Worcester’s MP Robin Walker spoke in support of BBC local radio at a Westminster Hall Debate this week concerning the BBC’s plans to reduce local reporting and programming as part of their digitalisation of local BBC news. Robin supported colleagues from Northern Ireland and England as they defended the need for local radio.
He previously spoke as part of an urgent question to DCMS ministers on the subject and again in a backbench business committee debate which he helped to secure to make the case for local programming and locally embedded reporters in places like Worcester.
The debate gave MPs an opportunity to voice their concerns about the potential digitalisation of local news and centralisation of radio, which would in turn limit local BBC radio. A large number of staff at local radio stations all over the country have been put at risk of redundancy by the BBC’s proposals. This week’s debate was brought by the East Londonderry DUP MP, Gregory Campbell but attracted speakers from across England and from the Catholic Nationalist community in Northern Ireland who were equally concerned at the prospect of cuts to the local radio station which serves the West of Northern Ireland, BBC Radio Foyle.
Local Radio was described in the debate as a “lifeline” by East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell, who defended that it is essential in providing weather updates in the severe weather currently affecting his constituency and giving a “voice to local people”.
This view was shared by Robin, who suggested that local radio all through the week and at weekends, is also essential for the people of Worcester. He used the flooding on the River Severn as an example, arguing that local radio provides essential updates on potential flooding and “to lose this weekend programming to Birmingham is absurd”.
Robin is also concerned that in limiting local radio programming access to information on a genuinely local level would be inhibited, particularly for those who do not have access to digital platforms. He previously raised the concern that many older constituents do not enjoy the use of digital technology to listen to the radio and that the BBC appears to be turning its back on this group.
It was encouraging that the Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Julia Lopez, agreed with Robin in the debate by saying “it is necessary to ensure that the BBC is uniquely able to access audiences who may not be moving online in quite the same way as the majority of audiences”, and assured members that “we want to ensure that everything we do supports community radio stations.” She also set out how she had passed on the concerns raised in previous debates to the senior management of the BBC and how even the Prime Minister had stepped in to express the level of concern from all sides of the House of Commons over proposed cuts.
Speaking from Westminster Hall on Tuesday 17th January, Robin intervened on Mr Campbell and said:
“The hon. Member is making a great speech. The issues he identifies with the Glenshane pass are exactly the same as those my constituents might face with the River Severn. Just as for him, the idea of a reporter based in Belfast being able to report the weather out near Londonderry is crazy, from the perspective of my constituents who spent the weekend carefully listening to radio bulletins about the level of the River Severn, where it would flood and which roads would be closed, the idea that we could lose that weekend programming to Birmingham is absurd.”
Speaking after the debate, Robin said
“This is the third time I have raised the concerns of local constituents in Worcester about the threat to local radio from the BBC’s proposals. They really need to think again. The idea of moving to regional programming on weekends and in the evenings will undermine the role of local embedded reporters and reduce the local content that is truly valued. Big challenges such as extreme weather and flooding do not go away at the weekend or stop after a certain time of day and as our public service broadcaster, the BBC needs to recognise that the sort of granular local coverage provided by BBC Hereford and Worcester is an essential part of its role. Both I and the Minister have described BBC local broadcasting as a jewel in the crown of public service broadcasting in the UK. We need to ensure that the BBC listen to the concerns being raised.”
“As a former Northern Ireland Minister I know how unusual it is to see Nationalist MPs speaking in support of a motion from the DUP but this is an example of an issue that unites MPs whatever their background and whatever their location. Back when I was first elected I led debate on BBC Local Radio which helped persuade the BBC to reduce proposed cuts in 2011, I sincerely hope that this campaign is as successful.”
Notes to editors
For the transcript of the debate on 17th January see:
BBC Local Radio - Hansard - UK Parliament
For Robin’s speech in the backbench business debate in December see:
BBC Local Radio: 8 Dec 2022: House of Commons debates - TheyWorkForYou
For Robin’s intervention in the Urgent Question on BBC proposals see:
For other recent mentions of BBC local radio from Robin Walker see:
Misuse of Nitrous Oxide: 23 Nov 2022: Westminster Hall debates - TheyWorkForYou
For his debate in 2011 on the round of proposed cuts see:
For his first debate on BBC Local radio from 2011 see: