"The North West will not be silenced"

Many local councillors, community figures, members of the public and MLAs from all Foyle parties stood together at today's protest (March 10) against proposed cuts to BBC Radio Foyle. 

The Save Radio Foyle Campaign organised the protest outside the Radio Foyle offices to contest the BBC's latest announcement of a number of Radio Foyle schedule and programme changes.

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at BBC Northern Ireland are to be balloted for industrial action over planned changes to BBC Radio Foyle's schedule.

A half-hour breakfast news programme is to replace Radio Foyle's current two-hour show and it will lose its lunchtime half-hour programme.

Hourly news bulletins will continue. The NUJ said 10 staff remain at risk of redundancy.

Davy McAuley spokesperson for the campaign has questioned the timing of the announcement: "We have been told that there is a consultation period lasting until 31st March. 

"Trade Unions are still in talks with BBC bosses, yet it's clear the bosses had already made their decision."

Mr McAuley went on to slam the lack of democratic accountability at the Corporation: "We pay for the BBC, yet we are told that we have no say in the service we receive. 

"BBC bosses were begged to come to the North West to explain their decisions and chose not to. Their arrogance is beyond belief."

Protestors said the announcements from the BBC outline their news plans for the Northland Road based station and also delivered a bombshell for local music with the scrapping of the Monday to Thursday, Stephen McCauley Show.

Davy McAuley claims the changes are even worse than what the BBC first proposed. He continued: "Stephen McCauley's show is the most important new music radio show in Ireland. 

"Hundreds of artists have had their first play on it. The plans to replace it with a generic pop music show broadcast from Belfast are absolutely outrageous.

"The plans to slash the news output and move the Mark Patterson Show to compete with TalkBack must be resisted. "

Mr McAuley vowed that the fight to save the station will go on, "Our voices will be heard. The North West will not be silenced."

Foyle MLAs took a united front in support of staff at Radio Foyle and the community they serve. They echoed Mr McAuley's statement that Radio Foyle is "vital to the community" and "Derry's voice will be heard."

Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy also expressed her disappointment at the BBC's announcement.

Mayor Duffy described the revised programme schedule changes announced by the BBC today for Radio Foyle as extremely disappointing and encouraged the public to continue to support the Save Radio Foyle Campaign.

Mayor Duffy, who travelled to London earlier this year to meet with BBC bosses, said she was extremely disappointed that BBC chiefs had not listened to the views and concerns expressed by the people of the North West.

Mayor Duffy said it was hugely disappointing that the Morning Programme has not been reinstated in full, and that the local lunchtime programme is to be discontinued, and called on the BBC to urgently provide clarification on the future of the jobs deemed at risk.

She said that it was good news that the hourly news bulletins will continue but said the additional cuts to reduce some of the programming schedule at the station, including the popular Stephen McCauley Show,  was very worrying. 

Mayor Duffy said she was also concerned that the Mark Patterson show is to be rescheduled to an earlier time slot of 12noon to 1.30 daily, so that it is competing with Talkback.

Mayor Duffy said: “It is extremely disappointing that despite all our efforts the BBC have not listened to the people of the North West and the strong case we put forward to retain both the Morning and Lunchtime news programmes. 

"While we welcome the fact that there is some level of programming in the morning, we don’t believe 30 minutes is sufficient to fairly report the news of the North West region.

“The BBC in their statement have said that the headcount at Radio Foyle will be retained, they have failed to provide further clarification on this and provide steadfast reassurances that all jobs are safe.”

The Mayor paid tribute to the staff at the station, trade unions and the wider public who have all supported the campaign to date. 

"She said the campaign had been successful in bringing to the fore the importance of local and regional radio and the important role it plays in communities like Derry and Strabane.

She concluded: “I would encourage the local community to continue to support the campaign and to do all we can to get the BBC to review this latest round of cuts and ensure the North West continues to have a voice on the airwaves.”