THE head of the BBC has been invited to Derry to discuss plans to axe news services at BBC Radio Foyle.
Sinn Féin mayor Sandra Duffy has written to Tim Davie after Derry City and Strabane District Council’s governance and strategic planning committee passed a motion commending cross-community support for the radio staton.
In November, BBC NI’s interim director, Adam Smyth announced plans to for 38 redundancies, with eight of those in the Foyle newsroom. Under the cutbacks plan, Foyle’s flagship news show, the Morning Show and its dedicated north west news bulletins are also to be scrapped. The announcement was met with anger across the north west where Radio Foyle has been broadcasting for more than 40 years.
Ms Duffy said she hoped a visit to the region by Mr Davie would show him the “strength of feeling” behind the campaign to protect Radio Foyle.
“Nowhere will you find a media team as embedded in the local community as the one at Radio Foyle and I want the director general to see for himself what that really means to the BBC audience,” she said.
The mayor has written to BBC chairman, Richard Sharp, stressing Radio Foyle’s important role in the community.
