Shropshire Council leader's plea to BBC over local radio
Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow has written to the director general of the BBC to urge him to reconsider planned cuts to local radio stations.
Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow has written to the director general of the BBC to urge him to reconsider planned cuts to local radio stations.
Councillor Barrow was spurred into action after the BBC announced Radio Shropshire is set to have its output reduced as part of BBC cutbacks, which will see 20 per cent of its spending removed from its budget in the next five years.
In his letter to Mark Thompson, Councillor Barrow said that local media played a vital role in the democratic process in doing the job of holding public organisations to account.
He adds: "As leader of Shropshire Council, which itself has to save £76 million over the next three years, you might expect me to have a somewhat difficult relationship with the local media at present. Whilst that is true in some respects, I truly value local BBC services like Radio Shropshire which are enormously important and respected in the communities they serve.
"They are a vital part of the democratic process, and Radio Shropshire is very adept at holding us public servants to account.
"I have 'enjoyed' countless lively debates on the radio about various policies and issues being proposed by the council, and that is an integral part of local democracy."
His letter comes as a Facebook campaign was launched to protect a Radio Shropshire show.
A Facebook group called 'Save Our Trunk' has been formed by Richard Elford, from Dorset, who is an avid fan of Colin Young's Trunk of Funk on Thursday's from 7pm to 9pm.
More than 20 people have joined the group, calling for the show, which plays soul, funk and disco from the mid 1970s through to the early 1980s, to be saved.
Mr Elford said: "Colin has a tremendous following on the lunchtime show but also the Trunk of Funk is one of the most popular shows on the radio and we are trying to save it. The party atmosphere that the show achieves is phenomenal, with listeners from around the world joining in."
A BBC spokesman said: "The shows currently likely to be affected by these proposals are Ian Perry's Early Morning Show, 5am to 6am; Colin Young's Lunchtime Show, noon to 3pm; Paul Shuttleworth's Sunday lunchtime show, 1pm to 3pm; and evening shows such as folk, jazz, country, the Trunk of Funk and the Jim Hawkins Rock Show, on Saturdays 6pm to 9pm."
By Chris Burn and Paul Mannion