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Shabana, along with many other West Midlands MPs, has written to the Director General of the BBC regarding the proposed changes to local radio programming.

The changes will see BBC West Midlands output shared after 2pm on weekdays with BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and then later in the evening with other midlands stations. This, in conjunction, with other changes will mean less than half of the programming will be relevant to a specific area.

This is a serious blow to local democracy, with the changes signed off without any public consultation.

Find the full letter below. 

 

Dear Mr Davie

We are writing as a cross group of MPs in the West Midlands regarding the changes the BBC is planning to make to large parts of its local radio output.

We are dismayed at the changes which will see BBC West Midlands output shared after 2pm on weekdays with BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and then later in the evening with other midlands stations.

The same will happen at the weekend with breakfast shows shared with Coventry and Warwickshire, Stoke, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire while at other times there will be just one programme for the whole of England. This will mean less than half of the programming will be relevant to a specific area which is a serious blow to local democracy and will threaten listener numbers.

We believe that BBC Local Radio provides a valuable public service of information and companionship in communities, often for people who are not well served by other broadcasters. 5.4 million people tune in to Local Radio every week.

BBC local radio is a lifeline for news and education, mitigating against rural isolation and supporting people’s rural mental health, a great incubator for new talent and one of the crown jewels of our public sector broadcaster.

We are deeply concerned that these plans are being put in place without any public consultation. This is Licence Fee money, something that just about every household has a stake in, yet no research has been presented about the possible effects of these changes.

We ask that you reconsider your approach and ensure there is proper consultation about the impact of any proposed changes to local radio strategy so that it can deliver the value to our constituents that we know it is capable of.

Yours sincerely,

Shabana Mahmood MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood

Preet Kaur Gill MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston

Liam Byrne MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill

Matt Western MP
Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington Spa

Gary Sambrook MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield

Khalid Mahmood MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr

Colleen Fletcher MP
Member of Parliament for Coventry North East

Valerie Vaz MP
Member of Parliament for Walsall South

Paulette Hamilton MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington

Jess Philips MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley

Steve McCabe MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Selly Oak

Tahir Ali MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green

Zarah Sultana MP
Member of Parliament for Coventry South

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