BBC local staff vote in favour of strike over radio cuts
BBC‘s regional services in England will stage a 24 hour strike next month over plans to merge some local radio shows including BBC Introducing.The walkout is set to take place at 11am on March 15, on the same day as the Budget, after 83 per cent of members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) voted in favour of the move.A spokesperson said they were “disappointed at the outcome of the ballot”, reports BBC News but NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet said its members had shown “their determination not to stand by and see local radio output dismantled”.It comes after the BBC has announced plans for its 39 local stations to share more shows in afternoons, evenings and at weekends.Under the proposals, the stations would keep their own weekday morning programmes but then share 20 afternoon weekday shows, 10 shows after 6pm and a single all-England programme after 10pm. Weekend output will also be affected.The corporation’s 39 BBC Introducing shows, a scheme to support up-and-coming musical talent, will also be cut to 20 but with extra timeslots to ensure a broad range of music can still be played.