‘Save Our Ronnie’ say campaigners

Ronnie Barbour’s The Other One Show on BBC Three Counties Radio would be in danger if proposals to replace some local programmes with regional ones went ahead.

The Facebook group ‘Save Our Ronnie’ now has more than 100 members, who have the support of South West Beds MP Andrew Selous, who has written to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the BBC’s director general on their behalf.

Listener Beryl Telford wrote on the campaign page: “I will be devastated if we lose any of the presenters from this station, in particular Ronnie. All the programmes are so ‘locally’ orientated and we learn and hear about such a varied mix of people from all over the three counties.”

The BBC Trust is currently carrying out a consultation on the proposals, which are aimed at helping it make £600 million of cost savings between now and 2016.

A BBC spokesman said: “These proposals protect BBC local radio peak-time programmes when the audience is highest and the output is the most distinctive.

“That is breakfast, mid-morning and drive-time programmes plus sport and faith on Sunday mornings. There will be a number of changes to local programmes and the proposal to share one afternoon programme between neighbouring areas is just one of these.”

>Visit www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust before December 21 to have a say on the proposals.