The British Broadcasting Corporation is considering cutting back the radio service it provides in some 40 different locations throughout England. The proposals are just part of a round of cost saving measures brought about by a six year ‘freeze,’ on the revenue it gets from the public licence fee.
The Context of the Cuts
The BBC spent 462 million pounds sterling on running and operating 16 radio stations in the year 2008 – 09. These figures were contained in a report published in February 2009 by the UK’s National Audit Office, the public body that looks at how public monies are spent on behalf of the British Parliament. The report was titled “the efficiency of radio production at the BBC: review by Comptroller & Auditor General presented to the BBC Trust's Finance and Strategy Committee.”
The report made several recommendations on efficiency and also reported that on a set-target of £11.6 million (sterling), BBC Nations and Network radio in 2007-08 achieved £11.7 million. The stations were 10 network stations, and 6 stations broadcasting to specific UK Regions. To put the budgets the BBC work to in some kind of context, this money was 14 per cent of its licence fee income, a fee charged to every TV viewer, bar certain exemptions, via a legally obligatory licence for operating a TV.
BBC Network and Nations Radio
According to the efficiency report as detailed above, the 16 BBC stations that the NAO looked at were the BBC’s UK network stations:
- Radio 1 new music and entertainment aimed at a largely younger audience
- Radio 2 easier listening music, oldies and personality station
- Radio 3 classical music and features broadcasting
- Radio 4 news, speech and talk station
- Radio 5 live news and sport
And the BBC Nations Radio stations are:
- Radio Scotland
- Radio Nan Gaidheal
- Radio Wales
- Radio Cymru
- Radio Ulster
- Radio Foyle
In addition the BBC also broadcasts globally through the BBC World Service, and operates a number of digital only stations, like BBC 6, BB7 and BBC Asian network. Change is at present (March 2011) underway on a number of these stations and plans.
Changes to the BBC Local Radio Network
In addition to the networked and regional stations, the BBC also runs and operates 40 local radio stations throughout England from BBC Radio Newcastle in the North to BBC Radio Cornwall in the South, and on the Channel Islands in Guernsey and Jersey in the English Channel.
Although only proposals at this date (March 2011), details of the intended changes include broadcasting local content only at morning and evening drive times, (0600 to 0900 and 1500 to 1800 approximately and respectively), and feeding Radio 5 Live on the stations at other times.
Suffice to say, these would be major changes to the make up of BBC Radio and politicians, trade unions, the BBC staff themselves, the wider UK press and media have all been commenting and offering opinions and bloggers and the internet is alive with comment, content and suggestions for the BBC on these proposed changes.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
