British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to raise proposed Radio Foyle cuts with BBC
'Will the Prime Minister act to defend this very important local public broadcasting service?' - Colum Eastwood MP
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as agreed to raise the proposed staff and programming cuts at BBC Radio Foyle with the BBC.
It was announced on Tuesday, BBC NI was proposing to scrap BBC Radio Foyle's 'Breakfast Show' and local news bulletins and the jobs of as many as eight journalists at the station were also under threat.
At Prime Minister's Question in Westminster on Tuesday, Foyle MP Colum Eastwood asked Mr Sunak: “Yesterday, BBC Northern Ireland announced cuts to programming and jobs at BBC Radio Foyle that, in my view, will leave the station totally unsustainable.
"The BBC charter places an obligation on that organization to allow audiences to fully engage on local issues. This decision, in my view, is a very clear breach of that obligation, leaving license fee payers outside the greater Belfast area without proper local programming.
"Will the Prime Minister act to defend this very important local public broadcasting service?”
Mr Sunak replied: "Mr Speaker, I believe very strongly in local public broadcasting and indeed the government has taken concepts to support local media. I'll be very happy to look at the specific issue he raises and bring it up with the BBC when I next see them."