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Friday 23 July 2021

BBC Reduces Regional News Provision as Pingdemic Bites

The BBC has decided to slash the number of regional news programmes due to the increased number of staff being told to self-isolate by the NHS covid app.

From next Monday, 26th July 2021, there will be no half-hourly regional opt outs during BBC One's BBC Breakfast programme. This will remain the case until the start of September.

The Corporation has not ruled out further cuts to regional services as a result of the so-called "pingdemic".

A BBC spokesperson said: "Like employers in every area of the economy, we're experiencing unprecedented staffing shortages caused by covid.

"Apart from a few exceptions, we have maintained a normal service so far. Our priority is to protect the most popular news programme on TV; the regional news at 6:30 pm on BBC One.

"To do this, we are implementing some short-term measures to ease pressure on our teams."

The format of some BBC regional news programmes has already changed as a result of staff absences.

Viewers in Norwich and Cambridgeshire would usually have different sub-regional versions of early evening news programme Look East, but for the past week have received the same version of the show.

Last year the BBC reduced the staffing of its regional newsrooms by one-sixth, with many well-known local faces disappearing from the screens.

Insiders have said that regional news provision has been cut to the bone, which has left newsrooms unable to operate with higher than normal levels of absence.

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1 comment:

Terminator said...

They cut stuff, even if it's a temporary, but will make it permanent just like councils do with closures.