What's happening to Local Radio in the UK

Well the title says it all as far as i am concerned. I have listened to Radio Merseyside for many years. Now i am not living in the UK it's my lifeline to what's happening where my family and friends live. Some time ago the BBC said that the stations had to make do with less of a budget and that was a cut of 20% at each station. We members of the public only here part of the story. Station programs are to merge or programs are to be lost on mention of letting the stations make saving or themselves raise there own income from the shop at the station.

As a simple listener why can't the powers to be just tell each station you have to save 20% of your budget and just get on with it. It's then up to each station manager to find those savings. Radio Merseyside is the most popular BBC station in the country outside of London.

But what has all this to do with me now living in Portugal.Let me tell you how it may affect  me in Portugal. I like to listen to most of the programs on Radio Merseyside From Chat to News it keeps me in touch with whats going on in what was for most of my life Home.

Saturday and Sunday are my favourite time to listen. I am a child of the sixties and grew up with the Stones Dylan The Who Jimi Hendrix to name but a few. Frankie Conner has a show that covers the 50's, 60's and 70's. I never got to see Frankie play in the Sixties even though Frankie was part of the Hideaways who played the Cavern Club more times than the Beatles did.  Frankie has something unique in Radio in that he is from Liverpool and you can tell from his presentation during his shows he's one of use. Frankie plays a lots of requests from people like me from all eras but for me it's the Sixties. Today i emailed Frankie and asked if he had Love Minus Zero by Bob Dylan but instead played Highway 61 by Bob Dylan from 1965. Frankie often says on air that if he doesn't have your request with him in his NETTO bag he will play it next time.   Every request i ask for is something that is a reminder of Jean.

I listen to all the other daytime presenters but it's the weekend that music  from my era is played most an mostly it's the music i like. The daytime presenters are all very good and mostly it's music and chat but it's my time that comes back to life at the weekend.   

Copy and paste the link below. It's Frankie with the Hideaways at the Casbah Club in Liverpool. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MZ7ZElEctc

But how will all these changes affect me and others who listen from all corners of the World. Who knows but should the powers to be decide on cuts instead of becoming more efficient with the budget they have to run the station. The future for me and many like me who have chosen to live away from home what do we do listen to someone who is just a voice coming out of the speaker covering an area that a number of stations would cover. It would just be a voice not someone who you can associate ith. The station would no longer be a place for those of use away from home to tune into to get a bit of Merseyside to listen to. It would just become another Radio Station.

Should cuts come instead of a more efficent running of the station then it will be a sad day for Liverpool Radio and for it's listeners both at home and away.