BBC Birmingham Starts 24 Hour Strike

I think R2's two main overnight presenters, Alex Lester and Janice Long both lived in the Brum area (because that was where their shows were based !) Both of them are far too professional to have made a public fuss about relocation.

Anyway, Radio 2 is slowly moving towards sourcing all its presenters from a pool of celebrities, who are not necessarily any good as radio presenters, perhaps the reason why its output has been centralised in W1 ? That's a discussion for somewhere else though !

Didn't Alex live on a canal boat nearby or am I getting mixed up with Cliff Richard's character in 'Take Me High'?
Janice also did a show on Wm for a couple of years too.

Alex certainly used to live on a canal boat but doesn't anymore. I don't know where he lives now.

I think Janice Long used to commute from somewhere in the North West to do her show in Birmingham. Again, don't know what she does now.

I happen to think there should be a quota for programming made in each Government Region (applying to both BBC1 and ITV1). I'm not talking huge numbers as that would be hugely expensive but maybe 1% (at the most 2% of all production be made in each Government region outside London). That would (including the Home Nations) be 11%-22% all together...much less than the current 35% production outside London quota. I truly believe this could be good for the viewers (providing better representation for all) and the BBC and ITV alike.

Frankly the representation argument is quite silly. I feel no more or less represented by a Midlands actor than I do a Northern actor or a Welsh actor or an Irish actor. However, there is a case for moving production out of London, although as previously said it doesn't actually matter where the production ends up relocating to. It wouldn't make me feel proud if the BBC opened a production centre in the city where I live, and if I aspired to a career in television or radio, I'd go to where the jobs are rather than expect them to come to me. BECTU argues BBC Birmingham staff would be forced to leave their families behind if they move to Bristol. How far is Bristol from Birmingham; 70 miles? It's the 21st Century not 1820. Migrants travel half way around the world for a better life and these people are whinging about moving down the road. The mind boggles.

What PLANET are you on? It's not my one that's for sure.

It's simply not economically viable to constantly travel to see loved ones and the costs of relocation, regardless of expenses schemes in place and incentives, out weigh that of the job. Anyway, as the BBC and ITV have essentially left the Midlands derelict of media attention it wipes an entire profession out of the area.

Just like they already have in vast swathes of the country. Only this week ITV announced they were shutting down the final remnents of non-local-news production in Norwich.

Well yes, it just so happens those places aren't speaking out is all. There's been one or two press reports, but nothing solid. That said Midlands aren't exactly shouting from rooftops.

Last time I heard , Janice lived somewhere in Brum, but again its been some years plus her Wm show wasnt mine or quite a few listeners cup of tea!