Anywhere but Cheshire

Exploration of the whole BBC website reveals some interesting anomalies. Type in a Cheshire postcode on the home page and you’ll be offered a local weather forecast. But look on the “Where I Live” page and close scrutiny reveals that of all the counties in England, Cheshire is the only one not represented on the BBC website. Not for news, or anything else (except for the weather).

Almost 1 million people live in Cheshire – it is a large and affluent county, has a strong identity and a rich history and commands significant commercial and tourism importance. Chester alone supports three local newspapers and two independent radio stations, suggesting there is a market for local news.

As a freelance writer who spends hours a day reading news on the internet, with a need to find out what’s happening locally, I was intrigued and frustrated by the BBC’s apparent inability to recognise Cheshire. So I did what any other unhappy licence payer would do. I asked BBC News Online why.

There was a resounding silence. As time went by, I developed a decidedly one-way relationship with Auntie. I’d email a complaint, and she’d fail to respond.

Louise Bolotin

Mike Dunn of Northwich, in a typical response, told me: “Remote backwaters such as Suffolk are deemed worthy of a BBC local radio station and accompanying web pages. Cheshire, with a population approaching a million people, doesn't even register on the BBC's radar. We pay a percentage of our licence fee for local radio, which we don't get, and even a humble web page appears to be asking too much of Auntie. This petition is long overdue.”

Quite a few signatories to the petition revealed that they too had complained to the BBC, only to be told that providing a news page for Cheshire is not viable.

However, my most recent attempt to open dialogue with BBC News Online resulted in a reply from the top. Hugh Berlyn, editor for BBC News Interactive England, said: “I can promise that the desire for provision of news for Cheshire is very much on the BBC's radar, but you will be aware that the BBC recently received a disappointing licence fee settlement from the Government. As a result, all BBC priorities are currently under review - including news provision for Cheshire. ‘Under review’ means just that - no decisions have been made either way - but I can assure you senior managers are looking at what will be possible for the future.”

So, not even a web page in the offing, even though it would cost the BBC almost nothing out of its vast budget to provide one. With the BBC moving a good chunk of its national operations to Manchester, it seems to be missing out on this opportunity to provide micro-news for a targeted Cheshire audience.

Regional newspaper editors are nervous of the BBC’s proclaimed intention to provide a broader micro-news service in the future, and there has been talk of Newspaper Society members boycotting the BBC.

Yet if the BBC is failing Cheshire licence payers, surely there is an opportunity for local media to seize the initiative and provide a daily updated internet news service for them? Improving their websites and allowing readers to comment directly on or contribute to stories would drive traffic and boost revenues as well as provide a much-needed internet news service. If local papers take up the baton, they have nothing to fear from the BBC and inhabitants of Cheshire will have plenty of resources for finding up-to-date local news.

In the meantime, the wait continues for the BBC to play fair with Cheshire licence payers.

www.gopetition.co.uk/online/9179.html

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Comments (8)

4  By Wilf Williams , on 02-06-2007 04:32 Is it ever possible to speak to someone from the BBC ???Arseholes. Report

5  By Giles Bastow , on 02-06-2007 04:41 Why is it that the vast majority of people on 'How Do' uses a false name???  Scared of offending your boss? The media in Manchester is as tragic as we thought....  Lighten up...why dont you!!!??? Report