View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
July 10, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Radio revival for Coventry as BBC admits ‘mistakes’

By Press Gazette

BBC director general Greg Dyke continued in his quest to overturn much of predecessor John Birt’s legacy this week, by announcing the return of a local radio station for Coventry and Warwickshire.

Speaking at the Radio Festival in Birmingham, Dyke announced the reintroduction of a BBC local radio station to the area, sending a message of vindication to those that campaigned hard to keep the region’s original station open before it was folded into BBC WM in 1995.

He also branded Birt’s decision to close BBC CWR after five years “a mistake”. Dyke said: “The decision was made under different circumstances – and now we’re in a position to change it.”

John Fray, deputy general secretary of the NUJ – who was instrumental in the “long, hard campaign” to try to save BBC CWR – agreed, saying it should never have been closed in the first place.

“It’s good news. And it proves what we said at the time: that there is a need for a local station in Coventry and Warwickshire. All the staff and listeners will no doubt make it a successful and distinct station in the future,” he added.

Giving the reason for launching a new station in the region now, David Holdsworth, head of regional and local programmes, responded: “It’s because it deserves it and we have found a property for it.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

“Coventry and Warwickshire is one of the remaining areas without a proper BBC radio service, so we took up the opportunity to start a property search. The new station will be contemporary in its feel and won’t necessarily follow the format our other stations have,” he said.

Holdsworth added that he was about to advertise for an editor for the as yet unnamed station and would likely recruit “at least 10” other journalists.

The new station will also incorporate an “open centre” that will give the local community access to BBC Learning facilities, similar to those available at Blackburn, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent.

The demise of BBC CWR in 1995 was part of a strategy to merge a number of local radio stations. This included the fusion of Radio Oxford and Radio Berkshire into BBC Thames Valley, and the addition of Surrey, Sussex and north-east Hampshire services to Guildford-based BBC Southern Counties Radio.

Resistance to the closure of BBC CWR gained the support of MPs, journalists and listeners, including the Archbishop of Coventry, but failed to stop its merger with BBC WM at the cost of 25 jobs.

by Wale Azeez

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network