Public urged to protest over Radio Shropshire cuts
Friday 14th October 2011, 7:27AM BST.
The leader of Shropshire Council today said he could not bear to be without his ‘trunk of funk’ as he urged the public to vent their fury at planned cuts to the county’s BBC local radio station.
Councillor Keith Barrow said a cabinet meeting would be held on October 27 when the council will formulate an official response to the BBC’s consultation over the proposed cuts.
He called on as many people as possible to attend to share their views on the service the station provides and how much it would effect them if cuts were made to programmes and services they currently receive.
The Shirehall meeting is at 12.30pm on October 27.
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Perhaps Mr Barrow should spend a bit more time protecting vital council services which support the vulnerable and local jobs, rather than pontificating about a local radio station which is hardly an essential service.
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I grew up in Shropshire and returned to work in Shrewsbury for some years. I now live overseas, but keep in touch via BBC Radio Shropshire on the internet.
This is about much more than the Trunk of Funk or even BBC Radio Shropshire. It’s about democracy; being able to have your say and being informed about what is going on in YOUR local area. If people don’t protest at the BBC’s proposals on managing their budget, then local radio will be gone. And once it is gone, it will be gone for good. If you really want to listen to the same programmes, whether you live in Dundee, Doncaster or Dorset, and produced by those who neither know nor care about Shropshire, then sit back and say nothing. Your choice.
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Its a bit rich coming from someone who likes shutting schools and making people redundant to complain about another organisation making cutbacks.
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Yep, sounds like “I stab your back and you scratch mine” to me…
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Tory Government cuts BBC budget. BBC has to cut local radio . What did Tory leader of Tory Shrops Council think was going to happen?
He wasn’t so upset about slashing jobs or wages at ther council.
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What about the cuts to our vital frontline sevices – and how much is this planned meeting going to cost us?
Btw, the Bolshevik Brainwashing Corporation (BBC)) should not force the public to pay for it’s running. If it can’t fund itself then it should be left to die.
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As per the other posts, this is a bit rich coming from a council promoting job cuts and reductions in salaries.
Concentrate on your own business councillor.
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If he wants people to protest then at least pic a show that is a actual local show. The Trunk Of Funk could easily be replicated on commercial radio if there was any demand for it it. Theres no local relevance at all apart from its people around the area that pic songs. This is the exact thing the BBC should be cutting as it bears no local relevance at all. Besides the show is currently networked as it is meaning its not just for Shropshire it also covers Stoke and H&W
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What a farce – happy to cut essential services & then wastes time on matters that have nothing to do with the council. No wonder Shropshire council have such an appalling reputation. The BBC should be expected to take cuts along with everyone else.
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In these uncertain times listening to a local radio station is not as important as ensuring your family is fed,clothed and homed,or is our council leader worried about losing a means to tell us all how good a job he does,
let the readers decide.
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Posts 1 & 2 say it all. Get on with your REAL job Barrow, never mind trying to save dead ducks.
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Stopped listening to radio Shropshire months ago, maybe this is the opportunity to have some new people on the morning show who are less depressing and don’t talk about money problem, the recession, problems with housing, the jobless, problems with housing benefits, child benefit, defaulting on mortgages, repressions, bailiffs. Would be nice to listen to someone happy in the morning with happy stories and focus on the positive things in life. Everyone is worried about the above and don’t need to be reminded of it every morning on their way to work / if they have a job to go to.
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Looks like the leader of Britain’s most rubbish council is trying to deflect attention away from his own incompetence.
Yet by attempting to make himself appear in touch with his electorate he picks a programme that could be made by any commercial station.
Not a fan of BBC Shropshire’s news output, obviously!
PR FAIL!
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If the loss of “Trunk of Funk” is Mr Barrow’s biggest concern at the moment, he leads a charmed life.
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I don’t really understand what Cllr Barrow hopes to achieve here. Is he really expecting us to rally behind him to protect his beloved ‘trunk of funk’ while he merrily slashes his way through our jobs and services? Given other recent decisions of his Cabinet I find it hard to believe that he is particularly concerned about whether or not people are losing their jobs at Radio Shropshire, or whether the service provided by the station is valuable to the community. Perhaps he is just unused to things he likes being taken from him. In any case, he is unlikely to find much solidarity from those of us affected by his Council’s decimation of our schools, day centres and bus services. I would have thought that his support of Radio Shropshire, smacking as it does of breathtaking hypocrisy, is likely to do more harm than good to the station.
And a piece of advice for Cllr Barrow- if the BBC’s consultation started, as so many of yours have, with the words “This is a genuine consultation and no decisions have been made yet”, be very afraid for the future of the programme you cannot bear to be without.
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Keith, just because you like something, doesn’t mean you can have it.
Wake up and smell the roses kiddo.
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Whether or not you agree with Mr.Barrow’s policies, you have been invited to comment on your local BBC service. The licence fee pays for the BBC not your council tax. Yet you have a ballot paper that decrees where your council tax is spent, who did you vote for in the BBC elections? You didn’t because you can’t yet like the council tax you can get a criminal record if you don’t pay your licence fee. Have a say on Thursday about your local BBC service. You have been given the opportunity don’t loose your voice.
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Why is Cllr Barrow so upset about losing Radio Shropshire when he doesn’t get upset at losing OUR vital council services.
Perhaps Radio Shropshire should go after all?….
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Barrow should resign and the bbc should be privatised.
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Am I right in assuming from Barrow’s comments in the press that the Cabinet meeting he refers to is an open meeting for anyone to have their say on any subject that appears on the agenda.If so when was the protocol for Cabinet changed to an open public forum or yet again has he no idea of what is going on.Response awaited with interest.
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Pesonally speaking I would abolish the evil fascist propaganda machine called the BBC in whole.. Get rid of the lot..
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shropshire without radio shropshire never
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