BBC BIRMINGHAM:  ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

18-01-2008

The shrinking world of BBC Birmingham grows smaller still – The Stirrer can reveal that Danny Kelly’s evening programme from the Mailbox has been axed and the West Midlands will now receive a Midlands-wide late show from Nottingham.

This represents another significant reversal for the fortunes of our local Beeb centre which is already reeling from a series of losses - including Radio 2 overnights and Radio Five Live weekend programmes.

On Wednesday, the future of the Drama Village in Selly Oak was also called into question (see link here) prompting calls from a local MP for the BBC to reverse the decision (see link here)

What’s especially galling is that the Second City will now have two hours of broadcasting every night from East Midlands – and our supposedly ‘local radio’ will be shared with listeners from Loughborough to Lincoln.

The Corporation’s Press Office says, “the decision has been made in the light of the financial pressures placed on the BBC by a lower than hoped for licence fee settlement.”

Kelly will continue with a Sunday morning show.