Yesterday, after much protest from listeners and MPs the BBC announced it will drop plans to share afternoon shows within its local radio stations. The media corporation also announced it will look to save £8m in local radio rather than its original £15m target.
This is great news for the industry as it saves jobs and keeps local reporting at the highest standard. Earlier this week Betty Renwick and Beryl Smith, the DJ Nans, at BBC Radio Humberside beat the likes of Chris Moyles and Chris Evans to Best Entertainment Programme at the Sony Awards for their afternoon show.
David Reeve of BBC Radio Humberside with Beryl Renwick (right), 86, and Betty Smith, 90.
Betty & Beryl have a total age of 176 years and were spotted on a guided tour of Radio Hull back in 2006. According to The Sun the show’s producer David Reeves was instantly charmed by their playful spirit and decided they would be perfect for radio. It is this kind of radio that would be sorely missed by the locals if the BBC did chose to merge afternoon shows with another station nearby.
47 million people listen to radio in the UK and it is this figure that makes you realise how special the medium is. It is vital for the industry to keep local radio programming engaging and relevant to the audience. In February the Mail Online reported that local BBC radio target listeners feel neglected by young station staff. In the same article commercial radio executive John Myers said, “BBC Local Radio has been growing audiences since 2009″ and I would argue the ‘lighter’ afternoon shows are key to keep audiences growing. Programmes like Betty and Beryl offer light entertainment, but show local radio can hold its own with the national heavyweights as well.
Post by Daniele Baron, Production Assistant @ TNR Communications
