A GROUP of SNP MSPs have written to the chief executive of Bauer Media Group following their decision to axe the local breakfast shows on MFR, Northsound and Tay FM.
The cuts, announced on Wednesday, mean there will no longer be any local or station-specific programming on the stations.
Listeners across Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and beyond will now have Edinburgh-based "Boogie in the Morning" broadcast across local stations.
The company is also launching a new Scotland-wide early in the morning breakfast show hosted by Tay FM's Gregor Runciman and Lynsey Gibson.
MFR host Jodie McCluskey and Northsound 1's Jeff Diack and Lauren Mitchell are set to leave after their final shows in December.
SNP MSPs Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside), Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West), Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East), Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine), Shona Robison (Dundee City East), Emma Roddick (Highlands and Islands), and Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) have all signed the letter.
The MSPs wrote: “For decades these local radio stations have been the backbone of local communities – helping people feel connected in an increasingly online world and covering the issues that matter to them. “These locally produced morning shows provide insights and distinctive programming that will be difficult to replicate elsewhere, and are hugely valued by the communities that listen to them. “We therefore request an urgent meeting with you to discuss this and call on you to rethink this decision. To undervalue local news outlets is to overlook the communities they speak to, and we strongly encourage you not to do so."
The group also requested an update on any risk to jobs, adding: “We are also gravely concerned that there is now a risk of job losses and would appreciate clarity on the impact this will have on those employed by Bauer in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and beyond. “The erosion of local news outlets is nothing new, but it is nonetheless disappointing that the communities we represent are now paying the price."
