Council to consider motion calling for BBC’s Farm Gate to be saved from axe

It comes as the broadcaster is set to axe it’s Farm Gate programme from its schedules.

The Notice of Motion from SDLP councillor Declan McAteer reads that NMDDC “views with deep concern, BBC Northern Ireland's move to axe the agricultural feature segment programme, Farm Gate from their Radio Ulster schedule.

"And further demands that BBC NI fulfils it's obligations and responsibilities as a public service broadcaster to the farming and rural community.

"We also call on BBC NI to formally commit to providing regular, adequate, and bespoke coverage of live agricultural issues, including market and produce trends."

If the Crotlieve councillor’s motion is passed it will be sent to the Director of BBC Northern Ireland, Adam Smyth.

The motion comes after the BBC cancelled a meeting, due to be held on December 20, with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) where they would have been urged to reconsider their plans to axe the programme.

It was proposed to reschedule the meeting in January, but as UFU president David Brown points out: “By the New Year, Farm Gate will already be axed, and our public broadcaster who has a duty to inform and educate everyone in society on matters of interest, will have knowingly cut off a key channel of communication isolating farming families.

"It gives the impression that this approach is being taken to minimise interference as those with decision making powers progress with removing this important output that caters to our rural communities.”

Mr Brown added: “BBC’s coverage of local farming has decreased drastically in recent years. At the meeting we were also hoping to discuss how the public broadcaster would improve this and cover agriculture going forward.

“The BBC need to decide very carefully what message they want to send to rural dwellers and farmers. The people who produce the food they depend on every day, maintain our iconic landscape helping to boost local tourism, provide employment, support rural communities and contribute £6 billion annually to the NI economy. Where there is a will there’s a way, and the BBC have the power to step up for farming families across NI. We remain hopeful that BBC representatives will make arrangements to ensure that we can start the New Year as we mean to go on.”