LBC News Discussion

I’d put money on a substantial proportion of Rajar respondents also having the same confusion. I’d take the latest figures with a pinch of salt.

This discussion recently does show the branding issues LBC and LBC News have. Some people are associating LBC News, an impartial rolling news station with LBC, which broadcasts opinionated newstalk, in addition to impartial analysis from LBC journalists and impartial news bulletins provided by Global's Newsroom.

You then also have the parent company Global, who are derided by certain anoraks for issues raised above, such as the alleged tax issues and acquring former local radio stations to provide national programming, yet are providing programming that people actually want to hear, which are populist music stations, political skewed speech or rolling news.

Either way, LBC or Global will never satisfy everyone, which is why we still have the BBC who are obliged to provide PSB radio.

I'm not sure if Global has been doing this (because I don't normally listen to LBC), but it might be a good idea for there to be a bit of promotion for LBC News. It might bring more listeners to the station, and even if it doesn't, it'll get the message across that even though LBC and LBC News share some resources, they are not the same.

It makes me wonder if listeners have certain issues with Capital and Capital Xtra as well? One is a national top 40 station, the other is largely an urban music station similar to BBC 1Xtra.

Going back to news format radio, Entercom in New York operate two rolling news formats, WINS which is tight clock based rolling news, which is similar to LBC News, while WCBS Newsradio 880 is slightly more conversational, yet are able to provide news to distinct audiences.

I'm not so sure about that. It all seems to come down to what each station has at the most basic of levels. For example, with Capital and Capital Xtra, you have two different styles of music and even if you know nothing about either station or the music that they play, somebody would quickly establish that they are two different stations.


In comparison, if you break down LBC and LBC News, they are two stations which have news at their core. The only differences are that one of them has opinionated presenters and contributors, whilst the other focuses on rolling news coverage. It's much easier to get confused between them.

There have been ads for LBC News on Heart 90s and possibly other Heart branded stations recently.

Rename the original LBC network as LBC Talk, then. Problem solved!

I assume radio has looser rules than TV when it comes to balance and the LBC justification of a politically balanced schedule wouldn't wash if it was replicated on television.

I think the rules are the same, as long as there is overall balance within the schedule ? C4 have had 'partisan' documentaries ?

I didn't want to post in the general Coronavirus topic about the LBC coverage of the Dominic Cummings presser, but it shows the distinct differences between the two LBC branded stations.

LBC: Eddie Mair speaking to angry callers who are either pro or anti Cummings. Some of which don't understand the process of why journalists asked probing questions. (6pm, Nigel Farage takes over coverage)

LBC News: Forensic analysis from David Mellor and LBC's political correspondent.

That difference couldn't be more accurate.