BBC local radio told to focus more on older listeners

BBC local radio has been urged to focus more on its older listeners and told that cutting down the number of management positions could be the best way to accomplish this.

John Myers, an independent media consultant, made the recommendations as part of a BBC-commissioned report into possible efficiency savings, which also claimed there is a huge demographic of people over 50 'just waiting for a radio station they can call their own.'

He was asked to find ways the publicly-funded broadcaster could reduce costs at its network of 40 stations.

Mr Myers concluded that there are 'too many people with management responsibility' working at the radio stations. In his recommendations he said this is an area bosses should look at instead of making cuts to programmes.

He also said that although 'audiences are declining' BBC local radio 'remains a very popular service'.

The report said: 'The fastest growing demographic is the over-50 age group yet they now appear less well served than ever before so it is confusing why the network is not moving more quickly to fill this gap.'

It added: 'There is no future in flying low into a storm of competition when so many people over 50 are just waiting for a radio station they can call their own.'

Copyright Press Association 2012