Research indicates scale of BBC local radio failures

Over a third of BBC local radio weekly listeners aged 45+ believe ‘the BBC has ruined its local radio stations’. 16% strongly agree that is the case.

New research indicates almost half of BBC local radio listeners aged 45+ in England (47%) say the stations are not as local as they were with 19% strongly agreeing.

Despite the BBC being charged with providing distinctive programmes, almost half of weekly listeners aged 45+ (47%) say they are not as distinctive as they were. 

At a time when the BBC engineered maximum disruption, well over a third (38%) of weekly listeners aged 45+ ‘miss they presenters (they) grew to know’.  22% of the 45+ who have stopped listening have stopped within the last two years.

Whilst the largely unchanged news service is seen as remaining strong by over a third (36%); and over a third (36%) believe the quality of stations is as high as it was, criticisms leap out.

A station’s own listeners should show real enthusiasm for what their station does. As a programmer, you’d be disappointed to hear that over a third of weekly listeners (also 36%) think the quality of your radio station is not as high as it was – and that more monthly listeners think the music does not suit them than feel the opposite.

That is what the audience thinks (Opinium. Fieldwork, England February 2026, sample 2000 aged 45+).

The above performance follows firstly the BBC’s changes in target audiences – and secondly the de-localising of much programming with the associated disruption. The BBC talks about performance being in line with trend – whilst appearing not to have any responsibility for the trend!

Following the decline in the volume of local radio provision from the commercial sector, the BBC had a clear opportunity grow its local services – and to address a gap in radio provision.  Instead, it took an axe to them – and Ofcom let them.

In the last four years, the reach of BBC local radio (Rajar, BBC local radio in England 15+, Q4 2021-Q4 2025) has declined by almost a third (31%) that’s a loss of over two million listeners.

A key architect of the of the plan was the then BBC Director of Nations, Rhodri Talfan Davies.  In an interview he generously afforded me in 2023, he said: “I believe there's actually an opportunity to grow our local radio audience”.   He also said: “But of course I'm accountable”.  He is now interim DG.

When Ofcom originally agreed to the BBC’s request to network more programming across regions, it undertook (Letter to BBC, Feb ‘23) to “closely monitor the content and impact of the new service (including research on audience views)”.  I can see little evidence of ‘monitoring’ of actual ’content’ and precious little fitting research amongst the largely 50+ audience on the broader local radio provision beyond news – despite Ofcom’s duties to ensure the BBC complies with its obligations.

Hence, I commissioned this study across England from the recognised research provider Opinium.

At the time responsibility for BBC regulation passed to Ofcom, BBC local radio – in general terms - was broadcasting locally from 0600-1900 weekdays and extensively off peak and at weekend. At that handover (Agreement between DCMS/Ofcom, 2016) Ofcom was required to “increase the current requirements on the BBC as a whole to secure the provision of more distinctive output and services. In particular, Ofcom must- (a) have a presumption against removing any of the current requirements which would result in the provision of less distinctive output and services; (b) (c) (d) consider the case for increasing the current requirements in areas where the BBC has exceeded those requirements or where this would support the provision of distinctive output and services”

Ofcom, however, has recently confirmed to me (FOI 02123877) that it failed to even assess the levels of locally-originated output at the time, let alone safeguard them. Accordingly, even the BBC’s obligations to local programming at that stage were below the appropriate levels, let alone the reduced obligations subsequently negotiated.

Ofcom is an economic regulator with proven excellence in the field. It appears less well-equipped, however, to regulate what radio stations deliver on the air and understand programming content beyond consideration of specific complaints.

It appears to base its conclusions on a rather innocent analysis of Rajar – which is essentially an over-arching trading rather than programming currency – on broader news research – and on what the BBC tells it.  As a largely London-based organisation, Ofcom has little understanding of the role BBC local radio plays in areas across England where its audience reach has been significant.

So, the only people really deciding whether the BBC is producing  high quality, distinctive programming and ‘reflect(ing), represent(ing) and serve(ing) the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions’  - are those who work at the BBC.

By contrast, for commercial radio, the new Ofcom regulations (Statement 25^th Feb 2026) require local commercial stations to provide local news at least hourly from journalists "physically present in the area" - whereas BBC local stations only need bulletins "at frequent intervals" with no requirements on location.  Even the phrase ‘at frequent intervals’ was inserted reluctantly by Ofcom into the first BBC licence after I responded to the Consultation suggesting that the original 2017 draft ‘at intervals throughout the day" was laughable!

Is it not odd that less is required of the BBC’s local programmes funded by the public purse, than of commercial operations. Is it not odd that complaints about commercial radio may go straight to Ofcom – whereas any complaint about the BBC must go on the BBC’s endless merry-go-round process first?

This sorry chapter in BBC local radio’s life has been enabled by a regulatory regime which is not serving listeners – or even the BBC’s own long term interests - well.

Some BBC local stations are better than others – often when capable managers are doing their best despite the frustrations of head office. There are many excellent programmes and programme elements on BBC local radio still - presented and produced by gifted people I know – and their efforts are not highlighted and recognised sufficiently. Those people will likely also agree with me, however, that the environment for producing such content is poor.

The research I commissioned - and Rajar - indicate clearly that the BBC is failing to deliver local radio satisfactorily despite the enviable funding which remains - and Ofcom has failed to regulate it sensibly.