The BBC should not judge local radio on listening figures - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: Hilary Robinson, South Milford.
Christa Ackroyd is right in her feature Dear BBC, please change tack and just do what you do best (YP 04/07/26).
As a radio producer who has worked at local, regional, and network levels of the BBC for over 30 years, I have experienced firsthand that local radio is the core to the corporation's crown.
Local radio is the BBC’s primary research and development department. It sources the fascinating, high-impact stories that become essential network content while providing the vital community outreach and democratic scrutiny that national platforms cannot replicate.
It relies on cultivating relationships and community trust. It also serves as an indispensable training ground where experienced professionals nurture and encourage the next generation of talent.
In times of crisis - be it floods or local emergencies, BBC local radio remains the most essential reliable medium capable of delivering real-time, vital information.
The BBC should not judge local radio on listening figures. It should value its place in the unique infrastructure.
If the BBC allows its local output to wither, it will lose its unique connection to the nation.