PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHANGES TO RADIO 4 (29 July 1997)

That this House, concerned at the damage to settled listening habits and loyalties, the loss of popular programmes and the abdication of Radio Four's strong tradition of investigative journalism and informed analysis, asks the Governors of the BBC to think again about the scale of changes proposed in its schedule, the dumbing down of Radio Four by the introduction of endless celebrity chat shows and rag-bag magazine programmes and the relegation of serious analysis and investigation to times after 8 pm when the audience is small, as proposed by the new controller; considers that the Governors should bear in mind the lessons of Radio One and Radio Two where new controllers were allowed to introduce drastic and disturbing changes resulting in the loss of large sections of the audience, which is extremely difficult to win back in today's competitive radio market; and reminds the Corporation of the great benefits of leaving well alone, because the best hope of attracting large audiences for serious programming and for bringing in new younger listeners is to maintain and build on current levels of quality, the same high standards, the same varied programming and the same levels of intelligence and interest which have attracted the present listeners to a station offering quality intelligent radio of a type unmatched on the radio dial.

Sponsored by:
Austin Mitchell (Labour)