Get the biggest stories sent straight to your inbox Sign up for regular updates and breaking news from WalesOnline Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

BBC Radio Wales has come under fire after a major shake-up which will see it slash weekday radio news coverage by at least five hours a week.

As well as reducing its daily drive-time news by an hour from Monday to Friday, its regular breakfast show is set to make way for what has been described as a "magazine-style" show.

The sweeping changes will also mean four female presenters are taken off the airwaves on news programmes.

The corporation faces fresh questions about whether it is providing value for money to TV licence payers - who were subjected to another inflation-busting fee increase earlier this month .

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it was concerned by the plans.

The chair of the NUJ's Welsh Council Nick Powell said: "We were not informed or consulted about proposed changes to the schedule at BBC Radio Wales.

"The union is concerned at the reduction in news oriented output on week days, amounting to five hours per week, and senior managers have yet to fully explain how they see changes in the long-established format of the breakfast and drive-time programmes will improve news content.

"Good journalism has never been more vital than it is right now to the people of Wales."

The changes are part of bosses' attempts claw back listeners after to a further drop in the number of people tuning into BBC Radio Wales.

The station's 40th anniversary saw it have its worst listening figures on record. The latest Rajar figures show its average weekly audience was 317,000.

However, BBC Wales thinks it can attract more listeners by reducing the amount of its news content. Radio Wales boss Colin Patterson recently emailed staff claiming listeners wanted more "mood based radio services".

Rhod Gilbert quits Saturday morning BBC Radio Wales show

It is replacing Good Evening Wales, which airs from 4pm to 6.30pm, with a new show fronted by Gareth Lewis, which will go out from 5pm to 6.30pm.

And its breakfast programme Good Morning Wales will be replaced on Mondays to Thursdays with a new show fronted by TV news anchor Claire Summers.

As well as changes in schedules, it will mean that the new shows are fronted by one presenter instead of two.

Four female presenters - believed to be Mai Davies, Rachael Garside, Nelli Bird and Kayley Thomas - will not feature in the new format.

Former Sky News anchor Davies and Country Focus presenter Garside were regular hosts of news programmes, while former Eye on Wales anchor Thomas had fronted shows while on attachments from other BBC departments.

The changes, which will come info force next month, will also see an end to songwriter Mal Pope's early morning show as well as seeing veteran broadcaster Peter Johnson retire.

The corporation's news output has been called into questions by Assembly Members and Senedd committees in the past.

BBC Radio Wales has to produce at least 32 hours of speech-only programmes a week - compared with the 50 hours aired in Scotland - something politicians have said is not enough.

Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Sayed, who chairs the Assembly's Culture Welsh Language and Communications Committee, said she opposed any downgrading of news coverage.

She said: "I've said in the past that Wales’ problem isn't so much fake news but no news in many circumstances and certainly in comparison to other parts of the UK.

"We need to be looking to expand radio news – along with all other news delivery - to ensure the people of this country have the comprehensive access to news and information that other people, in other countries, have as a matter of course.

"We already have less hours and programming dedicated to Wales from BBC Wales, than their equivalent in Scotland, so I hope that the changes being proposed do not adversely affect proper current affairs reporting."

BBC Radio Wales said while there was a cut in its news content from Mondays to Friday, there would be increases to output on weekends - which meant the overall reduction only amounted to two hours.

It also said it was consistently above the 32-hour minimum target for speech programmes.

A spokeswoman added: "Last month BBC Radio Wales announced its new-look line-up, with a new all-speech breakfast news programme launching next month.

"We’re committed to delivering news to the widest audience in Wales seven days a week, with Claire Summers - one of the nation’s best-loved journalists - at the heart of the radio station’s new breakfast programme."

She also insisted that Summers' new show would be a news and current affairs programme.

"Like all radio stations we refresh our offer from time to time, in line with a changing media landscape and audience trends," she added.

"As many will be aware, the picture in Wales changed significantly recently with the loss of Welsh programming in the morning on two of the biggest commercial radio services.

"As a result, it’s never been more important for us reach out to the biggest possible audience with news and debate that informs our national conversation."