Every year BBC News has to make cuts, and there has usually been a rhythm to their delivery, with first announcements in October, to enable the savings to be built into the following financial year. This year, we're running late. Local radio and World Service have made their moves; network news will apparently get their present much closer to Christmas, perhaps even today.
Meanwhile, some BBC changes have to go through an annual gavotte with Ofcom. Yesterday Ofcom opined on three - changes to Radio 5Live, Radio 2, and regional news output on BBC1.
The regulator graciously says it's ok with the Radio 5Live proposal, which would allow a 5% weekly increase in sport programming outside peak hours, arguing that sport appeals more to underserved audiences. It says, broadly, ok to one fewer regional newsdesk in Breakfast, and the nudge of the late night summary to 10.30pm, putting it technically outside peak hours.
It clearly has enjoyed reinforcing a quota of live music on Radio 2. The BBC's own figures show this network commitment is overblown, reaching 260 hours with 192 of repeats. Only 6 new editions of Sunday Night is Music Night, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, are made a year, but they get 44 repeats. The BBC wanted to make just 55 hours a year of live music shows, and my guess is that the Concert Orchestra would be down to 4 shows or less; Ofcom says they must stick to the current 68 hours.
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