BBC accused of ‘setting a torch to the delicate ecosystem of local news’

The BBC has been accused of ‘setting a torch to the delicate ecosystem of local news’ with their aggressive expansion into areas already well served by local independent commercial publishers.

Dame Caroline Dinenage used her role as chair of the Culture, Media and Sports committee to question BBC Director-General Tim Davie about the plan which has seen the corporation branded a ‘neighbour from hell’ by senior editors across the industry.

The BBC is strengthening its local online news provision in communities across England, with the creation of additional jobs, in direct competition to established media companies. At the same time it has scaled back on local radio content. And only this week reports surfaced that the BBC now plans to introduce adverts into its audio output on third party platforms - adding licence fee-backed competition into the commercial market.