First trawl

Some readers are keen for me to help them with runners and riders for the 5Live Breakfast vacancy, arising in Spring next year, when Shelagh Fogarty moves to lunchtime.  They'll need to start their contract in London, then move to Salford, probably in October/November.

Let's make some assumptions.  The track record is for a female co-host.   Peter Allen and Jane Garvey, Julian Worricker and Victoria Derbyshire; Nicky Campbell and Victoria Derbyshire, then Shelagh. 

There are other women to consider already at the station. Rachel Burden currently presents Weekend Breakfast. The pedigree is right - Dublin University, Cardiff School of Journalism, Radio Suffolk and Radio Bristol. But she's married with three kids.  Not great for breakfast hosts - and the issue of moving schools will be there.

Anita Anand, until recently paired with Peter Allen on Drive, has been away from the mike giving birth to baby Hari in March; she's married to Simon Singh.  She's returned to her gig on the Daily Politics with Andrew Neil, but not yet to Drive.  I'm guessing tv will keep her in London.  Aasmah Mir, brought up in Bearsen, near Glasgow, has more flexibility. Until recently, she would travel to Pacific Quay to co-host Good Morning Scotland on Fridays, as well as her Five Live duties. She might expect to stay with Drive if Anita declines the Salford option. Her husband, Piara Powar, however, is pretty London-based.

The hunting ground outside is usually BBC local radio. Jane Garvey came from BBC Hereford & Worcester; Victoria Derbyshire co-presented the BBC Radio Manchester (then GMR) breakfast show with Mike Hancock before moving south.  Shelagh Fogarty was a BBC Local Radio trainee, before joining The World at One as a reporter.  

The problem with looking at BBC local radio now is that few can afford double-headed presentation at Breakfast, or indeed, at any time in the schedule - and many stations now rely on men to wake you up.  Looking round the patch that might provide someone already comfortable in the north, it is very masculine. Radio Manchester has Allan Beswick, Radio Merseyside has Tony Snell, Radio Lancashire has Graham Liver, Radio Sheffield has Toby Foster, Radio York has Adam Tomlinson.  

But at Radio Leeds, the estimable Martin Kelner is partnered by Katharine Hannah, and, occasionally Julie Langford. So I reckon the suits at 5Live will be sampling them on the iPlayer.   Elsewhere, the station is also giving a run out to Frances Finn of Radio Nottingham, covering some festive holes left by Stephen Nolan.  We've tipped her before.

That's enough to be going on with.  Not enough, however, to make a book.  So we'll return to the topic soon.