Radio Sheffield has dumbed down output

The principal change involved Paulette Edwards taking over the 10am to 1pm slot, (as featured in The Star), and Rony Robinson moving to the 1pm to 3pm programme.

As I had feared at the time the changes were announced, and as it has proved, this represents a significant dumbing down of the station’s output.

I sympathise with Paulette but, sadly, she is not in Rony’s class as a broadcaster.

For me and, I suspect, many other listeners, he is Radio Sheffield’s greatest asset.

In his current slot he seems to be, sadly, diminished.

One can only speculate as to why these changes were introduced.

Maybe Rony has decided it’s time to take things easy – he didn’t do the the Christmas Day shift this year, which was a massive blow to his regular listeners – but I doubt if that is the reason.

Could it be that he is now seen as being too political, especially at a time when the BBC feels it has to pander to fake populism?

I can’t see Paulette taking on the likes of David Blunkett and getting away with it in the way Rony could.

A more likely, and more worrying, explanation is that the BBC has given up its commitment to local radio and wants to inflict on us the dire regional version of its output it puts out after 9pm.

With its accent-less presenters and its news about events in Batley and Heckmondwicke, that’s enough to make you switch off for good.

Paul Kenny

S3