Here are some extracts from the BBC Trust Strategy Review that relate to local radio. Many are bullet points, and are consequently ungrammatical. If in doubt, consult the original.
Increasing the quality of local radio: boosting investment in local news at breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime using resources released by sharing content at other times.
Never more local: undertaking not to launch services more local than at present in England
The BBC therefore proposes that the Trust considers closing the Asian Network as a national service, exploring a number of options for redeploying its investment and meeting the needs of Asian audiences more effectively. One option is to replace it with a network of five part-time local services with some syndicated national Asian programmes. These would be available on local DAB and local Medium Wave, serving areas with the largest British Asian communities.
BBC local radio is of great value and importance to audiences up and down the country. It provides a vital space for debate and a key source of reliable, independent news. The BBC’s public purpose to serve communities could not be fulfilled without it. However, it can nonetheless improve in its quality and originality, and this strategy therefore proposes reforming local radio in England to achieve just that. Specifically, investing in better quality local journalism within the core listening hours at breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime will be enabled through the sharing of some content across services in non-peak hours.
Local websites will be refocused, meanwhile, to carry only news, sport, weather, travel and local knowledge content. A new ‘contract for local’ will define a series of BBC commitments and limits, including a commitment to never becoming any more local in England—that is, never to increase the BBC’s number of local services on television, radio and online or to make any existing services more local.
Leaving room for local newspapers and others to develop in a digital world by keeping the BBC’s current pattern of local services, and not launching new services in England at any more local a level than today.
Increased business coverage at a local and global level.
Enhanced commitment to scrutinising the local democratic process, including through multiplatform coverage of local government and politics through Democracy Live.
In local online, the BBC will focus on its core editorial areas of news, sport, weather, travel and local knowledge, and improve the quality of its existing websites.
Increasing the quality of local radio: boosting investment in local news at breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime, and sharing content across services at other times
Restricting local sites in England to news, sport, weather, travel and local knowledge (where ‘local knowledge’ means supporting BBC initiatives such as Coast and A History of the World in 100 Objects where there is local relevance, but not general feature content)
Some parts of the digital radio portfolio as well as English local radio, however, need concerted action.
BBC Local Radio in England is highly valued by its target audience. It reaches 17% of the adult population in England a week (37% of this audience do not listen to BBC network radio at all) and it is particularly important for older audiences. Its distinctiveness lies in its nature: a speech-led service for local communities focused on news, local information, sport and weather, built on a bedrock of local journalism.
However, local radio reach is in decline: between 2003/04 and 2008/09 BBC Local Radio lost 15% of its audience.56 Performance has been highly variable across the portfolio with the losses concentrated in big urban areas—79% of the net decline in reach has been driven by nine stations. The losses have been amongst those born before 1945 now aged 65 and over, who have either turned off radio altogether or migrated to Radio 4 and national commercial stations.
To stop the decline, the service needs to renew itself, focusing on its distinctive mission and improving quality so it can reach its heartland older audience more effectively.
Asian Network aims to provide high-quality news and discussion, helping British Asiansconnect with their cultural and linguistic roots. However, it has had a difficult transition to national digital service. Changes in its strategy have led to an inconsistent listening experience and the national station has been less successful at replicating the sense of community which was fundamental to the growth of the original local Asian service. The increasing plurality and diversity of British Asian audiences are stretching the coherence and relevance of the service; it’s audience reach is in decline and its cost per listener is very high. The BBC therefore recommends that the Trust considers closing the Asian Network as a national service, with a number of options for redeploying its investment and meeting the needs of Asian audiences more effectively. One option is to replace it with a network of part-time local services with some syndicated national Asian programmes. These would be available on DAB and local medium wave, serving areas with the largest British Asian communities. The BBC welcomes the opportunity to engage with audiences and stakeholders to explore this and other
possibilities.
The BBC’s strategy for local radio in England will be adapted to improve quality and stem the decline in reach. Changes will include:
A renewed emphasis on speech radio and journalistic content which hold local democracy to account.
Greater focus on key slots: breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime, with an audience focus on over-55s
A new commitment to 100% speech at drivetime
A new monthly programme in the schedule to hold the elected and the powerful in local politics to account.
A music policy more relevant to the audience, with current and recent chart hits representing no more than 15% of weekly music output
A consolidation outside the key slots of breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime, so that high-quality speech content can be shared across services. This will release funding to invest in better quality local news within the core listening hours.
The BBC will also explore more efficient models for its local infrastructure across the UK, for instance by using new production technology that can allow a greater consolidation of back-office facilities within main regional centres. Leaving room for local newspapers and others to develop in a digital world by keeping the BBC’s current pattern of local services, and not launching new services in England at any more local a level than today.
Local services are an area where the BBC’s proposals have been criticised for their possible impact on commercial providers. Licence fee payers continue to place a high value on regional and local content from the BBC67 and it must meet this demand as one of its core purposes.
However, the BBC needs to respond to the changes affecting other local news providers. As a first step, it will develop a new ‘contract for local’ that sets out the BBC’s role as well as the limits to its ambitions. Namely, that:
• BBC Local Radio will be a speech-led service delivering high-quality, distinctive journalism that complements what local commercial radio provides and remains targeted at an older audience
• In local online, the BBC will only produce material in its core editorial areas of news, sport, travel, weather and local knowledge. It will not provide listings, local guides or similar feature material
• The BBC will be no more local in England than it is today on all platforms—that is, it will not increase the BBC’s number of local services on television, radio and online
We will want to consider further what the right balance is for local services between meeting audience expectations of BBC local content and leaving a clear space for commercial providers.
Increasing the quality of local radio: boosting investment in local news at breakfast, mid-morning and drivetime using resources released by sharing content at other times.
Setting new boundaries means .. Never more local: undertaking not to launch services more local than at present in England