Radio Review: 31 October

What is the point of local radio if all it seems to do is cover national stories badly? Last week, I found myself listening to Anna King’s morning show on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Having been dismissive of the station, I’ve tried to make an effort, but am forced to conclude that it’s them, not me.

King was soliciting calls about the release and rehabilitation of footballing rapist Chedwyn ‘Ched’ Evans. Should he be allowed to return to his career with Sheffield United? Sheffield is a long way from Gloucester, and Evans is from North Wales. A cursory web search shows he has never played for a club in my home county.

So, here was a story with no direct connection to the vast majority of the audience, requiring a degree of skill and sensitivity that King lacked. The justification for doing the Evans story seemed to be that everybody else was. That’s not good enough.

Once when I suggested an idea to BBC Radio Norfolk managing editor David Clayton, he replied ‘It’s interesting, but where’s the Norfolk angle?’ I suspect that sort of thinking is one of the reasons why Norfolk has been consistently one of the best-performing BBC local radio stations.

A friend mentioned that Evans had been discussed on BBC Radio Shropshire too, but Jim Hawkins (a good presenter, who challenged the ‘she was asking for it’ callers excellently) at least had the excuse that it was ‘Free-for-all Friday’ with listeners deciding the topics, and had a strong local story running in parallel. Except I fear it was not the choice of the listeners but the choice of the habitual phone-in callers, and they’re never the best judges of material.

Anna King, Radio Gloucestershire, weekdays, 9am. Jim Hawkins, Radio Shropshire, weekdays, 9am.
Louis on Twitter: @LFBarfe or email: wireless@cheeseford.net