BBC Local Radio listeners were met with unexpected silence last Friday evening (January 3) after technical difficulties disrupted broadcasts. The problem surfaced during the programme Late Night Jo, hosted by Jo Good and aired across 40 English stations.
The show persevered for 20 minutes before a quarter-hour of dead air ensued, which was then supplanted by programming from BBC Radio 5 Live for the rest of the night on most stations. Only BBC Radio London managed to broadcast the entire Late Night Jo despite facing its own issues.
Those included an unscheduled seven-minute 5 Live segment at 10:40 PM, an unwelcome interruption to a live interview a little before 11:00 PM, and the notable omission of the 11 PM news bulletin. Host Jo Good acknowledged the interruptions on air, making light of the situation by blaming the freezing weather.
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A BBC spokesperson later explained, “Local radio output was disrupted late last night due to a technical problem. All services resumed to normal this morning.”
Compounding Friday’s woes for the BBC was the leak of a private chat between two Newsline presenters on air. During the BBC News at One, as anchor Anna Foster took to the screen with the latest headlines, her segment was suddenly switched off-screen, reports the Express.
Anna informed viewers: “Adult social care in England is unlikely to be reformed for at least three years. The government has confirmed that an independent …” However, before she could finish her sentence, the broadcast abruptly switched to two other Newsline presenters engaged in a conversation. They appeared to be getting ready for their segment while a production team member was seen adjusting a seat behind the renowned newsdesk.
It seemed like they were meeting for the first time in 2025 as one waved and greeted: “Hello, how are you? Happy New Year.”
But before they could get into their chat, an off-camera voice said: “Sorry Jenny,” and the broadcast returned to Anna. Unaware of the unexpected interruption, Anna continued discussing the government’s plans for adult social care.