The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Thread

It is becoming evident to both Regional programming heads that the region split is under resourced. Of course they would never admit it officially.
When the two North regions devolved they had to do so without any increase in staffing hours - this was relaxed in Hull when a little more money was made available. Leeds has had to make real term savings.
Again it all comes back to money going into capital projects and the programming budget as a secondary item. Hull cost a fortune to design/lease & incorporate into what was supposed to be a commercial building. Leeds fared better as it was better thought through & bespoke.
The justification for this expense within the BBC is that it needs to be 'closer to the people'
There is too much emphasis on 'open centres' and 'community projects' and not enough on broadcasting - it is supposed to be a mass media corporation. Its not there for a select few who live in Hull and can pop in to the drop out centre.
The levels of complaints about Look North (Hull) are rising but for some silly reason so are the weekly viewing figures. Leeds viewing figures are dropping slightly but both are well ahead of Calendar.
Until this changes the attentions of English regional management are concentrated on Milton Keynes which is the latest 'new region' to be created in 2006.

I suppose it's because the general public seem to like downmarket celeb-obsessed tack rather than a quality, informative product. It's the same reason why The Sun sells more than The Times.

Quite why a public service broadcaster like the Beeb is intent on chasing the lowest common denominator in order to boost ratings like this is a mystery though.

Nice studio - shame they looked so wooden...! And was Julie's suit from 1975?

And is it now 'Andrew and Julie' rather than Breakfast?

and will they be doing that when the brekkie show decamps for one of its Bradford based weeks?

And will Radio Sheffield and York want to get in on the act?

Firstly here is an interview from tonight's Look North. Spot the obvious give away to prove this section was recorded earlier
http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/looknorth141005a.jpg

Secondly, here's Andrew and Julie, BBC Radio Leeds
http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/looknorth141005b.jpg
http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/looknorth141005c.jpg
To give them credit at least its not Darragh Corcoran with a load of pointless music. Personally I only tune in every 15 mins to see if I can predict what will be in West Yorkshire Traffic this morning

Busy on the M62 at junction 25...

...and always busy at the Tesco roundabout

All fitted into the toth sequence that lasts 4 minutes

Which they never mention, do they mention it on Home 107.9?

Although they only seem to do traffic headlines now at the TOTH, which is annoying as you have to wait until :15 for a proper round-up.

Do you happen to know if they use Trafficlink during "Andrew and Julie"?, Because I've noticed its David James on Radio Leeds but its Kevin West on Radio Humberside. At teatime though Claire Hops does both, and probably Radio York as well.

Andrew, you are such a dinosaur, get with the real world.

It's local radio, not Radio 4!

BBC local radio is supposed to play music. The only shows not to have music, as set out in the BBC guidelines (they are online somewhere) is the local radio breakfast show.

Firstly I actually listen to Scott Mills on the way home, so its not music itself that's pointless, its the way its been shoehorned into Radio Leeds Drivetime when there didn't used to be any. Every hour has to have a song at :05, one at :55, another one somewhere else. Surely if you want music you've got a choice of various national and/or commercial radio stations to listen to. The music on the Liz Green lunchtime Phone-in also sounds strange as its supposed to be a phone-in!.

On Calendar Masuma Nadiem has made her Calendar News presenting debut tonight, doing the news round-up during Calendar and the full region late bulletin

I agree - Radio Leeds has the talented presenters, though perhaps not the resources it once had, to produce good news talk programmes - the music doesn't always seem to fit in.

Interesting to hear they've made the toth travel snappier (I'm usually busy at the time it's on...), I'm not sure about trafficlink - certainly only hear David James on Radio Leeds, never anywhere else... The data's definitely trafficlink (have a listen round, you'll soon hear!), I'll try and find out!

You may only hear Dave James on Radio Leeds, but you hear Dave Lewellyn on other stations... both being the same person who works for Trafficlink!