I have been contacted by a number of constituents who are worried about the proposed changes to our local radio services. BBC Radio Oxford is a much-loved asset to our community, reaching 80,000 people each week. I am incredibly sympathetic to the views of those who have reached out to me about the impact the changes might have.
Given the strength of feeling, last week I met Jason Horton, Acting Director of BBC Local to discuss the proposals in further detail. He acknowledged that difficult decisions will have to be made to make sure that our local services remain relevant to consumers given the ever-evolving digital landscape.
As I understand it, data indicates that 70 per cent of listeners tune-in between 6am and 2pm. As a result, it has been proposed that local breakfast and lunchtime shows will remain, but there will be no more local drive time from 2pm onwards. Instead, the BBC will produce 18 afternoon programmes across England that will be shared between its 39 stations.
Jason assured me that these changes are a reprioritisation rather than a reduction in services. It is really important that radio remains relevant to license fee payers. To do this, the BBC are strengthening their portfolio of local services, ensuring that they keep pace with the way audiences are changing as many switch to online services. Alongside these changes, I am told that local news teams will receive a boost to their investigative journalism output, with each base maintained by 25 staff. Personally, I think this is a reasonable and realistic approach.
A consultation is now ongoing; the BBC will come back in the New Year with their next steps. I will follow developments closely, and will relay any specific concerns directly to Jason.
