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Strike rocks BBC local output in England on Budget Day


NUJ MEMBERS took regional TV bulletins, local radio, and online output in England off the air and screens with a 24-hour strike on Budget Day on March 15 which carried on to the following morning. The strike by 1,000 NUJ members in BBC Local was staged in


protest against plans to merge some local radio shows and therefore reduce the amount of relevant content to listeners. The journalists are now working to rule, sticking strictly to their


employment contracts and not taking on overtime or additional duties. This has disrupted some bulletins. NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “It’s not simply


a question about jobs and conditions for our members – they believe passionately in the value that quality local content brings to their audiences, journalism that is trusted and relied upon in the communities they serve. The BBC’s raiding of local radio budgets to fund its Digital First strategy is wrongheaded and risks undermining a vital part of our public service broadcasting. People want local relevant news that is accessible, and that should remain a core part of the breadth of BBC output.” The walkout came shortly before BBC local radio presenters were among those who won the jury prize at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for their challenging questioning of Liz Truss during her brief premiership last year. She did a series of interviews with


Ballot at Radio Foyle


THE UNION is to ballot for industrial action after BBC Northern Ireland decided to change Radio Foyle’s morning schedule. In changes set out in


March, the two-hour Morning Show is to be replaced by a


30-minute programme. The union had been in talks with managers about the proposals, but the BBC opted to press ahead leaving 10 staff at risk of redundancy. Séamus Dooley, NUJ


assistant general secretary,


local radio which left her looking substantially weakened. Picket lines were held outside all local radio centres to build


support. Some MPs visited the lines and Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, took a leaflet from a striker as he went into Broadcasting House for an interview. The strike came as the BBC faced controversies over its actions


on several fronts from banning Gary Lineker from presenting Match of the Day to growing concerns about the links of Richard Sharp, the chair, and Tim Davie, director general, with the Conservatives.


Strikes around the country – Pages 6-7


said: “The announcement of a new schedule, due to come into effect on April 24, is deeply disappointing and leaves the NUJ with no option but to put this matter into dispute. “As a result of the strong


stand taken by the NUJ and the massive public support


for BBC Radio Foyle across the Northwest region, we have succeeded in securing hourly radio bulletins and retaining the principle of a breakfast news programme. We had proposed a one-hour Breakfast Show for a trial period, but managers have dug in on 30 minutes.”


NUJ inbrief...


BUREAU CHIEF IS HELD IN PAKISTAN The union has condemned the arrest and detention of Siddique Jan, BOL News Bureau chief, in Pakistan. He is accused of provoking violence against the authorities by posting videos of police attacking supporters of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, as he appeared in court for a corruption case.


EDITOR IN CHIEF OF TIME STANDS DOWN Edward Felsenthal, editor-in-chief of Time, is standing down after six years in the role and four years also as the chief executive. In June, he becomes executive chairman and a contributing editor involving writing and other work at Time.


GB NEWS PAYS LEE ANDERSON £100,000 Lee Anderson, the Conservative Party deputy chair, is to be paid £100,000 a year for hosting a show on GB News. The annual fee, declared in an update to the MPs’ register of interests, compares with the £200 weekly payment he received for appearing as a regular on Dan Wootton’s GB News show.


Call for Sharp to quit


RICHARD SHARP, the BBC chair, should resign for failing to disclose his role as a go-between for a £800,000 loan to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a time when Sharp was applying for his role at the corporation, NUJ members have said.


A snapshot poll of members at the BBC revealed strong views over the conduct of Sharp and his ongoing position of BBC chair. Some 95 per cent said he should


resign. This has been mirrored in discussions in chapels and meetings of reps. Just four per cent said he


retained their faith; 97 per cent said the revelations over his behaviour at the time of his appointment and since have damaged the BBC’s reputation; and 91 per cent said the scandal undermined trust in the BBC’s journalism.


BBC warns against staff using Tiktok


The BBC has advised all staff against


using TikTok on corporate devices unless it is for ‘editorial and marketing purposes’. It said that the


decision followed concerns raised by governments around the world about the platform and data


privacy and security. The announcement follows a UK government ban on TikTok for devices belonging to the civil service.The Danish public


service broadcaster DR, has also advised staff not to have TikTok on work phones due to security concerns. At the same time, over recent months, BBC News has focused on boosting its editorial presence on TicTok.


theJournalist | 03


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