05 Freelances Save BBC Radio


Alex Dyke and Bethan Nimmo on why their listeners love them and why local radio maters


Wall of Sound, formerly Bubblegum and Cheese, were hugely popular. Despite being up against Steve Wright during the aſternoon, he still managed to pull in names such as Rick Astley and Tony Hadley and broke new acts.


A He has been on air almost every


day since 1986. “My show is my identity,” he said. “And now I have been told it’s not coming back.” More than 2000 messages in support have landed on his Facebook page. “I have invested so much in my listeners,” he said. “My popularity has meant for nothing, and now I am going to have to put my home on the market.” Political reporter Beth Nimmo has picked up the phone in her BBC Oxford Radio studio on Christmas Day and been the only other human that person heard say Merry Christmas to. She said: “We are so much more than a newsroom just


lex Dyke loves his job on BBC Radio Solent. His weekday Wall of Sound and the upbeat Weekend


churning out radio and TV shows. As important as our journalism is, and I think it’s absolutely crucial to society, we give our audience so much more. I have supported someone who was suicidal. During the pandemic people have needed our help and companionship while cut off from their normal networks of support.” As part of the 450 cuts’ package in England, 139 jobs will go in local


radio and the daytime output will go from four shows a day to three. Bethan said: Tis crisis has shown how much we need the people on the frontline of local broadcasting. Tat’s why we must fight to save our jobs.”


Bethan’s blog htps:// bethannimmo. wordpress.


com/2020/07/03/my- tribute-to-local-radio-and- why-we-should-protect-it-2/


fund an extension of the BBC Academy’s Lockdown Learning workshops into August, so they will be free to NUJ freelance members. Watch out for an email giving the next set of courses. FEU Training runs free


T


workshops. Book now for workshops to help you to maximise the potential of your technology; manage your finances; and diversify your portfolio. Tere is a webinar on Friday 24 July to help you get motivated and re-gain your mojo. More information on the FEU website: htps:// www.feutraining.org/online- workshops/


he Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) has voted to


Write


Write to your MP asking them to lobby against the local radio cuts:


htps://www.nuj.org.uk/documents/leter- to-mp-on-bbc-local-radio-cuts/


Tweet support of your local BBC radio station


Invite a member from your local station to your branch


CAMPAIGN


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8