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BBC Local journalists take part in 24-hour strike

Posted on 20th July 2023
By The Clean Feed Team
Last updated on 21st July 2023
Filed under News

Local and regional BBC TV/radio services across England are being affected by industrial action by members of the National Union of Journalists.

The strike – which began at 11am today – is in protest at cuts being implemented across BBC Local Radio services in England.

Impacts on television

There was significant disruption to regional news programmes on BBC One in England.

Only four of the regions managed to get their own programme on air at lunchtime.

The lunchtime regional news programmes on BBC One were affected as follows:

  • Channel Islands: took BBC Spotlight (which is normal at lunchtime).
  • East: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC South East Today studio.
  • East Midlands: managed to produce a programme.
  • London: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC South East Today studio.
  • North East: took BBC North West Today.
  • North West: managed to produce a programme.
  • South East: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC South East Today studio.
  • South: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC South East Today studio.
  • South West: managed to produce a programme.
  • West Midlands: took BBC East Midlands Today.
  • West: managed to produce a programme.
  • East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: took BBC North West Today.
  • Yorkshire: took BBC North West Today.

There was a similar picture for the 6.30pm slot; though Channel Islands also managed to get their programme on air:

  • Channel Islands: managed to produce a programme.
  • East: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC London studio.
  • East Midlands: managed to produce a programme.
  • London: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC London studio.
  • North East: took BBC North West Today.
  • North West: managed to produce a programme.
  • South East: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC London studio.
  • South: took a combined London/South East/South/East programme – branded “BBC News” and based at the BBC London studio.
  • South West: managed to produce a programme.
  • West Midlands: took BBC East Midlands Today.
  • West: managed to produce a programme.
  • East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: took BBC North West Today.
  • Yorkshire: took BBC North West Today.

Whilst the combined programme across London, south/south east/east England acknowledged the NUJ strike action at the start of the programme, the programme produced by BBC North West and carried in a number of other English regions did not.

BBC East Midlands Today also did not reference the strike or explain to viewers in the West Midlands why they were not receiving their usual programme.

VIDEO: introduction to the 6.30pm regional news programme broadcast in London, south, south east and east England. TX DATE: 20th July 2023. COPYRIGHT: BBC.

Late programmes:

  • Channel Islands: managed to produce a programme.
  • East: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • East Midlands: managed to produce a programme.
  • London: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • North East: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • North West: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • South East: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • South: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • South West: managed to produce a programme.
  • West Midlands: took BBC East Midlands Today.
  • West: managed to produce a programme.
  • East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.
  • Yorkshire: took a programme produced by BBC London and broadcast to multiple English regions.

There was further disruption to regional news bulletins during BBC Breakfast on Friday morning (21st July):

  • Channel Islands: took BBC South West as normal.
  • East: managed to produce its own bulletins.
  • East Midlands: managed to produce its own bulletins.
  • London: managed to produce its own bulletins.
  • North East: took BBC North West Today.
  • North West: managed to produce its own bulletins.
  • South East: produced combined bulletins for the South and South East.
  • South: took a combined programme produced by BBC South East.
  • South West: took a combined programme produced by BBC West.
  • West Midlands: took BBC East Midlands Today.
  • West: produced combined bulletins for the West and South West.
  • East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: took BBC North West Today.
  • Yorkshire: took BBC North West Today.
VIDEO: examples of regional news bulletins broadcast during BBC Breakfast on Friday morning. TX DATE: 21st July 2023. COPYRIGHT: BBC.

Impacts on radio

A networked afternoon show aired on BBC Radio Berkshire, BBC Radio Derby, BBC Essex, BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio Oxford.

Regional programmes ran on BBC Radio Cumbria, BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Newcastle, BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Radio Suffolk, BBC Radio Tees and BBC Radio York.

Various local stations took hourly news updates from BBC Radio 2.

On Friday morning, the NUJ reported that breakfast programming on over a quarter of local radio stations was impacted by the strike. A networked breakfast show was broadcast on the following stations:

BBC Radio Lancashire; BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester; BBC Radio Humberside; BBC Radio Leeds; BBC Radio Manchester; BBC Radio Merseyside; BBC Radio Norfolk; BBC Radio Oxford; BBC Radio Shropshire; BBC Radio Solent.

Programme shares were also reported in Nottingham, Lincolnshire, Sussex and Surrey.

Related

Acknowledgements

Related

FEATURE IMAGE:

PICTURED: journalists on the picket line in Birmingham. COPYRIGHT: NUJ.

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Tags: BBC, BBC Local Radio, BBC One, BBC Regional News

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