BBC Radio Shropshire staff in 48 hour walkout over proposed programme cuts

Journalists from the radio station joined colleagues across the country in walking out in a 48-hour strike – as they call on management to reverse plans to cut back on dedicated local radio shows amid ambitions to focus more on digital services.

Under the changes Radio Shropshire would only broadcast dedicated county programmes from 6am to 2pm, from Monday to Friday – although news bulletins at the top of the hour will remain local.

The popular afternoon show would become a shared broadcast covering Hereford & Worcester and Stoke.

The weekend would feature a regional Midlands breakfast show, before three-way programming would return.

But if there are sporting events, such as a Shrewsbury Town match, local coverage would continue.

Staff from the station could be seen outside the Shrewsbury office on the picket this morning, with the strike having started at midnight.

It follows a previous strike over the same issue in March.

Elaine Muir, the BBC Shropshire NUJ rep, said staff were 'gutted' at the potential impact of the changes – and wanted to do everything they could to force a re-think.

She said: "We want to protect as much of the local service as we can. It is not about money or jobs, local radio is not local if it is regional.

"We listen to the radio, our families listen to the radio, our friends do, our communities and our neighbours do, our mums and dads at the school gates do, and we want to maintain as much of the Shropshire specific service as possible."

She added: "If you are a local charity or group here in Shropshire and perhaps you come to us and say 'we want to talk about an event' or you volunteer, we still want to hear those stories but will only be able to broadcast Shropshire specific output between 6am and 2pm from Monday to Friday."

She continued: "I think everyone is just upset. We are just gutted, we love local radio. The thing is a lot of us have been there a long time and we do it because we love it. We love telling people's stories, giving them the ability to tell their own stories, and we want to make sure that it lasts as long as it can and we really think there is a place for that."