Please find below a communication from the Dorset Broadcasting Action Group on the consultation by the BBC Trust on local radio –
Ladies & Gentlemen,
I can now tell you that the BBC Trust has just launched its Public Consultation on Local Radio – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2015/local_radio_review. You will note that they will accept postal and telephoned responses as well as those online. (Although the BBC is awaiting the outcomes of the Governments’ review of the BBC Charter next year, I have been told it should not affect this consultation – and hopefully any decisions taken from it. The BBC Recently amended their strategy to focus heavily on local radio, so this should give us a very good chance.) We are aware that many in the Bournemouth & Poole areas rely on BBC Radio Solent and are content with it. I very much hope that those in the east of the county will anyway support this campaign as, if it is successful, it would mean they would receive an additional all Dorset local station, not a replacement of Radio Solent. Thus they would get the best of both worlds.
You may well know that we are the only county in the south of England that does not have its own full time BBC county radio station! Albeit, we do have the part-time weekday breakfast programme (0630 to 0900) on 103.8FM & the Saturday morning “Big Breakfast Brunch”(0800 to 1100) also on 103.8FM, but they only reach areas mainly around Dorchester (where the BBC Studio is), and Weymouth and Portland. The programmes are good, but as far as reception is concerned, when you move outside the official (limited) coverage area it is very much “pot luck” if you can get it at all.
Firstly therefore, they clearly need to improve the existing transmitter coverage such that everyone in the county, wherever they are, can actually receive the programme. Then presumably, the BBC would upgrade the existing, part-time programmes to a full county-wide radio station (which should then be called “BBC Radio Dorset”) – and not as it is at the moment, a part-time “opt-out” from BBC Radio Solent from Southampton. Presently, Radio Solent tends to focus most material & its sports reports on Hampshire. It is time we had our own programme that would then be able focus on all of Dorset’s news and sport right across the county!
Without our own local BBC Radio Station, we do not have warning information in the event of traffic delays, severe weather, major accidents/events/disasters etc. It is also rather frustrating, to be told on BBC TV to “listen to your local BBC radio station for more information” when we don’t have one! Apart from very limited FM reception, we don’t even have an online stream for the Breakfast programmes, so there is just no way the broadcast can be heard in all of the county. Why should we be treated differently to Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire etc.?
Regarding the questionnaire, after having read through the preamble, click on “contribute to the consultation online,” then at the bottom of the new page click on “Give Us Your Views – Online Survey” which takes you to the questionnaire itself. You will notice that Question 5 lists all their county radio stations – Dorset is noticeable by its absence!! Clearly the form is essentially designed to get feedback from those who can receive their own local county radio, which clearly does not include us! So this is a great opportunity to respond to the questions emphasising the lack of BBC Radio Dorset and make our case for a full BBC Radio Dorset station at every opportunity.
This, I am told, may well be our very last chance – so we need to summon up as much support as possible! Clearly, we must encourage as many people to respond to this consultation as possible. I do hope that organisations will encourage their members to respond. And, of course, we all need to inform members of the public asking them to respond if we possibly can. Formally and via friends, neighbours etc.
An important point to note. We are told by BBC management that the only reason Dorset was given the Breakfast programmes in 2013, after such a very long and frustrating fight, was entirely because of the strong response from Dorset to their previous consultation. So the BBC Trust obviously listens to & takes note of the feedback!
I hope you will be able to help, and my very grateful thanks for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Ken Pett – Founder – The Dorset Broadcasting Action Group (DorBAG).
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