BBC cuts will affect older people most, warns Christian NUJ rep

David Campanale

Cuts being proposed by the BBC in local radio will have a disproportionate impact on older people, according to a Christian activist on the National Executive of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), who is pointing to research that broadcast media is a significant form of companionship for people confined to their homes. Speaking to a national union meeting in London, David Campanale said the BBC had a special responsibility to older listeners, with many enduring loneliness and looking to local radio for a sense of connection with their community.

Campanale cited research from media regulator OFCOM, conducted by polling organisation MORI, that older people are more likely to listen to radio at least five days a week, with almost nine in ten (87%) of those aged over 55 doing so. BBC local radio is listened to more often by older listeners (23% of over 55s listen daily), compared to younger listeners.

In a debate about industrial action against the impact of the cuts, David Campanale referred to research published by Help the Aged:

"One third of older people in the UK are living alone, including half of all women over 65. Of one million older men living alone, half have no human contact and feel trapped in their homes. More than one million people endure loneliness and half a million leave their homes just once a week. 300,000 people are completely housebound. According to the British Social Attitudes Survey, one quarter of people over 65 say they have 'no best friend'. Our campaign against the BBC cuts is for our audience and for the older people who look to the BBC as a friendly voice of companionship in their home."

All BBC's local radio stations face budget cuts including job losses and reductions in programming. Some stations face more than 20 per cent cuts and for example BBC London could lose a quarter of its budget. Almost a half (48.7% ) of the listeners of Radio Lincolnshire are aged over 65, as are more than a third (35.2%) of Radio Newcastle and more than four out of 10 (44.8% ) of Radio York and Radio Essex (43.3%).

A member of the Church Mission Society and chairman of the Christian Peoples Alliance, David Campanale has worked in BBC radio and television news for over twenty years. He was elected onto the NUJ National Executive last week. He added:

"Industrial action is always undertaken reluctantly. But the social importance of local radio must not be lost to the wider public. Sadly, what is provided is not always appreciated until it is gone so all BBC staff must now fight to protect what is often seen as the less glamorous part of BBC broadcasting."