Is local radio worth saving?

[Gromit]

To save money the BBC plan to replace its 40 local radio stations with Radio Five Live (apart from a breakfast programme).

There is already a campaign to save them, but are they worth saving? They originated 40 years ago, but the world has changed. We now have 24 hour rolling news channels, the internet and many community radio stations which are targetted more specifically to smaller areas.

Is there a need for BBC Local Radio anymore?

http://www.telegraph....h-of-local-radio.html

[boxtops]

Our local radio station here in Kent are listened to a lot - those of us who travel about with our jobs find the traffic updates (including port news etc) really useful. We wouldn't get that local "A2 is blocked by an accident" stuff on a national station.

[andy-hughes]

Thanks The Toff.

If you are a Stokey, you will know that the perceived wisdom is that SP was fired - but if you know better, please feel free to elaborate.

The euologising in the light of your observation makes the BBC stupid, instead of just hypocrytical.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// and as anyone knows, in this country at least, Middle and Upper Classses are as tight as a gnat's chuff! ///

I can only assume Andy that you typed these words with your tongue in your cheek, because such a rather silly statement can hold no measure of truth, and could only be said by a person who was showing more than a fair share of jealousy.

[andy-hughes]

You are inaccurate on both counts AOG -

I did not have my tongue in my cheek, and I am not at all jealous.

[LoftyLottie]

If you lived in the sticks of rural Norfolk, you would realise that Radio Norfolk really is appreciated. We have a different culture to everyone else - we are 20 years behind!!
Joking apart though, it is a really popular radio station that deals with local issues and gives advice on local issues. And our local issues here in North Norfolk are very different to say, Norwich!!

Have stopped listening to Radio 2 in the mornings since that oik Chris Evans took over. That grating stupid voice is not what I need first thing!!

[AB Editor]

Hi AOG, just to reply to your point on the first page:

///I had no idea that listening to local radio was a race issue, a class issue or even had anything to do with one's politics.///

Firstly, of course it is a class issue, we're English.

On the local radio station from where I grew up (Radio Cambridgeshire) there was a lot of cross-over between it and radio 4. It felt like "Radio 4 lite" as they covered a lot of the same ground and their demographic was, oddly enough, white, middle class and conservative (small c, but I was born in the 4th safest Tory seat in the country so a large C wouldn't be amiss). Radio 4, while it plays to a large variety of audiences, does lean towards middle-class and white listeners (as it probably should - it is meant to represent the status quo as a national radio flagship station). This is where the cross-over exists, my apologies if you couldn't see that in my original post.

///Can't find a Radio station just for the working classes, but then one could say all British Radio stations cater mainly for the Middle to Upper Classes.///

Yes, this is roughly my point above - national radio leans towards Oxbridge.

Also: Radio Cambs isn't very good! Imagine Radio 4 without Laurie Taylor, Melvin Bragg & Humphreys (amongst others), then chuck in some of the more dull parts of Radio 2 - and you've got something like Radio Cambridgeshire.

All the best,

Spare.

[jackthehat]

Remember Hereward Radio, Ed ?

Very grim................:o(

[redman41]

I listen to Radio Merseyside every day, most listened to Radio Station outside London.
Very good Radio Station with something for everyone including a Lunchtime listeners Phone-in. Well worth keeping.

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

First may I say I am not quite with your remark,

/// of course it is a class issue, we're English.///

Was this a tongue in the cheek remark, appertaining to the general belief that the English are class conscious? Is that what separates us from the British?

Thank you for your explanation though, but I still think you are classing all local radio on just a few that you yourself have happened to listen to.

And finally you will never convince me that Local Radio is just for whites, (which you state it probably should be), don't we live in a multi-racial country? The Local Radio stations that I know of, have special programmes for Asian, and special programmes for the Caribbeans.