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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Shaun Keenan

'Save Radio Foyle' campaign heats up ahead of public meeting with council next month

The Save Radio Foyle campaign has continued to gather pace after the Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council said that a public meeting in support of the campaign would be held next month.

The meeting, which will take place at the Guildhall Derry at 6.30pm on Wednesday, January 4, has been organised by the Derry and North West branch of the National Union of Journalists.

In November, BBC NI interim director Adam Smyth said that changes to the station would see the end of Radio Foyle's Breakfast programme alongside daily news bulletins. The decision has also put around eight jobs at the station at risk.

Read more: Five fire crews called to tackle blaze at city centre bar

The corporation said it was setting out its plans to "facilitate the enhancement of its digital video and online services and the savings that it will need to make over the coming period".

It said that local investment in BBC iPlayer will be increased, but there will also be output and staffing reductions in news, audio and related areas.

However, Séamus Dooley, Assistant General Secretary of the NUJ, said "the Ill-conceived plan" to axe services at BBC Radio Foyle had been met with "strong community resistance".

He added: "BBC Radio Foyle is a vital part of the local media landscape. The people of the city are proud of the station and their local papers and know the value of locally generated news content.

"BBC management were taken by surprise at the strength of community and political support for the station and there is now an opportunity to amplify that support."

A petition, which has been signed more than 1,600 times already, has been posted online by the NUJ. If you would like to view the petition, you can do so HERE.

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