[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.