Yesterday, I went on the BBC Radio Lancashire website to catch up on the news, stories and the question and answer pages on Martin James’s “At the Water’s Edge” fishing section.
Where was it? Was I just being thick? I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I emailed Radio Lancs to see if it was just a glitch.
No, it wasn’t. Without a word to anyone, they’ve removed the angling pages….and their reply?
We've recently made some changes to the website -.....one of which is that we no longer do as much sport on the website. Fishing is one of the sections that had to go, though there is an archive here...
I only started fishing two years ago, and if it hadn’t been for Martin’s pages on the website, and all the help I’ve had off AN, I would probably have given up by now. I was trying to teach myself (rather difficult when you’re new to it and don’t know any fellow anglers!) so I contacted him for advice through the Radio Lancashire website, and got an immediate response, resulting in an invitation to go chub fishing, which was a fantastic day. I’ve also had several memorable days with him learning to fly fish on the River Ribble. I’ve been out with Martin several times since, and had invaluable help and advice. I’m not the only one – there are many more who’ve received the same help, after contacting him through his pages on the Radio Lancashire website.
What do we have on Radio Lancashire’s sport section now? Football, rugby, cricket and ice hockey…no mention of angling whatsoever, unless you choose to search the archives. Ice hockey? Yeah right – that’s obviously much more popular than angling….oh we do love a radio station that’s so in touch with its listeners, don’t we?
Auntie seems not to like angling. Might have something to do with all their programmers being a bunch of wishy-washy, lily-livered liberals who are more interested in remaining politically correct than being truly representative of their wider audience.....
Boycott the Beeb... Excepting their Natural History programming, their TV stuff is all fairly weak really... No issue with their radio though, especially the local stations.
Bryan, I sincerely hope that you're wrong with that prediction...the show has been broadcast for over 25 years. I've only listened for the past two, but it's been invaluable source of information to me and many others. The BBC are supposed to provide a service. Where is the service for us anglers if they pull these pages? Jeez! We pay our licence fee. Surely, as there are millions of us angling every year, they can spare a few web pages devoted to our sport? Is it just down to cost cutting? Just how much does it cost for a few pages of angling information on a website these days?
The BBC was responsible for what I've been told was one of the best angling series ever made - "A Passion for Angling". They also had a great response to a recent series "The Accidental Angler", with Charles Rangely-Wilson. They showed that angling can transcend boundaries, and appeal to both anglers and non-anglers. They managed to show both the fun of fishing and the conservation aspects. Quality broadcasting on a quality subject, which isn't something available anywhere else, unless you're happy with the pathetic shows on the pay-to-view channels, with sad looking anglers fishing muddy puddles for bloated boilie fed carp .....
Sorry, I'm having a bit of a rant here, aren't I?
Please guys, can I ask you to contact Radio Lancs and express your concern about the removal of the angling pages? Even if you don't use them yourselves, I can assure you that there are many, many anglers such as myself, who have found Martin's pages to be very useful, and they will be missed.
Unless, of course, you think that Ice Hockey is more important....
Many thanks for all your support guys. I knew I could rely on you to rally round when it's needed.
I hope that any of you who have any interest at all in the angling media will also add your support, and contact Radio Lancs to ask them to reconsider their decision to axe the angling pages. It was a free, and valuable source of information to me when I first took up fishing.
Without these pages, I probably wouldn't have ever met Martin. I wouldn't have been taken out on the river to catch my first chub, nor would I have had my fantastic sessions learning to fly fish, and I wouldn't have all the help and advice that he is always willing to offer.
There are many out there like me, total beginners needing a helping hand and a bit of advice who he's helped and encouraged, such as Mark's fabulous Pendle Fishing Buddies. I know from speaking to Martin how much he gets back from helping these youngsters, and I know how much he puts back into the sport. I wouldn't have dreamed of contacting him direct, but the BBC pages made it so much more accessible.
It will be a sad day if the angling content on the BBC is allowed to shrink to nothing in favour of football, cricket and ice hockey....
Thanks for your help. I'm pleased to say that the guys on AN have been very supportive. I 'm sure you will be too!
