Will you miss your BBC local radio station?

[Arch]

Would just be travel, weather and school closure reports. Argh!!!!!!!!!

"Today there will be scattered showers of fallout, with sunny spells. Delays are likely due to melted roads. The following schools have disappeared...."

Actually, in the wake of the Japanese tsunami, that last one is rather close to the bone...

I don't listen to local radio myself, I think it would be a shame to lose it though, just because... Anyway, Radio York has just has an external facelift, with a new sign - the old one read "B[sub]B[/sub]C Radio Yo k".

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Would I miss Radio Humberside? What doyou think?

A few years ago a radio presenter was interviewing an old keelman down at the South Ferriby sluice. "What" she asked "were these bollards set in the quayside used for?"

There was a long, puzzled pause before the keelman answered flatly, "for tying up boats".

 

[snorri]

I can't miss something I've never had.

 

[S_t_e_v_e]

Get rid of the BBC - Get rid of the licence fee.

 

[HLaB]

I'd miss BBC Scotland around 3pm on Sat but I'm sure somebody else would take up the rights so I don't think I'd mis it; my Dad listens to it a lot more though, he'd miss it.

 

[Brains]

I don't know if we are odd, but in the 25 years we have lived here we have never even owned a household radio

Up until two weeks ago when we finally sold our radio-less Landrover that we have had for over 15 years and have replaced it with a boring box on wheels which does have a radio, I have found it rather an annoying new feature of modern cars.

The last time I used to regularly listen to the radio was was when travelling all over the world in the early 1980's, in the days before every hotel room had a TV with international channels such as BBC, CNN and MTV.

To be totally honest until just now I was not aware that we even have a local BBC radio station.
Am I missing something ?

 

[mark barker]

I'd miss our local radio station (BBC Swindon). I don't have a TV, so tend to channel hop on the DAB instead, and find the discussion shows in the evening quite funny and lighthearted. I couldn't listen to the local commercial stations, the generic "chart" music would drive me crazy!

 

[vernon]

There's radio other than radio 4?

Yep the soon to be: Radio Four Extra

 

[Over The Hill]

It is all a con trick by the BBC bosses who are throwing a hissy fit because the licence fee has been frozen.

Con is that a fixed fee does not mean fixed income. Income is per licence which is roughly based on the number of households. That figure is going up 200,000 per year so that is 200,000 times the licence fee of £145 so the BBC is getting £29 million more this year than it did last. Rise of that magnitude is on top of previous fee increases.

Technology is saving them tons as it is with all media so they should be expanding not cutting.

 

[sheddy]

Robert Elms' show is one of the best radio shows around - so, yes, I would miss it

Elmo could be better if his music choices were not quite so ghastly. David Essex and Berk Baccaracket have me running for the off switch.
BTW does anyone know how Danny Baker is getting on ?

 

[snorri]

I'd miss BBC Scotland around 3pm on Sat but I'm sure somebody else would take up the rights so I don't think I'd mis it; my Dad listens to it a lot more though, he'd miss it.

There are no BBC Local Radio stations in Scotland.

 

[PBancroft]

I'd miss it for local weather, traffic and the more important local news, and I appreciate that many follow local sports coverage too but I think much if not all of that could be incorporated into the national network with localised reporting (or the amalgamation of two or more local stations, as has happened in the past). This seems to be pretty much what they are suggesting. I'm not sure I'm convinced that the marriage of 5 Live and local is made in heaven, but...

Just under 8% of the BBCs budget is spent on local radio compared to 11% for national. Unlike, say dramas or BBC World there is very little scope for selling these services on so are unable to supplement the budget for their own or other output. According to the annual report, some £775m is generated from the commercial arm.

So in short, yes, I think its a very valid question to ask. If the BBC are spending a large amount of money on a service with limited appeal or revenue they should and must investigate ways to keep the "best bits" and localised public service broadcasting niches whilst reducing expenditure. They would be much more rightly criticised, in my opinion, if they continued to spend money on services just because they always have as opposed to ensuring that what they offer is useful, current and most importantly needed.

 

[summerdays]

I wake up to Radio Bristol ... and I would miss it if it went, I get to hear any headline news immediately, and also the weather locally which tends to be fairly accurate without even having to peek out the window. And then we get what is the local bits of news. You are more likely to get interviews relating to the news giving both sides than on the local TV slot I think.

 

[Fnaar]

Robert Elms' show is one of the best radio shows around - so, yes, I would miss it

I listen to Elms regularly, though I've not lived in London for years now. Great presenter, great music, and he's a keen cyclist (bit of a Rapha-boy, I suspect).
Radio Newcastle's OK, but I don't tune I'm that often myself.

 

[mr Mag00]

nope