BBC Local Radio

I absolutely agree, and I will explain why in more detail later. What I am saying, however, is that there is no reason, if it is used intelligently, why good documentary content in predetermined slots—just an hour here or there—should not be fed through the BBC local radio network. Many of the national stories that we hear on network radio will go to a reporter in Scunthorpe or in Winchester, which I represent. Those reporters will be from BBC local radio, and the BBC will use their experience. It will use its local reach to bring issues to network radio, and it does that very well, but if we take that arrangement away, the network will go. If savings have to be found, and many of us accept that they do, we have to think about these issues. What we do not have to think about, however, is flatlining all daytime BBC radio content and merely accepting the Radio 5 live feed other than during breakfast and drive time. When I worked in BBC local radio, I was fortunate enough to be part of the production team that ran our afternoon sequence. That was not news, but a daytime magazine radio. We produced three and a half hours of live, all-talk radio five days a week, and I can tell Members that that was a learning ground—we produced some great live radio and some great stuff for the Christmas blooper tape. Seriously, however, it was live radio in the community and for the community. We brought issues alive for listeners, especially when we took the outside broadcasting car with the wonky aerial out on the road. Shortly after joining the station, I moved from news to programming, because it had much more of a magazine, daytime feel and allowed us to develop stories and features from the community we served. To give one example, we used to open the programme every day with a feature called ““Just the Job””, which brought somebody on the air for 10 minutes to tell listeners about their interesting or unusual occupation. The man who tasted dog food to see whether it was ready for the market lingers in my memory and in other ways—he genuinely still exists. [Interruption.] It was very nice. However, my point is that BBC local radio daytime output was fun and local, and the response to our show was enormous. That loyal following genuinely drove content for us from one day to the next. I want now to touch on localism. As we have heard over the past year or so, the Government's whole drive is towards decentralisation and localism. We are putting more power than ever before into the hands of councils, councillors, schools and, dare I say it, even GPs. All those people will be responsible for huge sums of taxpayers' money—our constituents' money—and BBC local radio will be needed to play an even greater role than ever in holding local decision makers to account and in shining the light of transparency on behalf of our constituents. BBC local radio stations are increasingly involved in holding people to account, which is the essential accompaniment to localism, and it would be not just a shame, but dangerous to see that work go backwards. In my area, BBC Radio Solent, which began broadcasting from its antenna on the Isle of Wight many years ago with the voice of Lord Mountbatten, has recently appointed two local political specialists who have begun a series that gives listeners a direct line to decision makers and service providers. I have been called to account myself many times, including at some ungodly hour this morning to talk about this debate. The facts speak for themselves, as many Members have said. People are listening in increasing numbers to BBC local radio. We have touched on crisis coverage and the BBC stamp of authenticity, so, most importantly, we can all know when not only kids but big kids—Members of Parliament—can go sledging. I know that young audiences are also drawn to BBC local radio. Sometimes this debate can be polarised and the service be seen as rather old-fashioned, but young people in my part of the world listen to BBC Radio Solent through the partnership it has with Radio 1 and its ““BBC Introducing”” programmes, which give new music and unsigned bands a chance via the BBC network and web pages. We should do much more of that. The BBC has a big responsibility to help young people and give them a chance. Local radio should be a vibrant and often risky broadcasting environment, where young talent can grow and learn and where the local stories, which we often hear on network coverage, can be unearthed. In my limited experience of broadcasting, and especially radio broadcasting, it is as much in the heart as in the head. To create content that is interesting and engaging, it is necessary to create a sense of community that means the listeners will tune in to be a part of the team as much as to hear what is said. Terry Wogan on Radio 2 with his TOGs—Terry's old geezers or gals—is a brilliant example of that, but there are hundreds of examples in BBC local radio across the country, including on BBC Radio Solent. Hard news is only part of the story in breakfast and drive time on local radio. So many listeners value their station for the companionship and sense of community it offers, and that, in my humble opinion, is something we are unwilling to lose without one hell of a fight. Without BBC local radio, the whole world would never have known the sheer pleasure of ““Up With The Partridge”” on Radio Norwich. As a great fan of Alan Partridge, I think that that would be a very bad thing indeed—ah ha!