[Steve in Pudsey]

So a national service with local opt outs... isn't that what we had before local radio with Radio 4 UK on LW and the Radio 4 FM service had regional opt outs, eg Morning Sou'West opting out of the Today programme.

[Omnipresent]

- What about local music?  Where would BBC intro be placed?  Radio 1?

Radio 1 did have regional programming for a while in the late 1990s, with separate editions of The Evening Session in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Thursday evening.

[Liam]

- What about local music?  Where would BBC intro be placed?  Radio 1?

Radio 1 did have regional programming for a while in the late 1990s, with separate editions of The Evening Session in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Thursday evening.

"Stick around as we introduce the beat of your local area..." cuts from Radio 1 to the regional station

Also, how amazing for those artists & local DJs to be featured on R1!

I'm really feeling this 5Live re-model, reinvigorates local radio and will still a reduction in time, it's more meaningful and makes radio more present?

[Moz]

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.

Sport. This is the UK. The term is sport.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Although FM only because DAB is a national multiplex, with some weirdness around the Welsh border - Ilchester Crescent transmitter in Bristol uses Wenvoe as its programme source, but I can't remember whether they modified it to rebroadcast DAB during the opt or just put up with it radiating the Welsh programme.

If you go back even further there was a Radio 1 London opt out for split travel news.

I wonder how practical it would be to have the local stations on the local muxes appear and disappear at the appropriate times like the Radio 4 opts for Today in Parliament?

---

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.

Sport. This is the UK. The term is sport.

Radio 5 (Live) Sports Extra and Sky Sports would beg to differ.

[Josh]

- What about local music?  Where would BBC intro be placed?  Radio 1?

Radio 1 did have regional programming for a while in the late 1990s, with separate editions of The Evening Session in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Thursday evening.

Introducing currently plays on Radio 1 each Sunday evening (Tuesday night also for rock music and Thursday night for dance music), albeit nationally.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Isn't that a programme curating the best of what has been featured locally?

I think they have said that there will continue to be locally produced podcasts, I could see Introducing going to that way. A lot of stations put these shows out on a Saturday, when I imagine most who are involved with or interested in the local music scene are out performing or watching, so I can imagine a greater catch up than live listenership, although I have nothing to back that up. Also very much appointment to listen and perhaps a turn-off for the core target audience of the stations

[Rijowhi]

Radio 5 Local makes sense. As someone stated here (and I’ve stated elsewhere), local content mixed with National programming would give the BBC an advantage against the likes of LBC, Times Radio etc. I’d personally just keep it as a News/Sport station though.

The current local Radio isn’t working, it’s trying to be everything to everyone and failing. Keep the best, scrap the rest and focus on quality Radio that people want to listen to. If people want music they can go elsewhere.

[Rijowhi]

I don't know the answer to this so hopeful you can help.  Does BBC Local have to broadcast from the area it's aimed at?  Like does BBC Shorpshire have to come from Shorpshire? Or to save money could it come from BBC Birmingham and have local reporters on the ground working remotly feeding into the West Midlands newsroom?

As far as I know the BBC Local Radio can come from a Studio outside the area similar to the likes of Heart, Capital, Smooth and Free. I’m shocked this isn’t being looked at to be honest.

[Jon]

I don't know the answer to this so hopeful you can help.  Does BBC Local have to broadcast from the area it's aimed at?  Like does BBC Shorpshire have to come from Shorpshire? Or to save money could it come from BBC Birmingham and have local reporters on the ground working remotly feeding into the West Midlands newsroom?

As far as I know the BBC Local Radio can come from a Studio outside the area similar to the likes of Heart, Capital, Smooth and Free.  I’m shocked this isn’t being looked at to be honest.

It would make sense to reduce building sizes of local stations to just an office for news gathering and have the remaining local breakfast and mid morning presented from the nearest regional hub. I’m sure it’s being considered although not proposed as of yet. 

I don’t like the idea of a merged 5 Live and local radio as you would get varying quality of local shows covering things like village fates feeling at odds with national programming covering national issues. I think it’s a compromise that would piss everyone off.

By keeping the local radio brands many will still perceive it as a full local service and if done properly will be able to react to stories on a local level, which would be much more difficult to do if interrupting a full speech service.