Dial the Difference—How and Why BBC Local Radio and Independent Local Radio Developed Different News Services

Abstract

This article is principally concerned with how and why these 2 types of radio news developed. It discusses the culture, ethos and practices of the 2 services and, in particular, if and how each was influenced by the other. Much of the article is concerned about how the new commercial stations developed practices and styles that were consciously different from, and in some cases in direct opposition to, those at the BBC, both nationally and locally. The article argues that it was the BBC which adopted and integrated commercial radio’s style and practices, rather than, as is often supposed, the other way around.

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Notes on contributors

Richard Rudin

Richard Rudin, (B.A., Open University, 1989, M.A., University of Leicester, 2000) is a senior lecturer at the Liverpool John Moores University. His research interests include the history of development of commercial radio in the UK (1964–84); changing news output, employment/training and practices in radio news—especially with regard to multimedia journalism; public service broadcasting in commercial radio; and DAB digital radio.