BBC Radio Cumbria staff in walkout against compulsory redundancies plan (From The Westmorland Gazette)

These are simply over paid, under worked people trying to preserve a way of life - they have no interest whatever in "quality of service" - they would not work in local radio if that were true.

They should consider themselves lucky that the BBC Trust was foolish enough to refuse to cut local radio back when it was proposed last year.

What evidence do you have of all those mostly insensitive comments about a group of people who are trying to save their jobs. Shame on you!

Helvellyn55 wrote:
These are simply over paid, under worked people trying to preserve a way of life - they have no interest whatever in "quality of service" - they would not work in local radio if that were true.

They should consider themselves lucky that the BBC Trust was foolish enough to refuse to cut local radio back when it was proposed last year.

Presumably like most public servants, they think they're above the private sector. Try a proper job! no index linked
pension, or lots of 'sickie days' off and big money for little else than showing up.

oceancloud wrote:
What evidence do you have of all those mostly insensitive comments about a group of people who are trying to save their jobs. Shame on you!

Inside knowledge

Helvellyn55 wrote:
These are simply over paid, under worked people trying to preserve a way of life - they have no interest whatever in "quality of service" - they would not work in local radio if that were true.

They should consider themselves lucky that the BBC Trust was foolish enough to refuse to cut local radio back when it was proposed last year.

Evenings on Radio Cumbria feature a nation wide Radio 2 style chat with music program hosted by Mark Forest - a presenter in Berkshire - except for the football on Tuesday nights.

LOCAL radio? I don't think so - it's just the thin end of the wedge!

life cycle too wrote:

Helvellyn55 wrote: These are simply over paid, under worked people trying to preserve a way of life - they have no interest whatever in "quality of service" - they would not work in local radio if that were true. They should consider themselves lucky that the BBC Trust was foolish enough to refuse to cut local radio back when it was proposed last year.

Evenings on Radio Cumbria feature a nation wide Radio 2 style chat with music program hosted by Mark Forest - a presenter in Berkshire - except for the football on Tuesday nights. LOCAL radio? I don't think so - it's just the thin end of the wedge!

It/they really should be closed to save the Licence Fee payer the cost and the oney saved used for better purposes.

Helvellyn55 wrote:

life cycle too wrote:

Helvellyn55 wrote: These are simply over paid, under worked people trying to preserve a way of life - they have no interest whatever in "quality of service" - they would not work in local radio if that were true. They should consider themselves lucky that the BBC Trust was foolish enough to refuse to cut local radio back when it was proposed last year.

Evenings on Radio Cumbria feature a nation wide Radio 2 style chat with music program hosted by Mark Forest - a presenter in Berkshire - except for the football on Tuesday nights. LOCAL radio? I don't think so - it's just the thin end of the wedge!

It/they really should be closed to save the Licence Fee payer the cost and the oney saved used for better purposes.

On the contrary, it is NATIONAL radio that should be closed and local radio made the primary source of news and information.
Listening to traffic reports relating to Norfolk or Thames Valley is a waste of licence payers money and my time, when we live in CUMBRIA.

I'm sick and tired of private sector workers bellyaching about public sector staff expecting decent pay and to keep their jobs. The difference is that most public sector workers deal with serious issues in their working day. Life would be much more difficult for us all without nurses, teachers and decent radio and TV journalists. Whereas, we can do without yet another retail shop, hotel or bank and its staff. People who work for the good of society should get higher pay than people who just work to line the pockets of directors and shareholders, and if they don't like it there is nothing stopping them joining a union and campaigning to prevent redundancies in their own workplace.

Don't forget that BBC Radio Cumbria provides excellent coverage of serious news events such as the Derek Bird shootings and the Cockermouth floods, as they unfolded. Plus, it provides invaluable local information about weather conditions and probably prevents lots of accidents and deaths. It also provides factual support with regard to health and welfare, alongside the lighter topics and music. How many private sector workers can claim that they play such a vital role in society?

It would be a shame if BBC Radio Cumbria suffers more cuts. It already has, and each member of staff deserves to remain in post. BBC Radio Cumbria is an award winning, local radio station and we are lucky to have it as ours. Let's support their action and not allow any more redundancies in a region where decent jobs are thin on the ground.

The last time I listened to Radio Cumbria (it was a while ago) they had an announcer with an Australian accent who didn't know how to pronounce local place names. I decided that if they couldn't employ locals I wouldn't listen to them, and I haven't.

jazzactivist wrote:
I'm sick and tired of private sector workers bellyaching about public sector staff expecting decent pay and to keep their jobs. The difference is that most public sector workers deal with serious issues in their working day. Life would be much more difficult for us all without nurses, teachers and decent radio and TV journalists. Whereas, we can do without yet another retail shop, hotel or bank and its staff. People who work for the good of society should get higher pay than people who just work to line the pockets of directors and shareholders, and if they don't like it there is nothing stopping them joining a union and campaigning to prevent redundancies in their own workplace.

Don't forget that BBC Radio Cumbria provides excellent coverage of serious news events such as the Derek Bird shootings and the Cockermouth floods, as they unfolded. Plus, it provides invaluable local information about weather conditions and probably prevents lots of accidents and deaths. It also provides factual support with regard to health and welfare, alongside the lighter topics and music. How many private sector workers can claim that they play such a vital role in society?

It would be a shame if BBC Radio Cumbria suffers more cuts. It already has, and each member of staff deserves to remain in post. BBC Radio Cumbria is an award winning, local radio station and we are lucky to have it as ours. Let's support their action and not allow any more redundancies in a region where decent jobs are thin on the ground.

It's 'Private Sector workers and private enterprise that keep the country running.
Live in the real world Jazzy.

JimTraficantforPresi
dent wrote:
The last time I listened to Radio Cumbria (it was a while ago) they had an announcer with an Australian accent who didn't know how to pronounce local place names. I decided that if they couldn't employ locals I wouldn't listen to them, and I haven't.

That was Kate Stoll - who was on short term attachment and has now returned to her native land - although she did give a report a short while back on the weather in Oz exclusively for Radio Cumbria.

Her diction WAS awful, but I'm sure she learnt much by the time she returned home - and full marks to radio Cumbria for offering the experience.

Never listened to the station, but then I don't listen to the radio at all anyway - The only BBC service I use is BBC News and BBC Parliment, both on Iplayer. Never good when jobs are lost, in under threat - but the BBC is facing the onslaught of the digital age, cutbacks and refocusing are going to be at the forefront of the buisness between now and the next review (2016?) I can't imagine the license staying for much longer past 2021 - the digital age will hit it hard, and in turn hit the employees hard. Hopefully what blossoms out of the ashes of it and the people it lets go will be new and different opportunities in the realms of local digital media...
I'm droneing on a bit, sorry, long day! Best of luck to all those involved though!