[lookoutwales]

I knew London was being spared a lot of the sharing, but hadn't realised that Manchester and Merseyside were too, that's a change from the original plans isn't it. I know WM isn't sharing with some of its more rural neighbours.

Not quite - separate Drive shows for Manchester and Merseyside were under the original plans last November, as per WM, Essex and London.

radiotoday.co.uk 

Major cuts in jobs and local shows planned for Local BBC Radio – RadioToday
BBC bosses have announced a major plan to cut jobs and local programmes on Local…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk

The slightly altered plans in January included retaining a Drive show for Solent.

radiotoday.co.uk 

Alternative plan proposed to reshape and network Local BBC Radio stations –…
The BBC has changed some of its proposals for programme sharing across its local…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk

[Joe]

Whilst I don’t want to do down the place I live, we can hardly boast a wealth of musical successes here in North Yorkshire.

Isn't that rather the purpose of the shows, though?

[RhysJR]

Sir Elton John has issued a statement via Instagram speaking up for BBC Music Introducing and the upcoming cuts to the strand.

twitter.com 

[London Lite]

Merseyside and Manchester have always been planned to keep programming local from 6am-6pm. Essex is a strange one, that also stays local until 6pm.

London despite being a huge TSA for population has the smallest share of all the LRs, yet it stays local until 6pm as well. Those who live in the capital listen to Radio 4 or LBC for speech.

[NickyBoy]

Radio Humberside's version of BBC Introducing has been axed, it's to be replaced by Radio York's version.
www.hulldailymail.co.uk 

Alan Raw is a top bloke, who has been doing shows like this for years. It's a shame that not only is his show being axed, but also that he wasn't even allowed to apply to host the new merged show.

[lookoutwales]

Richard Latto’s Stereo Underground on Saturday nights - which airs on eight stations (South, South East and Channel Islands) is moving to Wednesday nights and only on Radio Solent.

At least it’s been spared the axe completely.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Isn't that the reverse of what they are trying to do here? Surely if you have an existing programme which is networked successfully you would keep it networked in the current scenario?

[Robert Williams]

Isn't that the reverse of what they are trying to do here? Surely if you have an existing programme which is networked successfully you would keep it networked in the current scenario?

Weekday evenings from 6-10pm are earmarked to become regional (apart from sport) which is why the announcement that Stereo Underground is becoming Solent-only on Wednesdays doesn't seem to quite make sense - my guess therefore is that it will be extended to the two other stations in the South regional group (Oxford and Berkshire) once full regionalisation takes effect.

From what I can gather, the plan for all stations is for BBC Upload followed by BBC Introducing on Saturday and Thursday evenings (with Saturday's airings being repeats of Thursday's) which is why the programmes that currently occupy the Saturday early evening slot across the country are getting axed or moved to another slot - for example, a similar programme, Beat Surrender, which occupies the same time slot in the North East, is apparently being axed together.

[JAS84]

Repeats? On the radio? For a music programme? Isn't that abnormal?

[Steve in Pudsey]

I guess repeating Introducing makes some sense for the reasons previously discussed about the target audience being out at gigs (performing or watching) on Saturdays.

Radio Today now has a piece about Stereo Underground confiming that it's Solent only opt out - it sounds like it's fudge to be able to put it onto Sounds radiotoday.co.uk 

Richard Latto’s Stereo Underground survives BBC local radio changes – RadioToday
Richard Latto’s Stereo Underground programme is to continue despite changes to B…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk