them, they generally repay that trust.

[Omnipresent]

Matt Deegan provided a more balanced view, even suggesting that VILOR may not be the ideal playout system - and I do go along with his theory that it will come down to the loss of familiar presenters rather than the ins and outs of whether a show is local, regional, networked etc.

onaudio.mattdeegan.com 

I agree with a lot of what Matt says.

There's nothing inherently wrong in having regional / all England programming on BBC local stations, but much of it seems so generic. They've replaced local programming with networked shows across small clusters of stations but much of it is just filler - it really makes no difference whether it's networked across 3 or 39 stations.

The budget for local radio is still very substantial - estimates I've seen put it at well over £100m. A good programmer given the freedom and that kind of budget could come up with decent regional / all England formats to supplement local programming, but like the combined BBC News / World News channel, the BBC seems to give us the worst of both worlds.

[Brekkie]

Interesting that blog highlights a new bill going through Parliament which means commercial local stations can just offer local news, weather and travel - something that only benefits the national owners and not the listener, the industry or local communities. I don't think it even benefits the BBC as although usually they might be expected to full the gap where commercial sectors fail less local radio in general will mean less interest in BBC Local Radio.

[Spencer]

Interesting that blog highlights a new bill going through Parliament which means commercial local stations can just offer local news, weather and travel - something that only benefits the national owners and not the listener, the industry or local communities. I don't think it even benefits the BBC as although usually they might be expected to full the gap where commercial sectors fail less local radio in general will mean less interest in BBC Local Radio.

I think we’re at the point, sadly, where having a single daily local/regional programme on an otherwise nationally networked schedule is pointless.

I just feel they’ve gone this far, so they might as well go the whole hog now and allow all programmes to be networked. It’s sad that it’s come to this, but they aren’t local radio stations anymore, so it’s time to ditch any pretence that they are.