Opinion: BBC is weakening local religious programming
by Peter Crumpler, Church Times:
HUNDREDS of thousands of BBC radio listeners in England are to lose their local Sunday-morning religious programmes as part of wide-ranging changes to the network. From this autumn, the local programmes are to be replaced by regional programmes, and the 39 local stations will be organised into 13 groups.
While London and Manchester keep their programmes, the new programme for the east of England covers an area from north London to the north-Norfolk coast.
Although audiences have declined, about 800,000 listeners tune in each week to the BBC local radio programmes featuring a range of faith perspectives.
The cuts form part of a controversial restructuring of the network. Resources are being switched from live radio to online output, such as podcasts and social-media content.
The plans, which include stations sharing output after 2 p.m. each weekday, have prompted BBC journalists to go on strike, and MPs to voice their opposition.
The response from the Church of England has been strangely low-key. One senior bishop whom I approached declined to comment, saying that the issue was at risk of becoming “weaponised” by the BBC’s opponents. No bishop has spoken out in the House of Lords. There was a complete absence of questions or comment about the cuts in the General Synod last month.
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