BBC local radio cuts: "ageist and ableist"

September 21, 2023 4:45 AM

Sophie Little, broadcaster on BBC Local Radio in Norfolk has been let go after 15 years. Treasure Quest, which she broadcast on Sunday mornings, has been a Radio Norfolk cult favourite for 15 years. It saw listeners solve a series of clues which guided presenters around Norfolk, visiting communities. She prefaced her last gig with 2 minutes of context & criticism of the cuts. This "rant" was excised from the BBC Sounds [digital on-demand service] version of her programme.

Excerpt from BBC Royal Charter:
The BBC should reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom both in its output
and services. In doing so, the BBC should accurately and authentically
represent and portray the lives of the people of the United Kingdom today, and
raise awareness of the different cultures and alternative viewpoints that make
up its society. It should ensure that it provides output and services that meet
the needs of the United Kingdom’s nations, regions and communities. The BBC
should bring people together for shared experiences and help contribute to the
social cohesion and wellbeing of the United Kingdom. In commissioning and
delivering output the BBC should invest in the creative economies of each of
the nations and contribute to their development.
BBC Local Radio cost £140m/year =~ 5% total BBC spend. (2012 - can't easily find more recent numbers)

posted by BobTheScientist (9 comments total)

Austerity is bullshit and the Tories (and by extension the BBC) can go suck their mum.
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 5:03 AM on September 21, 2023 [7 favorites]

This "rant" was excised from the BBC Sounds [digital on-demand service] version of her programme.

Today the BBC learns about the Streisand Effect.
posted by chavenet at 5:06 AM on September 21, 2023 [18 favorites]

The BBC is currently under threat by a very right-wing ideology that states, if the state paid for it, it is wasteful and the private sector can do it better - and despite all of the other radio services in the uk being a shambles, they’re determined to bring this ideology to the airwaves.
posted by The River Ivel at 5:38 AM on September 21, 2023 [12 favorites]

They also canceled what I believe was the lead-in for her show, Countryside, which is one of my favorites. Fortunately Chris has gone and done a podcast.
posted by Think_Long at 5:57 AM on September 21, 2023

Similarly, Canada's populist Conservative pm-in-waiting promises to defund the CBC.

I guess it's beyond time for the rest of the world's advanced democracies to end their support of antiquated arms-length-funded national broadcasters to catch up with the US, whose dynamic private media mosaic has resulted in a unified, better-informed, more thoughtful, tolerant and inclusive American populace.

-sigh-
posted by Artful Codger at 7:35 AM on September 21, 2023 [14 favorites]

And at the same time, the corporation is celebrating 100 years of broadcasting.
posted by popcassady at 7:35 AM on September 21, 2023

I was listening to BBC radio Scotland this morning and the presenter was raking one of the local Tory leaders over the coals over Sunak's promise to kill even more Brits via heat exhaustion in the next decade. (He's phrased it as slowing the commitment to decarbonization, but given that heat kills a couple of thousand English folk every year, it's really a commitment to more deaths.) It was refreshing to hear a BBC presenter go after a Tory party member like that. It's the first time I've heard that since we moved here a year ago. I've heard them go after the SNP, Labour, the Greens, Lib-Dems, etc. with an unrelenting focus on getting them to actually answer the question, but they softballs they tend to throw at the Conservatives are pathetic.

The Tories have stacked the upper management of the BBC with all the people who didn't give them enough money to buy a seat in the House of Lords. I'd love to see a clean sweep, but given just how milquetoast Starmer (current head of Labour, like Gordon Brown without the principles, or like Tony Blair without the charisma or charm) seems to be (I'd be very happy if he surprised me, but I'm not counting on it, given that the press hasn't been after him the same way they were after Corbyn), I doubt Labour will actually do anything about it. After all, liberals need to take the high road and pander to conservatives who would vote for them if they just presented things more nicely, and be sure not to offend the Tories by doing things like standing up for civil rights or try to decrease deaths caused by over a decade of Conservative asset stripping and misrule.

All this is to say that this is utterly unsurprising. And that I'm expecting an apology from the BBC for how harshly its reporter treated the Conservative talking head this morning in the next few days.

(I find myself using CNN international as the best source of UK news these days. The Granuiad is good for commentary and investigative reporting, outside of the rampant transphobia all over the UK media, but for breaking news, it's CNN. The BBC is good for Doctor Who.)
posted by Hactar at 12:16 PM on September 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

The BBC World Service is still pretty good though (thank God). Their hourly news bulletins are seemingly rubbish and spin-free.
posted by d_hill at 12:56 AM on September 22, 2023

Well, indeed. I was actually on that final 'Treasure Quest' show. Didn't expect it to show up here.
posted by Pentickle at 1:40 PM on September 25, 2023 [1 favorite]