In January this year over 5,000 listeners and musicians posted their appreciation here at Fresh On The Net for the backbone of BBC Introducing – its unique network of 32 shows on local radio stations across England and the Channel Islands. See the original blog post here…

Those shows, staffed by enthusiasts and volunteers have been supporting local music communities around the country with airplay, interviews and sessions ever since the network was founded in 2007. Many have worked to set up local gigs, festival stages and outside broadcasts for musicians in their area. 

And all those local shows have forwarded their top local talent to BBC Introducing colleagues on local and national stations. From August onwards, all that is about to change.

The Broken Back of BBC Introducing

Starting in August, BBC Introducing’s local network in England and the Channel Islands will be cut from 32 shows to 20. 

Details have not been announced, even to staff, so a few of the specifics may be wrong. But a great many BBC Introducing presenters and production staff are about to lose their jobs.

This is their collective best guess at what will happen in the next few months.

Read the details of the upcoming changes to BBC Introducing shows here.

If you’d like to complain to the BBC about these changes, head over to this page. You can see how that works here:

To make your views known on air, contact the BBC Radio Four Feedback programme:

• Email: feedback@bbc.co.uk
• Phone or WhatsApp: 03 333 444 544

If you’d like to tell us how you are affected by these changes, please do so using the form below.

[wpforms id=”41568″ title=”false”]

Here are the responses we’ve received so far…

Stuart Mann (Broadcast Professional)

I think the tone of this article is unfair. Actually BBC management have told staff that the same coverage will exist, because there will be an ‘Introducing expert’ on each station, showcasing one artist during the breakfast show. This will then be put onto the BBC Sounds ‘rail’ for your local station.

The ‘rail’ is one of six buttons found at the very bottom of the Sounds app, offering local content. This is part of the BBC’s drive to improve the online offering, over live broadcast. Introducing’s local social media pages will not return.

BBC management have also said that Introducing has been thought of from the very start of the planned changes to BBC local.

Though management have not yet clarified how these programmes will be staffed, nor the recruitment process, nor branded, nor, in some cases, who will be doing the show.

[wpforms_introbroken_table id=”41568″ number=”1000″]