Lord Patten, the Chairman of the BBC Trust, threw a lifeline to local radio station sports coverage across the UK yesterday following the Trust’s analysis of the recent BBC consultations on cost savings in the corporation. He said that it was a priority of the Trust to ensure that "the great majority of the BBC’s local radio stations remain as local as they are now" and "should be supported with sufficient journalistic resources".
In discussions with the BBC and through the consultation process, the Alliance has been arguing to reduce the proposed requirements for shared regional programmes, which threatened local sports coverage and magazine programmes during afternoons and evenings. In some cases it could have meant the loss of local commentary on many sports.
Lord Patten said that “audience reactions have been strongest against the proposal to share across regions” and recommended that BBC executives, rather than homogenising output, instead find ways to protect “more specialist and distinctive local content” on radio stations throughout the day.
In particular the trust had asked the BBC to review three key areas:
- To scale back plans for local radio to share programmes in the afternoon
- To ensure that local stations have "an adequately staffed newsroom"
- To protect specialist content outside peak times - for example local sports or specialist music shows.
In parallel with Lord Patten’s speech, the Delivering Quality First interim findings have also been published, which request that “ways are found to continue to protect more specialist and distinctive local content out of peak. Alongside local news and information, the evening and weekend schedules of many local radio stations carry unique or specialist local content that is of particular value to their audience – for instance sports coverage that has a particular resonance in a particular area such as rugby league and football.”
The Alliance believes that local sports coverage is a unique selling point for local radio and live sports coverage, phone-in shows and, most importantly, local expert analysis are vital to communities’ enjoyment. Lord Patten and the BBC Trust’s positive comments are great news, although there is much more water to flow under the bridge yet - the BBC will still have to find savings. But the voice of sport has been heard and the Trust is moving in the right direction to protect local radio sports coverage.
