A planned mass download is the latest weapon in the armoury of the #KeepBBCLocalRadioLocal campaign as supporters continue the fight against planned BBC cuts to local radio services.
Scottish troubadours Beldon Haigh’s song Need My Local Radio – a tune “in support of the joys, value and place in the community of local radio” – is the weapon of choice, and the mass download is scheduled to take place on Monday July 3, coinciding with a high-profile petition hand-in at Downing Street.
That afternoon, National Union of Journalists general secretary Michelle Stanistreet will be presenting a petition in support of local radio, along with the National Federation of the Blind of the UK at Downing Street at 1pm.
Blind and visually impaired people, along with a guide dog and various MPs, will be at the Prime Minister’s front door to hand in the petition signed by over 200 local groups, and more than 40 politicians.
Beldon Haigh, a band featuring mask-wearing lookalikes of Donald Trump and Kim Il-Sung, who are presumably avid local radio listeners themselves, also came along to the NUJ’s picket line at New Broadcasting House, London, during BBC journalists’ most recent 48-hour strike against the cuts on Wednesday June 7.
The #KeepBBCLocalRadioLocal campaign has won support from MPs and councillors of all parties, charities, local organisations, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones and 5.4m loyal local radio listeners and counting.
Beldon Haigh released the song on May 19, and on May 25 it was uploaded to BBC Introducing. All national and local BBC radio stations were contacted and asked to consider playing it.
“There is plenty of reason for the BBC Radio stations to play a song, which is fundamental support of the work of their 39 grass roots local radio stations. This is important for our democracy, because while this song disagrees with current BBC strategy, at its heart, it is in fundamental support of the BBC and the work it continues to do so well So why are they not playing it?,” the band wondered aloud.
A video of the band’s picket-line performance has had 130,000 views and almost 2,500 likes on YouTube.
